With mixed emotions, the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership announced the departure of Donna Jacobson on January 31, 2023. While transitions can introduce uncertainty, they can also offer opportunities for innovation, growth, and new beginnings.

We are pleased to announce that Kimberlee Burt-Hendricks, Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education and Teacher Preparation in the Undergraduate College at National Louis University, assumed the role of interim executive director of the McCormick Center on February 20, 2023. Kimberlee has been a faculty member at National Louis in the Undergraduate College for nearly four years and has owned an early learning center in Chicago’s South Loop community for over 20 years.  Kimberlee has worked on several initiatives with the McCormick Center and is familiar with the assessment, research and contract work done by the center. 

Kimberlee, a respected expert in the Early Childhood Education field in Chicago, is familiar with Illinois Gateways to Opportunity professional development system and was a faculty co-lead on the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)/Mursion pilot earlier this year. She has an M.A.T. in Early Childhood Education, Curriculum, and Instruction from Howard University and is working on her Ed.D at NLU with an emphasis on Advocacy. Kimberlee is a member of several preschool owners associations, and a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Cohort. Kimberlee actively participates with the Women’s Business Development Center as a conference speaker and has mentored many aspiring women business owners  She participates in the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women Initiative and was a thought partner and primary contributor to the Goldman Sachs 10KSB Child Care task force, which produced From Pandemic to Prosperity Report with the Bipartisan Policy Center. 

She has been featured in Crain’s Chicago Business, Black Enterprise Magazine, The Chicago Tribune and Ebony Magazine to name a few. She’s also been a guest on NBC, and WCIU as an early childhood thought leader.  

She served on Mayor Emanuel’s Minimum Wage Increase Task Force, which met with then Vice President Joseph Biden to advocate for wage increases locally and nationally.

Kimberlee is passionate about developing business leaders and engaging and equipping parents to support their child’s development.   She counts being the Mommy of 1 year old Elijah as her greatest accomplishment and joy thus far!

Please join us in congratulating Kimberlee as she assumes this new and exciting role with the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership.