Thursday, January 23, 2014

Contact: Jessica Klos Shapiro
Public Policy and Communications Coordinator
518-690-4217 ext 32
jklos@earlycareandlearning.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

1/23/13
Director of Development joins Early Care & Learning Council

As Early Care & Learning Council’s new director of development, Jessica Mansmith is particularly excited about working with the Early Care & Learning Council’s network of 35 child care resource and referral agencies throughout New York State.

Jessica began her nonprofit career at the age of 16. Through her high school and college studies (University at Albany ‘99), she worked with youth at the YMCA of Fulton County, Fulton County YWCA’s Bebee Taylor Daycare Center, the Fulton County Jewish Community Center, David S. Van Santen Day Camp, and Albany Center Gallery.

In 2005, Jessica moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where she worked for Silicon Valley Community Foundation (Peninsula Community Foundation, pre-merger). She managed a multi-million dollar portfolio of over 100 donor advised funds, advised high-net worth families on their philanthropic goals, made discretionary grants to nonprofits focused on glaucoma and ovarian cancer, garnered collaboration among fund holders to pool their resources on special projects, and served on a committee granting English and Journalism scholarships to promising female students in need of financial assistance. Jessica credits her mentors at Silicon Valley Community Foundation for influencing her decision to make the nonprofit sector her lifelong career.

Jessica graduated with a Master’s in Nonprofit Administration from the University of San Francisco in 2009. Prior to moving back to New York in 2012, she was the assistant director of financial development for the YMCA of San Francisco, director of development for the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation, a consultant for The Marine Mammal Center, and the director of development for Clausen House in Oakland. Jessica volunteered for the Association for Suicide Prevention, Root Division, and SF Open Studios. She was a member of ACLU, The Commonwealth Club, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Northern California Planned Giving Council and the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network. Before joining Early Care & Learning Council, she was the director of development for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region and consultant to The Pride Center of the Capital Region. She volunteers with the Women’s Fund of the Capital Region and sits on the board of directors for Albany Center Gallery.

“It’s a gift to work such an immensely knowledgeable and professional network dedicated to creating positive change in child care across New York State,” Jessica says of her new position at ECLC. “They do it incredibly well; being able to point to a nonprofit’s high-caliber work and measurable impact is a fundraiser’s dream.”

“The creation of the Director of Development position and our hiring of Jessica – who is a talented and successful fund raiser – is a giant leap forward for the Early Care and Learning Council,” said David Voegele, Executive Director of the ECLC. “We expect to generate substantial new resources in support of the Child Care Resource & Referral programs, so they can better serve the families and children of NY”.

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Early Care & Learning Council: For more than thirty-five years, the Early Care & Learning Council has been a leading voice for early care and education in New York State.  With its statewide network of child care resource and referral agencies, the Council has successfully fought for increases in funding to support early childhood programs and for the reform of child care laws, regulations and policies to improve safety and quality in child care settings. The Council and partners work to increase the quality, affordability and capacity of the early care and learning field and does so through training and technical assistance, data management and advocacy initiatives. For more information, please call (518) 690-4217 or visit www.earlycareandlearning.org.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Governor's State of the State

POLICY and ADVOCACY ALERT































1/8/14

2014 State of the State

New York State has a long-standing commitment
to early childhood education and last year Governor Cuomo launched the State’s first program dedicated to providing full-day pre-kindergarten to children in our highest-needs communities. More than 5,500 children will enroll in full-day pre-k for the first time over the next few months as a result of $25 million dedicated funding for this proven educational program.

Today Governor Cuomo stated, “It is time to fulfill the State’s goal of truly ‘Universal Pre-Kindergarten’ access for all children.” At this time, the Governor did not announce the amount of funding that will be attached to reaching this goal.

The Governor also called for a $2 billion “Smart Schools” bond referendum to help New York State re-envision our schools from the ground up. Among many other things, school districts will be able to invest in new pre-k classrooms and related capital upgrades.

The Governor also stated that highly effective educators are critical to the success of our students. This year, the State will build on the universal implementation of the teacher evaluation system by recognizing and rewarding our most effective teachers. In 2014, Governor Cuomo is proposing the creation of a Teacher Excellence Fund to help more
school districts give meaning to these provisions and  encourage excellent teachers to continue in the classrooms where they are needed the most.

Highly effective teachers will be eligible for up to
$20,000 in annual supplemental compensation through the Teacher Excellence Fund.

Stay tuned for more updates and we hope to see you in Albany for Early Care and Learning Advocacy February 10th!

Click here to see the dates that the legislature will be in session during 2014.

Sincerely,
Jessica
Public Policy and Communications Coordinator
(518) 690-4217 ex. 32


Early Care & Learning Council   230 Washington Ave. Ext   Albany, NY 12203
Phone: 518.690.4217   Fax: 518.690.2887