Featured Presenters

 

Linda Espinosa
Linda Espinosa recently retired from her position as associate professor at the University of Missouri where her research and writing led her to become known as one of America’s foremost experts on early learning, with a particular focus on English-language learners. Ms. Espinosa came to her academic career with wide experience as a preschool teacher, child care center director, elementary school principal, central office administrator, state program director, and corporate vice president. She worked extensively with low-income Latino children and families throughout California, including developing and directing the Family Focus for School Success program in Redwood City, which received state and national recognition. Her practical experience and research focused on optimal learning environments for young children at risk of school failure, and she remains deeply concerned about the continuing achievement gap, pervasive in many low income communities. Ms. Espinosa served as co-director of the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University, was a member of the NAEYC Governing Board and a commissioner for the NAEYC Accreditation Standards and Criteria Commission, and served as a member of the National Academy of Sciences, National Research Board Committee on Early Childhood Pedagogy. She has published many articles and training manuals on how to establish effective educational services for low income, ethnic-minority families who are acquiring English as a second language and was a contributing author of Eager to Learn: Educating Our Preschoolers.

 

Harriet Meyer
Since 1991, Harriet Meyer has served as president of the Ounce of Prevention Fund, a Chicago-based partnership between private donors and the state of Illinois, dedicated to giving children born into poverty a chance for success in school and in life. At the local and national levels, Ms. Meyer is recognized for her work shaping public policies and creating innovative programs that help young, at-risk children and their families. She believes that improving opportunities for low-income children during their earliest years is the best way to strengthen America’s democratic and economic institutions. She has led the Ounce of Prevention Fund for 17 years and has learned that advocacy and programming go hand in hand. Ms. Meyer has emerged as one of America’s leading advocates on behalf of young children. Along with leading the Ounce of Prevention Fund, Ms. Meyer co-chairs the Illinois Early Learning Council, established by Governor Rod Blagojevich. The Council’s report, Preschool for All: High Quality Early Education for all of Illinois’ Children, outlines an innovative strategy to make pre-k available to all 3 and 4-year-olds and to increase resources for infants and toddlers at risk. On the national level, Ms. Meyer served on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Advisory Committee that created the Early Head Start program.

 

Kris Perry
Kris Perry has served as the executive director of First 5 California since July, 2005. Under her guidance, First 5 California has emerged as a leading advocate for California’s youngest children and their families. Ms. Perry brings a wealth of experience to First 5 California, including having previously served as executive director of First 5 San Mateo County where she led community design groups to develop large-scale initiatives such as universal health care, preschool for all, early brain development and school readiness county-wide. She has a particular interest in developing high-quality child development programs for working families with modest incomes. Ms. Perry worked closely with other counties and was the chair of the 2003 Statewide Preschool for All Summit, chair of the First 5 Association’s Preschool for All task force, and 2005 vice president of the First 5 Association of California. Her dedication to children and families began at the Alameda County Social Services Agency where she worked for more than 12 years in various capacities, including dependency investigator, family preservation case manager, unit supervisor, supervising program specialist, and program manager with an emphasis on service integration and agency planning.

 

Ms. Perry’s vision for First 5 California includes creating a system of support and resources for parents, caregivers, early workforce professionals and children. In her role as executive director, she is instrumental in steering First 5 California’s strategic planning process, which guides the organization and its programs.

 

Arthur Rolnick
Arthur (Art) Rolnick is senior vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. While involved in research on effective economic development strategies, he and his colleagues turned their focus to investment in human capital. Their review of rigorous evaluations of early child development programs, along with recent neurological research, led them to conclude that if done right, high-quality, parent focused, early child development programs can make an extraordinary difference in outcomes both for the child and society – with economic returns many times greater than those garnered by conventional economic development strategies. Since that initial analysis, Mr. Rolnick has become nationally known, speaking before the National Governors Conference, the United Way Leaders Conference, and the World Bank/IMF annual meeting. He and his co-author have been to more than 40 states and are currently working with several that are making early child development one of their top economic priorities. Mr. Rolnick has been a visiting professor of economics at Boston College, the University of Chicago, and the University of Minnesota. Most recently he was an adjunct professor of economics at Lingnan College, Guangzhou, China, and the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. He is past president of the Minnesota Economic Association and serves on several nonprofit boards including the Minnesota Council on Economic Education, Citizens League of Minnesota, and Ready 4 K, an advocacy organization for early childhood development. Mr. Rolnick has received numerous awards for his work on early childhood development, including being named 2005 Minnesotan of the Year by Minnesota Monthly magazine.

 

Kikanza Nuri Robins
Kikanza Nuri Robins has worked as a trainer and coach for over 25 years, helping organizations and individuals to improve the quality of their service by addressing sustainable systems change, increasing cultural competence, and creating an organizational culture of justice, compassion, and inclusiveness. Ms. Robins facilitates groups as they wrestle with and reconcile their conflicts, and mentors institutions that are adjusting their systems and structures to improve their effectiveness. She sees her work as supporting people and organizations that seek to transform themselves from the inside out and has helped mission-based organizations and individuals throughout the country clarify their vision, assess their progress, and plan for their future. Ms. Robins is
co-author of Cultural Proficiency, A Manual for School Leaders; Culturally Proficient Instruction; Multimedia Kit for Professional Development; and Culturally Proficient Instruction, A Guide for People who Teach. An ordained Presbyterian minister, she brings to her work broad insight and a deep commitment to harmony.

 

Barry Zuckerman
Barry Zuckerman, M.D., is professor of pediatrics and public health at Boston University School of Medicine, chief of pediatrics at Boston Medical Center, and the founding director of Reach Out and Read. A leader in the field of developmental and behavioral pediatrics, Dr. Zuckerman challenges the way we think about health care by emphasizing prevention and developing programs to promote school readiness and ensure that families’ basic needs are met. Dr. Zuckerman has designed and implemented programs for children in Boston and throughout the country that emphasize prevention and extend well beyond traditional medical care. He is well known for his work with Reach Out and Read, a national program involving thousands of pediatricians who give books to children as part of the pediatric visit, building stronger relationships with families, fostering positive parental behaviors, and promoting healthy development in young children. He has trained child professionals from all disciplines and is committed to establishing more effective child health services. He has long been an advocate and practitioner of developmental screening in pediatric offices, a position that is strongly supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

 

Dr. Zuckerman has authored more than 150 scientific publications on the impact of biological, social, health services and psychological factors on children’s health and development. He is an editor of four books, including Behavioral and Developmental Pediatrics: Handbook for Primary Care, which was published in both English and Spanish.