Policy Priorities and Initiatives

Susan Butler-Staub

Susan Butler-Staub began her first term on the NCAEYC board in the fall of 2015 and currently serves as President.

Susan is an Instructor of Early Childhood Education at Central Piedmont Community College. Prior to teaching, Susan worked in North Carolina’s child care resource and referral field for over 10 years as a trainer and technical assistance provider. Before moving to North Carolina, she worked as an infant/toddler and preschool teacher, and in program coordination and administration for child care programs. Susan is particularly interested in developing the knowledge and skills of early childhood teachers and administrators, and in promoting an understanding of child development among new parents and community members.

Beth Moore

Beth Moore has served on the Board of NCAEYC since 2011. She is Past President and serves on the Executive and Resource & Fund Development committees. Her passion for achieving equity for families, children and communities drives her work in the non-profit field.

Beth is the Family Resource Manager for the Partnership for Children of Johnston County, NC. Prior to her current role, Beth was a Director of a 5 star, family-owned child care facility for 15 years. She has been working on advocating for family friendly policies on the state and local levels to ensure families have the resources and support they need to thrive.

Beth is a mother of three adult children and now a Gigi to a granddaughter that keeps her on her toes. She loves spending time with her family and helping children in her community.

Briley Rascoe

I began serving on the NCaeyc Board of Directors in 2019 and am the representative of the North East Region of North Carolina. On this board, I am a member of the Membership Committee

I am currently an Early Childhood Education Instructor at Nash Community College in Rock Mount, NC. Before taking this position in Fall of 2016, I was an Early Childhood Teacher in preschools and childcare centers in the North East Region.

I believe in life long learning. Working in higher education with future professionals in the field of Early Childhood Education gives me the opportunity to continue learning, stay current with issues and trends within the field, and advocate on the behalf of young children and families. I am also passionate about providing resources and support to current professionals in the area in which I live. I live on a cotton and strawberry farm with my husband, two children (5 and 7yrs old), 2 dogs, 2 cats, 9 chickens, 6 fish, and a hermit crab.

Amanda Blakely

Amanda Blakely has served on the Board of NCAEYC since 2021. She is currently the Sandhills Region Representative. Amanda is the Director of Quality at Childcare Network which includes over 80 locations in North Carolina.

Amanda holds a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is a mother of three wonderful children who enjoys spending time with family, reading, and traveling.

Jon Williams

Jon Williams joined the NCAEYC Board of Director in the Summer of 2021 as the West Region Representative. Jon is the Statewide Project Manager for the North Carolina CCR&R School Age Initiative which is funded by the Division of Child Development and Early Education and managed by Southwestern Child Development Commission. In this role he oversees the development of professional development and technical assistance services to all licensed school age programs in the state.

Jon’s interests include expanding gender, racial, and social-economic equity in early education. He also has a passion for state-level political advocacy, child care subsidy enhancement, and the overall professionalization of the early education field. Jon lives in the mountains of Hendersonville, North Carolina with his wife Heather and two children, Luke and Wren.

Theresa Roedersheimer

Theresa Roedersheimer has served on the board since December 2018. She is the Local Leadership Representative and serves on the Professional Development committee.

In 2014, Theresa received her Master’s Degree in Education. Currently, she is the Infant Toddler Policy Consultant for the Division of Child Development and Early Learning. Previously, Theresa worked as a training and technical assistance specialist. She has been in the field of early education for over 15 years.

Theresa is particularly interested in workforce development and policy development. In addition to her passion for making a difference in the lives of young children and families, she loves baking and pastry design.

Bonnie Gould

Bonnie Gould has served on the NCAEYC Board since the fall of 2019. She is currently the Child Care Resource and Referral Director with Craven Smart Start, and an Adjunct Instructor for Craven Community College. Her experience includes being an Early Childhood Administrator for over 25 years in Craven County.

Bonnie received her master’s degree in from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) in May 2020. The Master of Education (M.Ed.) program includes a specialization in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Advocacy specifically in early childhood. Information in this degree supports the development of leadership skills to serve in positions within community, state, and national agencies, in both the public and private sector that focus on supporting the healthy development, growth, and education of families and children.

Bonnie loves to spend time at the beach with her husband, adult children, and grandchildren. Bonnie also enjoys outdoor cookouts, pit fires and smores with her family and friends!

Dedee Ephraim

Dedee joined NCAEYC Board of Directors Fall 2016 as the Southwest Region Representative. She serves as the chair of the Resource and Fund Development committee. Dedee is the Statewide Technical Assistance and Professional Development Specialist for NC Child Care Resource & Referral, based in Charlotte, NC, and is an adjunct faculty member at Oakton Community College in the Chicago, IL area.

Dedee’s experience in early childhood includes: teacher, program director, trainer, adjunct faculty, and field related text auditor. Her interests in teacher education and compensation, administration preparation, as well as supporting developmentally appropriate, equitable practices keep her learning and engaged in many facets of early childhood, advocating to advance the field.

Dr. Adam Holland

Adam joined the board in 2017 as the East Central Region Representative and serves on the Resource and Fund Development committee. He is currently a Research Scientist at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His projects there largely focus on equity for BIPOC children and children with disabilities. Adam currently serves as the Chair of the International Early Childhood Inclusion Institute and on the leadership team for the STEM Center for Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education. Past experience in education includes teaching kindergarten and preschool. In his spare time, he enjoys falling asleep on the couch when he should just go to bed and reading all the things.

Mackenzie Ratledge

Mackenzie Ratledge joined the Board of Directors in April 2021 as the Northwestern Representative. She is currently an Assistant Professor at UNC Greensboro where she also serves as Director of the Child Care Education Program.

Her early work experiences include serving as a preschool teacher, non-profit Child Care Director, and a Licensing Consultant with the NC Division of Child Development & Early Education before coming to UNCG. She holds a M.Ed. in Leadership, Policy, & Advocacy in Early Education from UNC Wilmington and is a committed advocate for improving the quality of Early Education in NC through systemic workforce and policy development.

In her spare time, Mackenzie and her husband stay busy with their two children who are active in youth sports and scouting adventures.

Lisa Pullis

Lisa Campbell Pullis began her first term on the NCAEYC Board in Fall 2017. Currently, she serves as the Northwest Regional Representative. Lisa also serves on the Public Policy and Advocacy committee, keeping current on legislative actions affecting the early childhood workforce.

Lisa is the Program Director at the Iredell County Partnership for Young Children in Statesville, NC. She has worked in the early childhood field for over 24 years. Prior to her current role, Lisa was the Region 9 CCR&R Lead Agency Director, Professional Development Coordinator, Parent Educator for Parents As Teachers, preschool teacher, Human Resources Job Recruiter, and a prenatal Social Worker for a local hospital where she facilitated a variety of prenatal classes and parental support groups.

Lisa remains motivated and confident in making a difference in the early childhood workforce surrounding compensation and wages. She believes it is time for us to stand up, step up, and speak up to support the early childhood workforce, and that we must recognize, respect, and support the field in every way. If the early childhood workforce is supported and thriving, families and children will also thrive and succeed.

Lisa enjoys spending time making lifetime memories with her four children and husband. Her favorite quote is “Be the person you want to have in your life.”

Myra Burrell

Myra Burrell is NCAEYC’s Vice President of Membership. She serves on the Board’s Membership Committee, and previously served on the Local Leadership Support Committee. Myra is the Data and Contracts Manager at the Partnership for Children of Johnston County.

Previously, Myra was a toddler and preschool teacher. Myra founded and was Past President of the JoCo aeyc affiliate. Her particular areas of interest in early childhood involve improving the quality of care for children and training/educating adults in the field. In 2015, Myra completed her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Studies with a focus on Adult Education in the Early Childhood Field.

Myra is originally from the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, is happily married, and has an amazing son who was her inspiration for getting into Early Childhood Education. In her free time, Myra enjoys spending time with her family—especially watching her son play goalie for NC Force.

Shawna Daniels

Shawna Daniels became a board member in Fall 2016. She currently serves on the Professional Development Committee. Shawna works as a Technical Assistance Specialist at Child Care Services Association and teaches Early Education courses at Durham Tech and Nash Community College. She has worked in Early Education and School Age care for nearly 20 years in a variety of roles.

Through all of her professional roles, Shawna is interested in improving professional development through direct instruction, cooperative learning (via the Early Educators’ Community of Practice), and in-class mentoring.

Shawna is mother to a teenage son who joins her on hikes, short runs, and movie outings as much as possible.

Sarah Prezioso

I have been serving on the NCaeyc board since 2013. I am currently the board treasurer and serve on the Resource and Fund Development Committee. I am the Early Childhood Education program director and Public Services Department Chair at Nash Community College in Rocky Mount. I am most interested in supporting students and emerging leaders in the field and professionalizing the field. In my free time, I enjoy knitting, kayaking and spending time with my daughter, dogs and husband.