President

Kimberly has been in the field of early childhood education for over 20 years as a teacher, director, trainer, consultant, and child care specialist. She is co-author of Rituals and Traditions: Fostering a Sense of Community in Preschool and has written articles for Teaching Young Children and Young Children. She has served on the NVAEYC Board for over seven years.

Secretary, President Elect

Laura McCarty currently serves as a Multi-Tiered System of Supports Specialist with DC Public Schools and is an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College with over 15 years of Early Childhood Special Education experience. She is an active member of NVAEYC and was honored to be selected to participate in the inaugural NVAEYC Advocacy Leadership Training Program in 2021. In 2022 she joined the NVAEYC board and is looking forward to supporting NVAEYC’s mission and continuing to advocate for young children and the early childhood workforce.

Treasurer

Liz Cassidy has been a proud early childhood educator since 2013. After working in high-quality community preschool settings for 6 years, Liz returned to school to earn her graduate degree and teaching licensure in early childhood special education. She currently works for Fairfax County Public Schools as a preschool special education teacher, supporting young children with a range of needs. Liz joined the board of NVAEYC in January of 2017 as the Public Policy Committee Chair. Liz is particularly passionate about increasing the availability of inclusive preschool classrooms for children with disabilities and bolstering the early childhood education workforce to meet the needs of these children.

Member at Large

Nicole Lazarte has been in the early childhood education field since 2015. Before becoming a teacher herself, she grew up helping her mom run a family home day care. She is currently a Lead Infant Teacher at ACCA Child Development Center, Annandale. She is also on the Provider Advisory Council with Virginia Promise Partnership. Nicole began getting involved with NVAEYC in early 2020 and is now a Member-at-Large and the Advocacy Committee Chair. Nicole is passionate about working towards equity and inclusion for children and teachers in the field. Please feel free to contact me if you want to discuss an opportunity to tell your story!

Member at Large

Derek has been part of the early childhood education field for over 25 years as a teacher, assistant principal, trainer, certified CLASS observer, conference coordinator, and curriculum specialist. He has been a part of NVAEYC for 3 years joining the board in 2023.

Member at Large

Lynn Cartledge works for Fairfax County as a VQB5 Area Supervisor with Ready Regions Capital Area. I have held many positions in the early care field, such as a Center Director, Special Needs Specialist, and Quality Improvement mentor. My years in the early care field have been blessed working with a group of individuals who have a strong passion to provide enhanced experience for the children in their care. I have my Bachelors in Psychology and a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from George Mason University.

Member at Large

Karin Spencer recently joined the NVAEYC Board. She has nearly 30 years of experience as a teacher, teacher coach, administrator, and teacher educator. Her work includes innovative program evaluation and professional development tools to support reflection and implementation of practices for teacher well-being, physically active play, and culturally responsive and mentally healthy environments. Her current work includes preparing early intervention and early childhood teachers at The George Washington University and Georgetown University, consulting, and nurturing others' confidence and wellness through mindful movement.

Member at Large

Amanda Davis joined the NVAEYC Board in Fall 2023. Amanda has been working in the field of education for over 20 years. She currently holds a Virginia Department of Education teaching license and has taught Pre-K, Kindergarten, First, and Third grades. Amanda transitioned to school leadership initially serving as an assistant principal in an elementary school. Currently, she holds the position of Director of Early Childhood for Falls Church City Public Schools.

Past President

Rosemary Kendall has been an early childhood professional for over 40 years as a teacher, director, parent educator, researcher, advocate, and consultant. She considers NAEYC her “professional home” and has held various positions in NVAEYC since she moved to Northern Virginia in 1981.

Past President

Paige has been working with the NVAEYC Board for over 15 years. She is the Program Director for a government child care center in Washington, D.C. Paige and her team recently authored the article, "Community, Connections and COVID-19: How the House of Representatives Child Care Center Stayed Together While Working Apart," featured in the November/December 2020 edition of Child Care Exchange Magazine.

Executive Director

Diane brings an impressive skill set and knowledge of the key issues in the early childhood community. Diane is an early childhood professional with more than 25 years of experience in the field as a teacher, administrator, grant administrator, and teacher-educator. She has also led early education programs through the NAEYC accreditation process.