Washington, DC

Olivia is the co-founder and director of Children’s Funding Accelerator, a nonprofit 501(c)4 organization that acts as the advocacy arm for Children’s Funding Project, where Olivia is co-founder and strategy director. In her role at Children’s Funding Accelerator, Olivia advises, evaluates, and supports campaigns to dedicate public funding to early childhood through ballot measures. She manages Children’s Funding Accelerator’s contributions to campaigns and works to engage national partners and funders.

Washington, DC

Elizabeth is the co-founder and executive director for Children’s Funding Accelerator, as well as the founder and executive director of Children’s Funding Project. Children’s Funding Project, founded in 2018, and its advocacy arm, Children’s Funding Accelerator, founded in 2020, are the result of Elizabeth’s 25 year career in child advocacy, which persistently led her to question whether adequate resources were being directed to children. Her career began with leading after-school and community-based youth programs at the Atwood Community Center in Madison, Wisconsin. She later served as youth policy analyst for Citizens for Missouri’s Children, followed by 13 years at the Forum for Youth Investment, where she helped policy leaders develop tools and techniques to improve their use of data, increase their policy alignment, and more efficiently apply resources for greater impact. Since 2018, Elizabeth has guided Children’s Funding Project to over 40 projects with national networks, state and local governments, advocates, and youth leaders. A native of St. Louis, MO, Elizabeth attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and currently resides in Washington, D.C.

Akron, Ohio

Daniel joined Children’s Funding Project in 2023 as a senior policy associate to support the research and dissemination of state and local revenue options to advocates and policymakers seeking dedicated funding for children.

Prior to joining Children’s Funding Project, Daniel worked as the adolescent to adult network facilitator at Summit Education Initiative, a cradle-to-career backbone organization in Akron, Ohio. In this role, Daniel facilitated networks of local educators, adjacent sector partners and community members working to transform systems to better support local children and families. Daniel brings over a decade of combined experience in non-profit, government, and political/community organizing.

Daniel was born and raised in Akron, Ohio, where he currently lives, and graduated from the University of Akron with a bachelor’s in political science.

Arlington, VA

Jennifer Brooks is an independent consultant, providing advice and support to philanthropy, non-profits, and governments on using evaluation, metrics, and evidence-based practice to strengthen the impact of programs for children and families. Dr. Brooks served as Senior Program Officer at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, helping to shape the foundation’s strategic investments in high quality public early learning programs. Prior to joining the foundation, Dr. Brooks had experience at the National Governors Association – managing technical assistance to states on human services, workforce, and economic development programs – and leading Governor Hickenlooper’s NGA Chair’s Initiative Delivering Results. Dr. Brooks has also worked in government, where she led a research and evaluation portfolio for the federal Head Start program, and in think tanks. She has served on a National Academic of Sciences panel evaluating methods for promoting better use of economic evidence in social programs for children. Dr. Brooks received her Ph.D. and M.Sc. in human development and family studies from Penn State University and a M.A. in public policy from the University of Chicago.

Grand Rapids, MI

Annemarie Valdez is the board chair for Children’s Funding Accelerator. She has nearly 20 years of experience as an advocate for children and families, including extensive work on innovative funding strategies, a successful millage campaign and next-generation funding. She came to First Steps Kent from Illinois, where she led a statewide infant mortality prevention organization as CEO. Prior experience includes CEO of Child’s Hope, housed at UM-Dearborn’s School of Education, and the Youth Development Commission in Detroit. She was appointed to the Michigan Governor’s Child Welfare Improvement Task Force in 2009. Valdez has worked extensively on infant mortality prevention, early childhood program innovation, such as the national program Jumpstart, and has served on dozens of community advisory councils and boards.

St. Louis, MO

Gloria Nolan, grounded in her experience as a St. Louis Public School graduate and parent, is now serving as Interim Parent Liaison in the St. Louis Public School district. Nolan has 16+ years of experience working in non-profits and supporting excellence in the lives of young people through her work supporting mentoring teams, managing school partnerships, and developing volunteers and caregivers. Nolan holds a Master of Science from University of Central Missouri in college student personnel administration and a Bachelor of Science in therapeutic recreation. Known for her positive attitude and energy, Nolan is a fierce advocate, championing equity and transformational policy change in education. Most recently, she served as Campaign Coordinator for the ‘YES on R’ Campaign, securing 2.3 million dollars annually for early childhood education in the city of St. Louis. She draws her inspiration from being a devoted wife and mother of Dylan & Evan, and spends her free time making magical family memories in costumed/themed events and outdoor adventures.

Philadelphia, PA

Harriet Dichter provides consulting services to states, advocates, and foundations. As Pennsylvania’s founding deputy secretary for the Office of Child Development and Early Learning, she gained national attention for the state’s unique new solutions and partnerships; she also served as Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Elsewhere at the state level, was the executive director of the Delaware Office of Early Learning, where she accelerated the pace, quality, and accountability of the state’s comprehensive work in early childhood and locally, she was Deputy Managing Director for Child Policy as well as Maternal and Child Health Director, City of Philadelphia. Her nonprofit experiences range from local to national, including leadership roles in child advocacy organizations, United Way, First Five Years Fund, Start Early (formerly the Ounce), the Pew Charitable Trusts, and legal services.

Ms. Dichter is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

New Orleans, LA

Rochelle Wilcox has been an early childhood education professional for over 23 years. Her advocacy for early learning started in the classroom as a teacher and led her to her current position as the CEO/Executive Director of the Wilcox’s Academy of Early Learning, Wilcox’s Academy Too and Wilcox Academy Central City. She comes super-charged with an educational background including an Associates of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Education in Urban Society. She was the first early learning center provider to sit on the Board of Agenda for Children, she currently sits on the steering committee of the New Orleans Grade level reading campaign. She is the co-chair of Geaux Far Louisiana, a coalition that believes in an equitable, unified early childhood system centering racial equity and ensuring families access to seamless, high-quality early child development, health, and educational services. She is also the Co-Founder of For Providers by Providers, a non-profit that champions Louisiana’s Type III early learning centers (ELC that accepts public funding) by enhancing the quality of ECE through policy advocacy, professional development, and networking. She is the 2023 recipient of the Inaugural Early Childhood Leader of the Year award bestowed by Dream teachers and the Louisiana Department of Education. She is an overall Advocate for Early Childhood education and Early Learning center providers. But her highest honor is being a wife and a mother to 3 sons.

Todd Patterson, President of Public Progress, is a campaign advisor with Children’s Funding Accelerator. His work has generated $980 million nationally for programs for children and youth over the last 15 years. Patterson previously served as Chief of Staff for Congressman Russ Carnahan (D-MO) and on the staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business. He has worked in electoral politics in Missouri, Michigan, Florida, Indiana and Kentucky. He graduated from Brown University and served as a research assistant at the Brookings Institution.