Durham PreK Governance Committee

The Durham PreK Governance Committee serves to provide vision and direction to the Durham County preschool expansion effort. In June 2018, Durham County Commissioners voted to support and fund the creation of a system designed to expand opportunities for all 4-year-old children in Durham to attend high-quality early learning programs. Durham PreK focuses on providing families access to preschool programs meeting the highest standards for early learning. The Governance Committee is involved in advising and approving plans, strategies, standards and policies for Durham PreK. Content-specific advisory committees with wider membership/participation support particular focus areas requiring more intensive engagement and input. The intent of the Governance Committee and its advisory committees is to establish an inclusive, community-driven initiative that will enhance public will and engagement and strengthen the resulting system of preschool services developed through the initiative.

Meetings

The Durham PreK program is governed by the NC Child Care Rules, the NC open meetings law, the NC public records law, the NC State Board of Education Policy (Educator Licensure and Teacher Evaluation), the NC Pre-K Program Requirements & Guidance Manual, the NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development and the NC Pre-K Program Fiscal and Contracts Manual, and the Durham PreK Program Requirements. These documents may be downloaded from the Division of Child Development and Early Education website and the Durham PreK website. Meetings will be livestreamed for public viewing on YouTube. Please check below for the link at the start of each scheduled meeting.

Watch the March 16th, 2023 meeting recording on YouTube.

Watch the meeting recording.

 

Governance Committee Member Portal

Governance Committee members can find all meeting materials, the zoom link, and supporting documents.

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Dr. Iheoma Iruka

Governance Committee Chair

Research Professor of Public Policy; Fellow and Early Childhood Health and Racial Equity Program Director, FPG

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Leigh Bordley

Vice-Chair

Executive Director, LEAP Academy

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Dr. Wykeshia Glass

Secretary

Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Human Sciences at North Carolina Central University

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Deric Boston

Director of Head Start for Families and Communities Rising, Inc.

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Xavier Cason

Durham Public Schools Foundation Director of Community Schools and School Transformation

Cathy Collie Robinson
Cathy Collie-Robinson

Early Childhood Program Director, Durham Technical Community College

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Kate Goodwin

Owner of Kate’s Korner Educational Services LLC

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Dr. Nakia Hardy

Deputy Superintendent of Durham Public Schools

Sharon Hirsch
Sharon Hirsch

CEO & President, Prevent Child Abuse NC

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Michelle Lyn

Chief of the Duke Division of Community Health, Community & Family Medicine Department;

Co-Director of Duke Center for Community and Population Health Improvement;

and Leadership Faculty for the Duke-Johnson & Johnson Nurse Leadership Program

 

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Beth Messersmith

Mom’s Rising

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Michael D. Page

Board Chair, Durham's Partnership for Children

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Kimberly Sowell

Durham County Manager

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Joy Spencer

Executive Director, Equity Before Birth

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June Shillito

Director of Yates Baptist Child Development Center

 

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Darnella Warthen

Owner and Director of A New Beginning I, II, III and IV

 

 

Non-Voting Members

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Dr. Linda Chappel

Senior Vice President of CCSA

 

 

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Cate Elander

Durham County Early Childhood Coordinator at Durham County Government

 

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Dr. Danielle Johnson

Executive Director of Durham’s Partnership for Children

Kristi Snuggs
Dr. Kristi Snuggs

President of CCSA

 

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Tammorah Mathis

Director of Durham PreK

 

Non-Voting Resource Members

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Brittany K Gregory

MPA, Durham’s Partnership for Children, Director of Programs

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Monnie Griggs

Child Care Services Association, Senior Director of Quality Enhancement Initiatives for Early Learning

 

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Michelle Hearon

Child Care Services Association, Senior Director for Scholarship Program

 

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Jena Fuchs

Child Care Services Association, Sr. Manager, Durham PreK

Governance Meeting Agendas and Notes

All agendas, approved notes, and recordings (when available) for the Durham PreK Governance Committee Meetings will be posted below by date.