State Leadership - ECIC

The Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC) was created to be the state’s focal point for information and investment in early childhood in Michigan so that children can arrive at the kindergarten door, safe, healthy and eager for learning and life.

HISTORY

ECIC was founded in 2005 and charged with implementing a Great Start system for Michigan both at the state level as well as one community at a time. As part of that effort, ECIC also was given responsibility for leading the state’s federal child care quality efforts on behalf of the Michigan Department of Human Services because child care is a critical key to early learning and development of young children.

Modeled after the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, ECIC was created through an Interlocal Agreement between the Michigan Department of Human Services and Branch County Intermediate School District. The Governor appointed 15 influential leaders from business, philanthropy, communities and state government to serve as the Executive Committee for ECIC. The group met for the first time as a board in August, 2005.

Over time, the Executive Committee has approved ECIC to focus in seven areas:

Supporting the local Great Start system infrastructure
Long range goal: Parents of young children have access to a comprehensive and coordinated array of community-based, family centered, culturally competent, high quality early childhood programs, services and supports.
Advancing Great Start System results
Long range goal: Michigan has a comprehensive and coordinated array of evidence-based early childhood programs, supports and services with sufficient capacity to achieve the Great Start system results.
Increasing knowledge through early childhood research
Long range goal: Michigan’s early childhood community has a core of research-based knowledge with which it can advocate, educate and communicate.
Developing innovative early childhood policy
Long-range goal: The gap between “what we know” from scientific early childhood research and “what we do” in early childhood policy is closed.
Advancing public education and public will
Long-range goal: A knowledgeable, mobilized and involved state citizenry ensure that the State of Michigan makes children among its highest priorities and demonstrates that commitment through sustained public and private investment in early childhood programs and services.
Increasing public and private investment
Long-range goal: Permanent and adequate funding is in place to sustain both the infrastructure and programs of the Great Start system.
Continuously incorporating evaluation findings into all aspects of ECIC work
Long-range goal: ECIC, Great Start Collaboratives and Great Start Parent Coalitions utilize evaluation findings to continuously inform and improve means, methods, decisions, and approaches to their respective scopes of work.

BOARD

By Interlocal Agreement, the members of the Early Childhood Investment Corporation Board are appointed by the Governor and Participants to the ECIC Interlocal Agreement. Participants are identified as the state’s 57 intermediate school districts. Each one that joins appoints a local community representative to the Corporate board which meets annually. To date, 44 have joined and five others are in progress.

In 2009, in an effort to encourage growing bi-partisan legislative interest and contributions to early childhood, legislative quadrant leaders (Speaker of the House, House Minority Leader, Senate Majority Leader, Senate Minority Leader) began making recommendations to the Governor for appointment of one member each to the Corporate Board and Executive Committee.

The Early Childhood Investment Corporation is governed day-to-day by a 19-member Executive Committee which meets at least quarterly. The Executive Committee has a variety of advisory committees including a Chairman’s Discussion Group which addresses administrative issues including finance, audit and human resources, along with board meetings and other emerging issues. The Strategic Planning Committee reviews all programmatic activities. External advisory committees made up of a broad spectrum of state-wide leaders and experts, advise on each system component. The Great Start Systems Team is made up of state department program leaders who guide around issues related to public investment in early childhood.

UPCOMING BOARD MEETINGS

February 8, 2012 from 1:00 pm through 4:00 pm - The ECIC will have a Chairman’s Discussion Group Meeting. Details will be posted at a later date.

Review Board Minutes: 2005 to Present

ECIC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

OFFICERS

David Hollister- Chairperson
Susan Broman – Immediate Past Chair
Anne Mervenne – Chair Elect
Marvin McKinney – Secretary
Doug Luciani – Treasurer

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS

Louise Alderson - 54-A District Court Judge, City of Lansing
Betsy Boggs - Executive Director, Adoptive Family Support Network
Elizabeth Bunn - Secretary-Treasurer, UAW (retired)

Beverly Burns - Principal, Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone
Lew Chamberlin - Managing Partner, CEO, Whitecaps Baseball
Carolyn Clark - Office Administrator, MI AFSCME Council
Maura Corrigan - Director, Michigan Department of Human Services
Dan DeGrow - Superintendent, Saint Claire Intermediate School District
Deborah Dingell - President, D2 Strategies

Jeanne Englehart - Executive Director, Grand Rapids Child Discovery Center
Kenneth Gutman - Superintendent, Walled Lake Consolidated School District

Beverly Hammerstrom - Owner and President, BASH Research Ltd. and adjunct professor of political science at Monroe County Community College and Washtenaw Community College
David Hollister - Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Prima Civitas Foundation
Olivia Lagina - Petroleum Geologist (retired)
Douglas Luciani - President, Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce
Anne Mervenne - President, Mervenne & Company
Juan Olivarez - Director, Kalamazoo Community Foundation
Marianne Udow-Phillips - Director, Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation
Sally Vaughn - Deputy Superintendent Michigan Department of Education

EXECUTIVE OFFICE

Judy Y. Samelson – Chief Executive Officer

ECIC LEADERSHIP (alphabetical)

Joan Blough, Vice President, Great Start System Planning and Evaluation
Bryn Fortune - Director of Parenting and Leadership
Jennifer Kurzynowski, Vice President of Administration and Operations
Karen Roback – Director Early Learning Innovation

Brenda Ruffing – Assistant Director of Administration

Lisa Rudy, Senior Director Communications and Marketing
Alissa Parks - Senior Director of Great Start Consultation and Technical Assistance
Denise Smith - Assistant Director Early Learning Quality Improvement

GREAT START DIVISION STAFF AND CONSULTANTS

Kristin Tenny-Blackwell, Great Start Consultant
Michele Chenier - Great Start Consultant
Mary Luchies - Great Start Consultant
Rachel Mellema - Great Start Consultant
Marie Sarchet - Great Start Consultant
Lisa Temple - Great Start Consultant
Alicia Williams – Great Start Consultant
Holly Wingard, Great Start Consultant
Marissa Zamudio, Diversity Specialist
Shannon Horvath – Executive Assistant, Great Start Division
Amy Godfrey - Administrative Assistant, Great Start Division
Whitney Martin - Contract Administrator for Great Start Division
Kathi Pioszak – Contract Administrator Great Start Child Care Quality Program

Robin Ross - Contract Administrator for Great Start Division

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Teri Banas - Writer

Brenda Brissette-Mata - Writer

Sarah Triplett - Special Events Manager

ADMINISTRATIVE

Keegan Cole, Accounting Assistant
Theresa Cross - Administrative Services and Facilities Associate
Carrie Hatcher - Director Finance

Meet ECIC: a group of dedicated individuals working to help ensure a Great Start for Michigan’s youngest learners. The following includes both staff and consultants, full- and part-time along with state-detailed staff.