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 child 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 evidenced-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.

Review Board Minutes: 2005 to Present

Officers

• Sally Vaughn – Chairperson
• Susan Broman – Immediate Past Chair
• David Hollister – Chair-elect
• Marvin McKinney – Secretary
• Doug Luciani – Treasurer

Other Executive Committee Members

• Ismael Ahmed, Director Michigan Department of Human Services
• Louise Alderson, Lansing District Judge
• Betsy Boggs, Executive Director, Adoptive Family Support Network
• Susan Broman, Executive Director Steelcase Foundation
• Elizabeth Bunn, Secretary-Treasurer United Automobile Works
• Lew Chamberlin, Managing Partner and CEO West Michigan Whitecaps
• Carolyn Clark, Director and Assistant to the President AFSCME Council 25
• Dan DeGrow, Superintendent St. Clair County Regional Educational Service Agency
• Deborah Dingell, retired Director, General Motors Foundation
• Ken Gutman, Superintendent Lake Orion Schools
• David Hollister, President and CEO Prima Civitas Foundation
• Olivia Lagina, Petrolium Geologist (retired)
• Douglas Luciani, President Traverse City Chamber of Commerce
• Marvin McKinney, Program Officer Kellogg Foundation (retired)
• Anne Mervenne, President Mervenne & Company
• Juan Olivarez, President & CEO Kalamazoo Community Foundation
• Janet Olszewski, Director Michigan Department of Community Health
• Marianne Udow-Phillips, Director Center for Healthcare Quality & Transformation
• Sally Vaughn, Deputy State Superintendent/Chief Academic Officer, Michigan Department of Education
  

Staff

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.  Jeremy Reuter, Head Start State Collaboration Director is detailed to ECIC by the Department of Human Services (DHS):

GREAT START

Joan Blough, VP Great Start System Planning and Evaluation

Component Specialists

• Jenny Salesa – Pediatric and Family Health and Social and Emotional Health
• Karen Roback – Child Care
  • Mary Luchies – Technical Assistance for the GS Quality Project
• Jessica Gillard – Early Education

Alissa Parks, Director - Great Start Collaborative Development and Assistance

• Lisa Temple – Regional Technical Assistance Consultant Area 1
• Marie Sarchet – Regional Technical Assistance Consultant Area 2
• Stephanie Wagner - Regional Technical Assistance Consultant Area 3
• Alicia Williams – Regional Technical Assistance Consultant Area 4

Bryn Fortune, Director - Great Start Parent Coalition Development and Assistance

• Marissa Zamudio, Parent Coalition Consultant Area 2 / Diversity Specialist
• Rachel Mellema, Parent Coalition Consultant: Area 3
• Demarra Gardner, Parent Coalition Consultant: Area 4
• Holly Wingard, Parent Coalition Consultant: Area 5

 See map for Technical Assistance Areas

Great Start Support

• Shannon Horvath, Executive Assistant for Great Start Technical Assistance
• Robin Ross, Executive Assistant to VP for Great Start Division
• Tracy Ryan, Contract Administrator for Great Start Division detailed by DHS
• Kathi Pioszak, Financial Quality Assurance Analyst

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Andrew Heller, Communications Coordinator and Senior Writer

ADMINISTRATIVE

• Carrie Hatcher, Controller
• Keegan Cole, Accounting Assistant
• Sheryl Johnston – Office Administrator/Human Resources
• Theresa Cross – Administrative Services and Facilities Associate

EXECUTIVE OFFICE

Judy Y. Samelson – Chief Executive Officer
Sarah Triplett – Senior Executive Assistant