With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Valora Washington is a recognized authority in early care and education. She has conceptualized, led, facilitated and executed significant change initiatives. Spanning higher education; local, state, and federal government; organizational development; research; and advocacy, her efforts have led to strategic changes for policy, programs, and practice in philanthropy, national organizations and local initiatives. She was chosen in 2019 as a “pioneer in early childhood education”, and in 2018 as a Doyen (the most respected or prominent person in a field).
Valora Washington, CEO of the Council for Professional Recognition, leads the largest credentialing program (CDA) for early educators in the USA. She is certified as an Association Executive and a Credentialing Specialist. Valora co-founded Voices for Michigan’s Children, the Early Childhood Funders Collaborative, and the CAYL Institute (a leadership development program for practitioners). She holds four honorary degrees and professional recognition from the Barr Fellowship; Leadership Greater Washington; Boston AEYC; NAEYC Black Caucus; Cambridge Resource and Referral; Center for Adoption Research; National Association of Black Social Workers; United Way of Massachusetts Bay; and others. She was named one of “25 Most Influential Working Mothers” by Working Mother magazine and was chosen as one of “Ten Outstanding Young Women of America” from 62,000 nominations. She has held leadership roles with the Massachusetts Governor’s School Readiness Commission; Voices for America’s Children; NAEYC; Black Caucus of the Society for Research in Child Development; National Head Start Association Commission on 2010; Boston Children’s Museum; and Wheelock College.
Valora has authored over 50 publications, including Children of 2010 and Children of 2020. Since coauthoring Ready or Not with Stacie, Valora has coauthored The New Early Childhood Professional and Guiding Principles for the New Early Childhood Professional. She formerly served as Vice President at Antioch College and the Kellogg Foundation and as a tenured faculty member at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
