Each year OAEYC, the Ohio affiliate of The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), recognizes outstanding early childhood leaders from across the state. One of the honorees this year is Patti Gleason, president of Cincinnati Early Learning Centers, Inc. (CELC), who was selected for the "Outstanding Program Administrator Award." Patti is the longtime leader of a number of exceptional programs in the Cincinnati area. CELC programs are all three-star rated through Ohio's Step Up To Quality initiative, and her agency was the first in the state to have a three-star rating for all of their centers during the Step Up To Quality pilot. Congratulations Patti! 

Also, 4C Leadership Coach Kathleen Bryan was nominated by her Child Development Associate (CDA) class for the "Outstanding Mentor Award." While she didn’t receive the award “officially,” I would like to commend Kathleen for her accomplishments as a CDA instructor. She is one of many 4C specialists who serve as mentors for programs and individuals every day. I consider her nomination a representation of 4C's hard work to improve the quality of early childhood education and care across the region.