2023 COAEYC Board of Directors Election Results
Meet the New Members
Rebecca Armentrout
Erin Ellis (Returning - Second Term)
Tia Gamelin
Richard Ortega
Jessica Yuill
Thank you for your participation in the 2023 COAEYC Board of Directors Election! We are pleased to welcome Rebecca Armentrout, Tia Gamelin, Richard Ortega, and Jessica Yuill to the board. We would also like to congratulate Erin Ellis, who is continuing her work with the board and will begin serving her second term.
Rebecca Armentrout
Morrison, CO
What is your occupation or job title? Who is your employer or institution?
Executive Director of Nebula Early Childhood Collaborative, Instructor at Community College of Denver, and a preschool teacher with the school district.
What is an issue in early childhood education that is important to you?
I believe in social and language justice as an important piece of a healthy early childhood workforce. In my work with the Pamoja program I have assisted many women from refugee communities become early childhood educators. I have witnessed the barriers that those who do not speak English in Colorado face in navigating the Early Childhood system. I also am a big advocate for the wellbeing of early childhood providers. The demands placed upon early childhood professionals with little compensation leads to high stress and burn out. Although this is hard on the industry it is even harder on our children. Unhealthy caregivers are not able to attend and meet children's' ever growing needs. I see myself as someone who can assist in lending a voice on how to make a more balanced system that is aimed at serving the relationships between caregivers and children.
Tell us about a professional goal that you have for 2023.
I hope to peruse my Masters's Degree in the coming year. I also hope to build a larger network of early childhood professionals.
Why are you interested in serving on the COAEYC Board of Directors?
I am interested in learning more about how COAEYC can engage the important discussions happening with the new Department of Early Childhood education and how it can pivot to support the work that the department is undertaking. I want to also have the opportunity to meet other early childhood leaders and community members to build a stronger network of early childhood professionals.
Erin Ellis
Denver, CO
Erin is currently a member of the COAEYC Board of Directors and is running for her second term.
What is your occupation or job title? Who is your employer or institution?
Early Childhood Office Support/Head Start Support, Denver Public Schools
What is an issue in early childhood education that is important to you?
An issue in Early Childhood Education that is important to me is Family and Community Engagement and to always recognize a child's family members as their first teachers.
Tell us about a professional goal that you have for 2023.
A professional goal that I have for this year is to increase the use of my Colorado Early Childhood Coaching credential and to further network with ECE programs through the use of that credential.
Why are you interested in serving on the COAEYC Board of Directors?
I am interested in serving on the COAEYC Board of Directors for the following reasons. First, I always want to ensure that all members of a child's family are viewed as their first teachers and have many opportunities to become involved in their children's education whenever possible. Next, I want to continue the work that is currently being done at COAEYC with our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging goals so that each member and Early Childhood Education program has an equal opportunity to advance the diversity of the Early Childhood field so that the field is given equal consideration and respect with Kindergarten through twelfth grade educators. Finally, Early Childhood Education is at a great point in its history where we have many opportunities for advancements that will make a positive difference for all children, families and staff members. This can be seen with the passage and implementation of Universal Preschool. With the implementation of Universal Preschool next school year, this will hopefully increase the amount of professional development and networking opportunities that are available to all ECE professionals in order to further highlight the essential importance of this field.
Tia Gamelin
Littleton, CO
What is your occupation or job title? Who is your employer or institution?
Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Ricks Center for Gifted Children and Blackbird Therapy Group
What is an issue in early childhood education that is important to you?
Support for equitable, inclusive and developmentally appropriate play based programs that utilize a universal design for learning that targets the whole child and their occupations as children
Tell us about a professional goal that you have for 2023.
I am partnering with our church's preschool to develop an inclusive nature based birth to kindergarten school that provides therapy services with a projected grand opening in fall 2023.
Why are you interested in serving on the COAEYC Board of Directors?
I am deeply invested in the early identification of early childhood disabilities, equitable play, occupational justice for children and I strongly believe that when allied health professionals and early childhood educators can partner for the good of children we can make the change we are all so desperate to see in families and communities.
Richard Ortega
Denver, CO
What is your occupation or job title? Who is your employer or institution?
Software Executive, Procare Software
What is an issue in early childhood education that is important to you?
An issue in ECE that is important to me is data interoperability and easing the burden on centers to report the health and nature of their business to the state.
Tell us about a professional goal that you have for 2022.
A professional goal I have for this year is to facilitate the effective use of ARPA funds for centers interested in improving the quality of their org and outcomes for their children. In addition, I have had a great experience partnering with AZ and Southwest Human Development in supporting automation of data sharing and best practice coaching for centers concerned with improving their quality.
Why are you interested in serving on the COAEYC Board of Directors?
With a son in high school at East High School and my interest in ECE, I believe I have a unique set of experiences to contribute to the board.
Jessica Yuill
Denver, CO
What is your occupation or job title? Who is your employer or institution?
Early Childhood Health Outdoors (ECHO) Education and Engagement Manager, National Wildlife Federation
What is an issue in early childhood education that is important to you?
There are so many issues in early childhood education that are important to me, but the one that comes to mind immediately is the issue of access and support for both families and educators. There are so many families who struggle to access high quality early childhood education due to location, lack of space, and cost. We also know that many early childhood educators are feeling burnt out and aren’t feeling supported. In my current work in the early childhood field I always try to center both equity and access for families, and support for educator well-being.
Tell us about a professional goal that you have for 2023.
One of my professional goals is to learn more about early childhood education advocacy and policies in Colorado and at the federal level as well. I don’t have a lot of policy experience, and I know it’s very important for systems-level change.
Why are you interested in serving on the COAEYC Board of Directors?
I am interested in serving on the COAEYC Board of Directors because I am passionate about supporting early childhood programs, providers, families, and children throughout the state of Colorado. In the past few years I’ve had the privilege of working with many early childhood educators across the state, and I feel that serving on the COAEYC Board of Directors would be a great way to continue supporting early childhood education in Colorado. I am specifically interested in bringing my own experience in early childhood education to the COAEYC Board of Directors, with my background as an early childhood teacher, and my experience in home visiting, family engagement, and outdoor play and learning.