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, health 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.

Officers

• Susan Broman – Chairperson
• Marvin McKinney – Immediate Past Chair
• Sally Vaughn – Chair-elect
• Carolyn Clark – Secretary
• Larry Schweinhart – Treasurer through 8.19.09

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
• Oliva Lagina, retired Petrologist
• Douglas Luciani, President Traverse City Chamber of Commerce
• Marvin McKinney, retired Program Officer Kellogg Foundation
• 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

Other Corporation Board Members

(Will be posted shortly)

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 DIVISION – 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
• Jessica Gillard – Early Education
• Bryn Fortune – Parenting Leadership

Great Start Collaborative Development and Assistance – Alissa Parks, Director

• Marie Sarchet – Regional Technical Assistance Consultant Area 1
• Mary Luchies – Regional Technical Assistance Consultant Area 3
• Alicia Williams – Regional Technical Assistance Consultant Area 4

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

• Chassidy Keyser, Parent Coalition Consultant Area 1
• Marissa Zamudio, Parent Coalition Consultant Area 2/Diversity Specialist
• Ruth Andrews, Parent Coalition Consultant Area 3

 See map for Technical Assistance Areas

Great Start Division Support

• Shannon Horvath, Executive Assistant to VP for Great Start Division
• Robin Ross, Executive Assistant for Great Start Technical Assistance
• Tracy Ryan, Contract Administrator for Great Start Division detailed by DHS

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS DIVISION

Andrew Heller, Communications Coordinator and Senior Writer

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION

• Mary Lannoye, Chief Administrative Office
• Carrie Hatcher, Controller
• Keegan Cole, Accounting Assistant
• Kathi Pioszak, Child Care Quality Resource and Liaison detailed by DHS
• Cheryl Thompson, Contractor Administrator detailed by the DHS
• 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

Employment              

Thank you for your interest in helping Michigan’s youngest learners have a Great Start in life!

While the Early Childhood Investment Corporation has no current vacancies, we appreciate hearing from those who wish to help create a better future for Michigan’s children.               

If you would like to leave a resume, please forward it to info@ecic4kids.org with the subject line “Resume for Review”.