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Hello, I’m Julie Yarberry and I am honored to greet you today as your incoming president of the Arkansas Early Childhood Association. It is a privilege to stand alongside such a dedicated group of professionals that care so much about early childhood education. As I step into this role, I’d like to pause and recognize the remarkable leadership of our past president, Natasha Kile. Natasha led our organization with strength, vision, and compassion. Her commitment to our mission and her advocacy efforts on behalf of children, families, and the workforce have been an amazing legacy and we will continue to build on that as we move forward. And that work is going to guide her right into her next position, which I’m excited to tell you is our Public Policy Committee Chairperson. So Natasha, you’ve left some big shoes to fill and I am humbled to follow in your footsteps and to continue to build on the foundation that you’ve laid for all of us.
Like many of you, I’ve worn a lot of hats in Early Childhood Education. Over 30 years ago, I started out as a college student and preschool teacher. Later, I shifted to a family child care home when my own kids were little. Our military family moved to Arkansas, and I was back in the classroom and later became a director. My current position is coaching coordinator with A-State Childhood Services, and I work on the TEACH Apprenticeship team as the mentor coordinator. My husband, Rich, and I live in North Little Rock, and we have four grown children and four amazing grandchildren.
Our theme this year, ‘Uniting Our Purpose: Lifting Our Voices.’ continues to pull on the threads that connect us all. Together, we will lift our voices and advocate for play, for the workforce, and for legislation that benefits children and families. Because when we unite our purpose, our voices are stronger and our impact is greater.
Our mission is clear: to deepen the knowledge and understanding of young children, to contribute to your professional growth through our conference and other learning opportunities, to encourage access to education, services, and resources, to improve the standards of young children’s care, and most importantly, the unwavering support of you, our members. This mission guides our work, and most importantly, this mission will inspire us to lift our voices even higher.
As we move forward, I invite each of you to join our collective effort. Whether you are advocating on behalf of play in your classroom, for the workforce, or for legislation that benefits children and families, your voice matters. Together, we can shape a future where every child feels valued, every educator feels supported, and every Arkansas community thrives. I want to challenge you to join us. Visit our affiliate page on our website and connect with someone in your area. I would also love to hear from you!
I’m excited for the year ahead and grateful to serve alongside you. Let’s unite our purpose and our passion. Let’s lift our voices together and make a real big difference for children and families in Arkansas. I look forward to connecting with you soon, hope to join you for a cup of tea, and to all of you, Happy New Year!
Julie Yarberry
President of AECA
Connect with me at president@arkansasearlychildhood.org
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