 Walter Bartlett
President, Piedmont Community College Person County "I truly believe that it is during these days that a person’s creative and innovative spirit is developed and their self-efficacy is formed and nurtured.”  Linzie Atkins
Pastor Durham County The greatest commandment of God is to love Him, to love each other, and to love ourselves. I believe that investing in early education is evidence that we understand the importance of this great commandment...  Paul Koehnke
Dean, Central Campus, Central Piedmont Community College Mecklenburg County All North Carolina children deserve a smart start to prepare them for a life of learning, significance and contribution...  Dave Clark
VP Business Banking, Wells Fargo Durham County Today’s youngest children will be the workforce of tomorrow. Our future economy will be determined by their ability to compete for jobs with students living in countries such as China and India...  Kimberly Shaw
Child Care Owner Wake County Not only are we giving children positive learning experiences, we are helping to build the economy by creating jobs and allowing parents to keep their jobs...  Dr. Muriel Carle
Dentist Transylvania County Healthy Smiles has the potential to break the cycle of expensive emergency intervention and replace it with excellent low-cost, preventative dental care. In my eyes, prevention is always less expensive than emergency intervention...  Thomas Keller
Dean Emeritus, Duke University, Fuqua School of Business Durham County I support investing in a child’s first 2,000 days because the total cost to society is less and the potential contribution from the child is much greater...  Laci Simmons
USNC Army National Guard Sergeant Mecklenburg County As a parent, my job is to make sure I foster a solid educational foundation at home. I believe that early childhood education is important because it continues to nurture that love of education in a classroom setting... |
 Rev. Mel Williams
Pastor Durham County By faith and conscience, I believe that the health and well-being of young children must be our first priority for this priority leads to the health and well-being of the wider community...  Rev. James Horton
Pastor Martin County We as parish families and as citizens of this state are called to assist in the growth and well-being of children. We do this by giving of our time and energy to these families, but also by our willingness to offer our financial resources ....  Elizabeth Peterson-Vita
Psychologist Mecklenburg County Early childhood education is one of the soundest investments we can make for our local and national future as we pass the torch on to the next generation...  Jeannine Sato
Duke University Durham County How this country can focus so much effort and money in to juvenile justice, remedial schools, jails, and treatment programs when study after study shows that investments in early childhood education return their value tenfold, I will never ...  Todd Hildebran
Kiwanis District Governor Rowan County I support investing in the first 2000 days because when children arrive at school ready to learn and perform at grade level at proficiency, everybody wins...  Lauren Houston
Military Spouse/Parent Lee County Development skills such as fine motor skills, gross motor skills, cognitive ability, coordination, and organization are all taught and learned in the early stages a child’s life. Each child deserves to learn these skills ...  Lisa Familio
Parent/Early Childhood Professional Harnett County I know from personal experience how investing in a child’s first 2000 days can put them on a path to succeed in school...  Tom Frye
Superindendant, Harnett County Schools Harnett County Tom Frye, Superindendant, Harnett County Schools |
 Heidi York
County Manager Person County The most important investment that we as a community can make to ensure future success and prosperity is to provide high quality, early education for all children.  Tess Judge
Businessperson Dare County As an employer now for many years, it has been my experience that our employees whose children are in quality, dependable child care are more productive employees...  Jose Lopez
Chief of Police City of Durham Law enforcement leaders, like me, recognize that early childhood education programs
are among the most powerful weapon to prevent crime and violence...  Dr. Michael Smith
Pediatrician Wake County Investing in programs that promote children’s health and development in the earliest years of life is critical as these children will be the future of our state...  Hilda Gurdian
CEO, LaNoticia, Inc. Mecklenburg County As a newspaper owner I believe quality early education provides children with the basic skills to learn with self confidence and hope as they grow into adults. . .  James Knight
Sherriff Edgecombe County When I learned about the research showing how at-risk kids that miss out on quality early learning are five times more likely to commit crimes when they grow up, I realized that this is an issue crucial to our community...  Rev. Ken Curtis
Pastor Jackson County Time and time again I’ve seen in the children in the community where I serve the difference early childhood education makes...  Jennie Eblen
Business Owner Buncombe County Our businesses support early childhood programs because we know it is smart to invest in the well-being of young children and their families and in the future prosperity of our community... |
