DENVER (Oct. 10, 2019) — The Early Childhood Leadership Commission (ECLC), Colorado’s statewide early childhood advisory council, has announced the appointment of six new commissioners by Gov. Jared Polis:
- Ryan Beiser (Cherry Hills) – regional president, PNC Bank Denver
- Jehan Benton-Clark (Denver) – portfolio director, Colorado Health Foundation
- Pamela Harris (Denver) – president and CEO, Mile High Early Learning
- Kate Kennedy Reinemund (Englewood) – executive director, Constellation Philanthropy
- Sue Renner (Denver) – vice president of philanthropy, Merage Foundations
- Ida Rhodes (Pueblo) – director of operations, Catholic Charities-Diocese of Pueblo
In addition, the governor appointed Tom Massey, deputy executive director at the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing and Susan Steele, executive director of the Buell Foundation, as co-chairs to serve alongside Elsa Holguín, president and CEO of the Denver Preschool Program.
“The commission has led the advancement of early childhood priorities in the state for many years,” stated Holguín. “I am thrilled to work with all of our new members to continue this work and to elevate the commission’s and the governor’s priority areas so that all children in Colorado have the opportunity to be healthy, valued and thriving.”
"The work of the commission provides an opportunity to be bold and innovative in our approaches to supporting young children and families,” noted Steele. “I am honored to be a co-chair and look forward to working with the covernor and the members to advance outcomes for all of Colorado’s kids.”
"The commission has brought state agencies, as well as other public and private programs together to advance early childhood outcomes in a way that has made real impacts for the children in our state. This is critical to ensuring we have a robust, comprehensive system that supports health and well-being for all Coloradans,” stated Massey.
The ECLC supports early childhood efforts through its role as a statewide leader, subject matter expert and champion of best and promising practices. The ECLC strives to improve outcomes for young children birth to age 8 and their families by advancing the alignment, coordination and efficiency of programs and services in Colorado.
To learn more about the commission’s work and see the full list of members, please visit www.earlychildhoodcolorado.org.