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The Early Childhood Development State System
The state system is composed of the ECI State Board and the Stakeholders Alliance, with involvement and partnership from hundreds of private entities to strengthen the system. The State Board provides oversight of state and local efforts while serving as an advisory group to the Iowa legislature and the Governor’s Office. The Stakeholders Alliance provides advice regarding the coordination of early childhood activities in the state and is made up of public and private stakeholders; the Alliance branches into several component groups and subgroups focused on a range of expertise. Both the State Board and the Stakeholders Alliance Work together to further the strategic plan and vision for early childhood development in the state of Iowa.
Iowa’s Integrated Data System for Decision Making (I2D2)
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In response to demands on public service systems to do more, do better, and cost less, attention is being drawn to the value of integrated data systems (IDS) for research to inform executive decision-making. In 2019 the IDS led to the development of the 2019 Statewide Needs Assessment and influenced our We Are ECI 2019-2022 Strategic Plan. As demonstrated through these efforts, the IDS continues to allow Iowa’s early childhood system to effectively and efficiently coordinate the work of health, social services, and education agencies to directly benefit families.
ECI’s 2019 Statewide Needs Assessment reflects a legislatively prioritized statewide emphasis on collaborative, comprehensive approaches to supporting young children and their families. It builds on investments over the last several decades in quality early care and education systems and brings together relevant data from siloed systems of health, education, and child welfare to use for statewide strategic planning.
Current State Board Members
Current members of the Early Childhood Iowa State Board include department directors for six state agencies, four legislators, and citizen membership. Citizen members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Iowa Senate.
Interested candidates must complete a gubernatorial appointment resume in addition to seeking a letter of recommendation from their local Early Childhood Iowa Area board. The gubernatorial appointment resume can be found at Open Up Iowa.
Board Members
Dave Arens
Citizen Member, Polk County
Dave joined Wells Fargo in 2004 and is currently a Wealth Advisor with The Private Bank. Dave has been in the financial services industry for more than 27 years. Dave is a past ECI State Board Chair and former Polk County ECI Board member.
Jennifer Banta
Citizen Member, Johnson County
Vice president of the Iowa City Area Business Partnership. She started the Johnson County Child Care Coalition, bringing together stakeholders to develop solutions for child care. She served on the Governor's Child Care Task Force.
David Barajas
Citizen Member, Marshall County
Michael Bergan
Representative, Iowa House
Bergan is a lifelong resident of Winneshiek County. Bergan serves on three state level boards and commissions: the Mental Health and Developmental Disability Commission, ECI State Board (former HAWC Director), and the Iowa Council for Early ACCESS.
Diane Campbell
Administrator, Mississippi Bend AEA
Diane serves as an administrator with Mississippi Bend AEA. She has also served as a teacher and administrator in the Muscatine Community School District. Campbell’s past board participation includes United Way of Muscatine, MCSA, and others.
Chris Cournoyer
Senator, District 49
Senator Cournoyer has served as a member of the Iowa Governor’s STEM Council, Quad City Engineering & Science Council, former president of the Pleasant Valley Community School Board, and reserve deputy for the Scott County Sheriff’s Department.
Debi Durham
Director, Economic Development Authority
Durham is a longtime economic and community development professional. Durham has established successful public-private partnerships, landed billion-dollar economic development projects, and expanded trade and investment opportunities for Iowa.
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Lorie Easter
Director Designee, Department of Human Rights
Program Manager for the Family Development and Self Sufficiency (FaDSS) and Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Programs. Lorie has over thirty years of experience of working in the field of human services in governmental and education systems.
Kelly Garcia
Director, Iowa Dept. of Human Services, & Interim Director, Iowa Dept. of Public Health
Throughout her career, Garcia led improvements in organizational structure, program management, and policy development for health care systems. Garcia has served in a series of executive positions at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
Wendy Greenman
Director Designee, Iowa Workforce Development
Wendy Greenman is a graduate of Iowa State University, and serves as a Bureau Chief at Iowa Workforce Development overseeing the WIOA Title I programs and the Trade program. She has worked within Iowa’s workforce delivery system for over 12 years.
Nicole Hansen
Director Designee, Iowa Economic Development Authority
Community Investments Team Leader. This team is responsible for the management of the state of Iowa’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), as well as several state tax credit programs.
Ryan Howard
Citizen Member, Black Hawk County
Ryan has helped direct funding to local youth education programs through the Cedar Valley United Way. He has worked to address the Iowa child care crisis and helped develop a cutting-edge program with his wife, Bruna, for their in-home child care.
Aaron Johnson
ECI State Board Chair, Citizen Member, Polk County
A resident of Ankeny, Iowa, Aaron received his Bachelor’s in Communications from the Moody Bible Institute. Aaron is the Vice President of Marketing and Customer Strategy for Accumold. Aaron is currently a Director on the Ankeny Board of Education.
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Marcus Johnson-Miller
Director Designee, Department of Public Health
Dr. Ann Lebo
Director, Department of Education
Dr. Ann Lebo serves as Director of the Iowa Department of Education. She previously served as Executive Director of the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners. Dr. Lebo holds an Ed.D. and Ed.S in Educational Administration.
Angela Lensch
Citizen Member, Carroll County
Angela is an experienced educator with a Master's in Education. Angela has taught all age levels including Pre-K through to adult learners. Currently, Angela is the Academic Manager at Denison Job Corps. acting as the Principal.
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Mayra Martinez
Citizen Member
Barb Merrill
ECI State Board Vice Chair
Barb Merrill served 10 years as Executive Director for the Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children and held a variety of roles in early childhood throughout her career. Barb has a B.S. in Child Development and a M.S. in Adult Education.
Mary Peterson
Citizen Member, Shelby County
Mary is a RN at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, IA where she primarily serves as the campus’ clinical nurse analyst. She volunteers & serves on multiple local, state and national boards.
Beth Townsend
Director, Iowa Workforce Development
Beth Townsend serves as the Director of Iowa Workforce Development and is a graduate of Kearney State College and the University of Nebraska Law School. Beth is the mother of one son and is a proud member of the Choctaw Nation.
Kimberly Villotti
Director Designee, Iowa Department of Education
Kimberly Villotti serves as the Director’s Designee for the Department of Education, where she is an Administrative Consultant for Early Childhood Programs and Services. She joined the ECI Steering Committee to support system collaboration.
San Wong
Director, Department of Human Rights
Director Wong has led efforts to safeguard basic rights and opportunities for underrepresented Iowans. This includes helping new immigrants find success and call Iowa home. Wong was recognized as a Women of Influence by the Business Record in 2009.
Gary Zittergruen
Citizen Member, Benton County
Gary Zittergruen is a retired Superintendent of Schools with the Benton CSD. While employed at Benton, Gary also served on the IGHSAU Board of Directors and the IHSSA Executive Committee.
