Dr. Kimberly Krzanowski has over 20 years of experience in early learning as a former early childhood teacher, center administrator, higher education department chair, and faculty member at various institutions. Dr. Krzanowski currently serves as the executive director of the Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIC) at Delaware State University and is leading the charge to unapologetically design holistic and comprehensive programs and supports for the Delaware early childhood community. Formerly serving as the executive director of the Office of Early Learning at the Delaware Department of Education, Dr. Krzanowski developed innovative funding and support for the early childhood workforce while providing leadership to the state’s Quality Rating and Improvement System Delaware Stars.

Dr. Krzanowski holds a Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from Wilmington University, with a concentration in innovation and leadership in the context of the early childhood workforce.
Dr. Krzanowski earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware, concentrating on education, human services, and public policy, as well as a Master’s degree in Education from Wilmington University with an emphasis on teaching and learning.

As the Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIC) initiatives officer, Dr. Dannaé Sewell oversees a team who is dedicated to major initiatives centered on the workforce, specifically on holistic CDA™ cohort models, scholarship coordination, and career advisement. Dr. Sewell serves as Director of Delaware State University’s Early Childhood Laboratory School, with over 20 years of experience as a parent, educator, and administrator. Dr. Sewell champions the power of consistency, transparency, accountability, and collaboration when advocating for Delaware educators and addressing systemic inequality in early childhood education. Dr. Sewell has dedicated her career to providing the right environment for early childhood professionals and the children they support to accomplish individual and group success, both inside and outside the classroom.

Dr. Sewell holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Education with a specialization in early childhood education from Northcentral University.

Marcie Pate currently serves as the Operations Officer for the Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIC) at Delaware State University (DSU). At the ECIC, Marcie leads a strong team of operational staff who specializes in contracts, budgeting, billing, purchasing, communications, marketing, research, data, and reporting. Marcie brings with her over 15 years of experience and expertise in early childhood education and operational systems. Marcie specializes in navigating early childhood systems and large-scale early childhood projects and budget management.

In her most recent role, Marcie worked for the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE), Office of Early Learning (OEL) where she provided operational, budgetary, and contracting support to members of the team.

Prior to her role with the DDOE, Marcie worked for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Facilities Management Office where she managed project workflow and assisted with operations management.

Marcie holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Wilmington University. She earned her Associate’s degree in Business from Delaware Technical Community College and a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management with a minor in Finance from Wilmington University.

Dr. Elizabeth Kelleher has over 25 years of experience in higher education as a general education faculty member and department chairperson, developmental education program coordinator, learning community coordinator, and professional development innovator within the community college system. Dr. Kelleher currently serves as the Higher Education Coordinator for the Early Childhood Education Innovation Center (ECIC) at Delaware State University, focusing on credit for prior learning and articulation agreements throughout the state for early childhood professionals emphasizing the accessibility of post-secondary education and professional development.

Dr. Kelleher holds a Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Delaware with an emphasis on college and career readiness in English Language Arts. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English, Secondary Education from Waynesburg University, and a Master’s degree in Educational Counseling from Wilmington University with an emphasis on how managing grief impacts the learning process.

As the current Senior Administrative Assistant, Jasmine Passwaters oversees the Support Team for the Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIC). She provides high-level administrative support to the ECIC Leadership Team and helps manage team operations, schedules, activities and events to accomplish the mission of the ECIC and its programs. Prior to her role at the ECIC, Jasmine served as the Client Services Associate for the Office of Human Resources at Delaware State University.

She attended West Virginia University and graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, minoring in Communication Studies. She then received a Master’s in Public Administration from Delaware State University in May 2023.

Kariem Ross serves as the Communications and Marketing Coordinator at the Early Childhood Innovation Center at Delaware State University. Kariem is determined to tell the story of the ECIC and the impacts of success on individuals and programs across the state, prioritizing all voices in the field to help others to identify and connect with the supports available to them. With almost a decade of experience in the field of marketing for higher education, Kariem has served as the Marketing Supervisor of Student Employment, Career Services, Athletic Ticketing and Events at Delaware State University. Kariem holds a business degree with a concentration in marketing (BA) from Delaware State University, and is currently participating in the MBA program.

Dionne Patterson has been counseling children and families for over 25 years, providing parent education via home visitation, curriculum development, and facilitating training nationwide. As a grant writer and champion for children, she established several programs embedded within early childhood education to provide rich, culturally competent experiences for diverse populations. Currently, Dionne serves as the Child Development Associate coordinator at the Early Childhood Innovation Center at Delaware State University where she is responsible for developing and implementing a holistic and comprehensive CDA™ model.

Dionne holds a Bachelor’s degree from Delaware State University in Psychology and serves as a subject matter expert (SME) in cultural competency, trauma in early childhood, ADHD, Autism and Aspergers, and STEM in early childhood.

Charley Anderson has over 20 years of experience in management, employee relations, career development and customer service. Most recently Charley served as the Lead Qualifications Specialist and Career Advisor for the Office of Early Learning (OEL) with the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE). Currently, Charley serves as the Career Advisement Coordinator for the Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIC) at Delaware State University (DSU).

Jennifer Marsh currently serves as the Operations Coordinator at the Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIC) at Delaware State University. Jennifer brings with her over 12 years of experience in various early learning and operations support roles as a former early childhood teacher while providing support to programs in Delaware. Prior to joining the ECIC, Jennifer came from the Early Childhood Support (ECS) team at the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) while providing contract and financial administration support to programs including Early Head Start, Part-B 619, and the Early Childhood Assistance Program. She also served as the liaison between the DDOE and the Delaware Early Childhood Council (DECC). Before joining the DDOE Jennifer served in operational support roles for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Delaware Department of Agriculture. Jennifer is currently a Bachelor’s degree candidate in Business Management at Delaware State University.

Mrs. Paula Bratcher-Newton began her professional career in New Jersey with the federal government working under the umbrella of federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the US Department of Agriculture. During her tenure there, Mrs. Bratcher-Newton gained vital experience in financial reporting and bookkeeping as an Accounting Technician, leading investigations in the Northeast & Mid-Atlantic regions as an Investigator for the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (SNAP). After a successful and fulfilling 25-year tenure at the federal government, she entered the educational sector. As a licensed director and lead teacher, she assisted in creating and developing programs for children and adolescents while working for the Little Lights of Faith Early Learning Center in Chestertown, MD. Her passion to assist in making change for children in need then led her to work as a Judicial Case Manager/TRP & Adoptions clerk for New Castle County at Family Court in Wilmington, Delaware. Currently, she is giving back to the minds of young adults, by working in the Higher Education field, as an Administrative Assistant in support of the Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIC) at Delaware State University where she enjoys being a part of the ECIC team in support of the Delaware early childhood community.

Jennifer Seo is currently the Scholarship Coordinator at the Early Childhood Innovation Center at Delaware State University. In this role, she oversees the scholarship coordination for those working in the field of Early Childhood Education and wants to pursue an Associate or Bachelor’s Degree. She was formerly the Deputy Director at the Mental Health Association in Delaware. In this position, she was involved with various groups that worked to improve the mental well-being of Delawareans, including the Delaware Suicide Prevention Coalition. She also oversaw the various programs and services the agency provided to the community, which included wellness groups throughout the state of Delaware, Suicide Prevention programming, general mental health awareness presentations, and the Mental Health Court Peer Mentor Program. Jennifer is currently a master trainer for ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training). She got into both roles at the Mental Health Association in Delaware and Delaware State University thanks to great mentors and those who provided an opportunity for her to grow and succeed. Jennifer received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics at the University of Maryland, College Park in May of 2009.