Leading for Change: Rhian Evans Allvin and Mark Ginsberg
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As NAEYC kicks off its centennial year, CEO Michelle Kang sits down with two of her predecessors to talk about their collective 25 years of leadership and reflect on what it means to lead the early childhood education field through periods of upheaval, uncertainty, and change.
Host
Michelle Kang
NAEYC CEO
Michelle serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), leading a dynamic community of nearly 55,000 members dedicated to advancing high-quality early learning for all children.
Guests
Rhian Evans Allvin
Founder, Brynmor Early Education & Preschool
(NAEYC CEO 2013—2022)
Rhian Evans Allvin is the founder of Brynmor Early Education & Preschool in Lorton, Va., housed in two historic buildings that were once part of a maximum-security federal penitentiary. Brynmor also operates the child care centers at the U.S. Department of State and Culpeper Baptist Church in Virginia. During Rhian’s tenure as NAEYC’s CEO, NAEYC worked to increase membership, exert strong policy and advocacy leadership, develop position statements, and streamline the early childhood program accreditation system. Also during this time, NAEYC convened Power to the Profession, a national collaborative between 15 organizations that released a Unifying Framework to create an aligned professional field of practice for early childhood educators. NAEYC also participated in securing the largest increase in federal funding in the history of child care in the United States, totaling $5.4 billion over two years with an additional $50 billion in federal stimulus funding. Rhian earned a bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University and a master’s degree from Arizona State University.
Mark Ginsberg
President, Towson University
(NAEYC CEO 1999—2010)
Mark R. Ginsberg began his tenure as the 15th president of Towson University in October 2023. He has enjoyed a remarkable 45-year career as a psychologist, educator, and senior administrator, most recently serving as provost and executive vice president at George Mason University. His professional experience has included leadership roles at NAEYC, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and the American Psychological Association. Mark also served on the faculty at The Johns Hopkins University and the University of Rochester. Throughout his career, he has also served as a volunteer board member with numerous non-profit organizations and remained a practicing psychologist. He earned degrees from the State University of New York at Cortland and The Pennsylvania State University, with a fellowship in clinical psychology from Yale University School of Medicine.
