What is the name of your department?

Early Care and Education 

What is the name of your program?

Early Care and Education

What is your job title?

Administrative Assistant I

How long have you been in your position?

8 ½ years.  About 3 years ago my position transitioned into an Administrative Assistant I, but I have been supporting Jodi Wall for the entirety of my employment.

Who is your supervisor?

Jodi Wall, Executive Director for Early Care and Education 

How many employees work in your program?

We have about 55 staff that work onsite in Vancouver.  We a few Child Care Aware staff working in Longview and Centralia. We have about 200 staff working in our centers.  They are employed by our staffing agency, SELF, but work in our programs.

Who are your program’s customers?

Children, families, school districts, community partners, early learning professionals, state agencies.

Do you work with other agencies (state, private, etc.)?

We have a great relationship with Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), OSPI, Child Care Aware of Washington, school districts, Health and Human Services, and other state ESDs and community partners.

Where do employees in your program work? (Vancouver office, field sites, schools, which counties, etc.)

The majority of our ESD employees work in the 2500 building. We have four Child Care Aware staff that work in Longview and Centralia providing support to child care providers up north. Additionally, we have SELF staff working in our centers in Ocean Beach, White Salmon, Woodland, Kalama, and throughout Clark County.

What are your biggest strengths – what expertise can you share with the group?

Ask questions and network with people from other departments. The agency is huge and there are some fantastically talented people in other departments. If I have PR questions, I know who to ask for help. The same for the amazing accounting staff and IT.  It’s definitely a team effort here at the ESD, and I like to make sure I know who to ask for help when needed.

What do you like most about working here?

We do some pretty amazing things in Early Care and Education. It’s incredible to see the impacts that our programs have on the children, families and child care providers we serve. We have the ability to provide support to the youngest learners and work to make sure they are successful in school and in life. It’s a team effort and all our programs work together, whether it’s professional development to our teachers or coaching from Child Care Aware to increase quality practices in our centers.