The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the nation’s leading professional organization for those working with and on behalf of young children from birth through age eight, announced that five early childhood education leaders have been newly elected to its governing board.

Nili Luo, professor and director of early childhood education at Southwestern College, is

one of the newly elected members.

The two officers and three members will begin their terms on June 1, 2013.

The newly elected officers are:
• President-Elect: Carol Brunson Day, consultant, Silver Spring, Md.
•  Treasurer: William H. Isler, President, The Fred Rogers Company, Pittsburgh, Penn.

In addition to Luo, newly-elected board members are:
• Chad Dunkley, chief operating officer, New Horizon Enterprises, Plymouth, Minn.
• Ann McClain Terrell, director, early childhood education, Milwaukee Public Schools, Milwaukee, Wis.

“Our new board members bring a wide range of expertise and experience in the early childhood education field to NAEYC,” said Gera Jacobs, president of NAEYC’s Governing Board. “We welcome them to the board and look forward to working together to advance NAEYC’s mission of promoting high-quality early childhood education for all children.”

NAEYC’s 17-member board governs the association, which is nationally recognized for setting standards of quality for early childhood centers, schools, and teacher preparation programs; convening thought leaders; publishing research-based position statements, books, and periodicals that guide early childhood policy and practice; and providing an array of professional development opportunities for early childhood educators.

“We are pleased that these distinguished members will be joining the extraordinary leaders on our governing board,” said Jerlean E. Daniel, executive director of NAEYC. “I am confident they will help lead our association in this exciting time of national focus on early childhood education.”