Diane Whitehead, Chief Executive Officer of Childhood International, has dedicated her career to issues that affect the lives of children and families. Diane specializes in children’s education, nonprofit leadership, management, strategic direction setting, and program development. As Chief Executive Officer, she is committed to building CE International’s organization reach, relevancy, and impact.

Diane’s quote to live by: “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.” – J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Michelle Allen, Director of Operations, works to implement and manage smooth and efficient operations and systems to support CE International programs. With over 20 years of nonprofit organization experience, including extensive work in technology systems, accounting and budgeting, and office operations, Michelle is essential in maintaining the workflow at CE International.

Michelle enjoys riding her motorcycle and spending time with her grandchildren.

Jonathan Apikian, Chief Operations Officer of Childhood Education International, brings extensive project management and strategic planning experience around programs that address the needs of the most vulnerable worldwide. His passion for working with local communities to develop sustainable solutions to some of the world’s most intractable issues keeps him inspired by the human spirit for change and resilience. As Chief Operating Officer, he ensures CE International’s operational and business management is underpinned by rigor, discipline, and structure.

One of Jonathan favorite hobbies is exploring different cultures through their food and cuisine—every dish has a story to tell about the people.

Anne Watson Bauer, Director of Publications and Webmaster brings 28+ years of education publishing experience and guarantees timely production of CE International’s unique publications: Childhood Education Innovations, the Journal of Research in Childhood Education, and the online publication Childhood Explorer.

Anne enjoys walking through the woods and along the coastlines of Maine with her husband and German shepherd, taking thousands of photos.

Jeremy Booth, Director of Communications, is a driven communications professional, focusing on international and intercultural interaction. With a diverse background working in the government, nonprofit, and volunteer sectors, as well as living and working abroad, Jeremy is uniquely prepared to connect distinct populations with a unifying message. Jeremy’s passion for intercultural interaction ensures CE International maintains quality two-way communication around the globe.

His favorite grade-school teacher was Mrs. Watson from the 3rd grade. She instilled in Jeremy a love for reading that has never abated.

Heidi Gibson is Professional Development Specialist/Global Citizenship Lead at Childhood Education International. Throughout her career, Heidi has partnered with students, educators, policymakers and other organizations to unleash the transformative potential of global citizenship education to create lasting and sustainable change. Heidi is a former U.S. diplomat who has also worked in civic education, education research, and international development.

Heidi has lived on five different continents and her (other) dream job is to be a cabaret singer.

Amanda Stamp, Professional Development Specialist/Team Lead, has dedicated her career to global education by providing students with the skills, knowledge, and tools they need to compete and thrive in today’s global world. Amanda’s diverse professional background is central to her work at CE International, including experience in global education program design, professional development training, global partnership building, and non-profit management.

Amanda loves spending time outdoors and going on hikes with her dog, Rosie.  One day she hopes to retire to the countryside where she and her husband can run a small farm and enjoy nature.

Dr. Christine Chen, Director for the Southeast Asia Region, has dedicated her life’s work to promoting professional development and learning for early childhood educators for the well-being of children and their families. Dr. Chen is a former President of Childhood Education International, and she currently also serves President of the Association for Early Childhood Educators, Singapore (AECES). Her unbreakable bonds with both ECE professionals in her region and CE International create infinite possibilities for the organization in Southeast Asia Region.

Christine, when put on the spot, would sing for anyone, anytime

Samia Kazi, Regional Director for the Middle East, is a social entrepreneur, innovator, and partnership builder. She worked as a CEO of a leading ECE organization in the Middle East, called Arabian Child, supporting quality improvement, child protection, and early childhood education. The Huffington Post named her one of the top women who are reshaping early childhood education in the Middle East. As Regional Director for the Middle East, and with her vast experience, Samia’s guidance is central to guiding CE International’s strategy for working in the region.

Samia has four children and her favorite children’s book is The Giving Tree.

Patrick Makokoro, Regional Director for Africa, is a dedicated child rights activist with extensive experience working in community and international development. Patrick has solidified himself as a leader in advocating for children’s education, including his work with the Nhaka Foundation in Zimbabwe, the founding of Zimbabwe Network of Early Childhood Development Actors (ZINECDA), and being a co-founder of the African Early Childhood Network. His leadership and direction as Regional Director for Africa will help CE International stay tuned into the most pressing issues surrounding education on the continent.

Patrick’s Quote to Live by: A hundred years from now it will not matter what cars we drove, the houses we lived in or the balances of our bank accounts. What will count is the difference we would have made in the world.

Yvette Gatilao Murphy is one of our representatives to the New York Headquarters of the United Nations. Yvette is passionate about ensuring equity and social justice through education and has dedicated her academic research and work to addressing issues that affect the most disadvantaged children and youth. She has also previously worked with CE International as the Director of Education Diplomacy and Global Advocacy.

In her free time, Yvette enjoys photography and is an avid runner, having run multiple marathons and ultra-marathons.

Elisabeth Shuman serves on the advisory board of the NGO Committee on UNICEF, which works to uphold the rights of children everywhere, making her a key representative of CE International. Elisabeth has extensive experience working in several committees in the UN, organizing various conferences and outreach efforts, including communicating with CSO organizations in the Global South, allowing her to extend CE Internationals connections around the globe.

An insatiable learner, Elisabeth is trying to master the art of bicycle repair and learning Japanese with, in her own words, limited success.

Cassandre Guibord Cyr, who works closely with UN agencies in Geneva, has a diverse professional background in international relations, education, and human rights policy—particularly gender-based rights frameworks. Cassandre’s work promoting the Sustainable Development Goals with the International Labour Organization positions her to support CE International’s mission of seeking innovative solutions to education challenges.

Cassandre is native from Quebec, and particularly enjoys the rich use of the French language in her province and the colorful images to describe reality such as: Il pleut a boire debout, which translates to: it rains so much that you can drink standing outside.

Justine Heckmann, who has served as a UN Representative in Geneva for CE International since August 2016, has dedicated her professional career to human rights and international cooperation. She specializes in child rights working with the NGO Terre des Hommes Suisse, managing projects with a focus on children’s education, protection and participation. Justine’s frequent presence at Human Rights Council sessions and meetings organized by the Child Rights Connect network ensures CE International has place in the critical conversations surrounding child rights.

Specializing in South American projects, she lived in Bolivia working in an orphanage helping the children in their education process.

Jill McFarren Aviles, CE International Senior Consultant, is the Founder/Director of McFarren Aviles & Associates, LLC, whose mission is to foster leaders in early childhood development. She has over 39 years of experience working in the United States, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East providing customized training, technical assistance, and coaching to early care and education staff, parents, government and non-governmental organizations. Her expertise includes developing and evaluating bilingual/multicultural early care and education programs, as well as curricula for trainers and educators.

Jill’s favorite non-English phrase is: No hay mal que por bien no venga. This Spanish phrase translates to “There is no wrong from which right does not come.”