We are very pleased to announce the addition of a new board member! Elsbeth Brown, PhD, has been a friend of the National Inclusion Project for many years as a Let’s ALL Play partner with YMCA of Middle Tennessee, as a member of our Program Advisory Council and as a presenter at the annual Power of Play Conference. She will bring a wealth of experience and passion for inclusion and be a great asset to the team. If you are attending this year’s Power of Play Conference, please find Elsbeth and welcome her to the family.
Elsbeth Brown, PhD. earned her B.S. Degree in Early Childhood from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, her Master’s Degree in Special Education from Winthrop University and her Doctorate Degree in Elementary Education/Early Childhood Education from the University of South Carolina. While on faculty at the University of South Carolina, she served as the Director of the South Carolina Center of Excellence in Early Childhood and provided technical assistance to the State Office of First Steps and the Catawba Indian Nation, and served as an evaluator for Even Start, Early Head Start and Zero to Three initiatives. As the Principle Investigator for the BASICspaces project and 4KEEPS program, Dr. Brown worked with communities throughout the South to enhance the quality of early care and education.
A sibling to three brothers with special needs, Brown has been a life-long advocate for inclusionary efforts. She recently retired from her second career as Director of Research and Grants for the YMCA of Middle Tennessee. Under her leadership the Y established a formal Division of Sponsored Programs and as Director of this Division, Brown oversaw the increase in grants managed from $850,000 to over $5.2 million.