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Board & Staff

Executive Director, Linda Smith

Linda K. Smith is the Executive Director of the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) - our nation's leading voice for child care. NACCRRA's mission is to ensure that every child has access to high- quality, affordable child care. As a nonprofit membership association, NACCRRA represents more than 750 state and local Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs).These agencies serve more than 7 million families each year and train over 500,000 child care workers annually.

Prior to coming to NACCRRA, Ms. Smith served in various positions within the Department of Defense, including serving as the Director of Child Development and Youth Programs and the Director of Family Policy for the Secretary of Defense. During her tenure with the Secretary of Defense, she was the lead staff person responsible for writing policy for the landmark Military Child Care Act of 1989. Before retiring from federal service in 2002, Ms. Smith served as a Legislative Fellow, and subsequently as a Professional Staffer on the Senate Health, Education, Labor Pensions Committee under the Chairmanship of Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

Ms. Smith is a native of Montana and graduate of the University of Montana. She has two grown children and three grandchildren.

Board of Directors

Duane Dennis, President
Pathways, Los Angeles, CA

Jerry Croan
ICF International, Fairfax, VA

Leadell Ediger, President-Elect
Kansas Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, Salina KS

Lihong Ma
Cleverex Systems, Inc., Reston, VA

Jan Maruna
Illinois Network of CCR&R Agencies, Bloomington, IL

Ann McCully
Minnesota CCR&R Network, St. Paul, MN

Ralph Parrott, Treasurer
Fairfax Station, VA

Tom Rogers, Rising Point
Gaithersburg, MD

Shirley Sagawa
Sagawa/Jospin, Chevy Chase, MD

Elizabeth Bonbright Thompson
Washington State CCR&R Network, Tacoma, WA

Elaine Ward
4C, Ft. Thomas, KY

Michael Olenick
Childcare Resource Center, Chatsworth, CA