ACEI elects new board members.

Karen Liu, President Elect (2006-2007)

Karen Liu has been elected ACEI's President Elect. Liu is Professor and Early Childhood Education Undergraduate and Graduate Program Coordinator, Department of Elementary, Early and Special Education, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana. Liu has previously served ACEI as Member-at-Large (1999-2001), "Week of the Classroom Teacher" Committee Chair (1999-2001), "Hall of Excellence" coordinator (1999-2001), ACEI/ NCATE Program Reviewer (2000-present), ACEI Annual Conference workshop presenter (2000-01), International/Intercultural Committee member (1995-96), and Infancy/Early Childhood Committee member, (1990-1997, 2004-present). She has been a member of her local ACEI Branch, Indiana ACEI, since 1990.

In speaking of her goals for ACEI, Liu says, "I believe that one of my most important contributions to ACEI as President Elect would be my dedication and commitment to a vision of a strong professional organization with diverse members who model the best practices for the care and education of young children and collaborate with other professional and NGO organizations to lead the international standards movement.... I will strive to reconstruct and evolve our international contacts and mission into one that increases our prestige and publicity, both nationally and globally."

Carrie Whaley, Member-at-Large (2) (2006-2009)

Carrie Whaley, Associate Professor of Education, Union University, has been elected Member-at-Large (2). An ACEI member for almost 20 years, Whaley understands and is committed to ACEI's mission, philosophy, and goals.

"In my 23 years in education," says Whaley, "I have had the opportunity to teach in a variety of venues, including Head Start, child care centers, public preschools and kindergartens, and now at the university level. In addition, I have traveled abroad and have had the opportunity to visit schools in other countries in order to better understand international needs and perspectives. Because of my diverse background in education in a variety of content areas, grade levels, and regions of the country I've lived and taught in, I believe that I bring a unique perspective to issues and an ability to see the various sides and ramifications of the issues."

Whaley is a former State President for Tennessee ACEI (2003-2005), and Vice President of her local Branch, West Tennessee, ACEI 2004-2005. She has served as a presenter at many ACEI conferences.

Whaley says she will serve this position "by bringing my experience and expertise to the table in order to help with the recruitment of new members and the retention of existing members."

Jessica Essary, Student Representative (2006-2008)

Jessica Essary, a student at Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, has been elected ACEI's Student Representative. Since joining the Association two years ago, Essary has been involved in the Florida Gulf Coast University ACEI Student Branch as Vice President, and, most recently, as President. She also has served as a member of the ACEI Student Committee and was the 2005 recipient of the ACEI Presidents' Council Award.

"During these two years," says Essary, "I have learned several things about ACEI. I have developed the belief that ACEI empowers its members to unleash their diverse potential in order to significantly impact the lives of children around the world. I believe that ACEI effectively advocates the inducement of learning through wide life experiences. As a student, I am proud to be a member of an organization, such as ACEI, that actively expresses its care for the education and well-being of children while embracing students and professionals from around the globe,"

Essary has three major goals as the ACEI Student Representative: 1) to further strengthen collaboration among national and international ACEI Student Branches, 2) to explore and advocate for future teachers' roles related to sustainable education in a global world, and 3) to advocate for students' professional involvement at local, national, and international levels.