Zero to Three, the nation’s leading early development nonprofit dedicated to ensuring all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life, announced the appointment of Walter Gilliam, PhD, as president of its board of directors.
“Walter’s insights in early childhood education and mental health are invaluable to our mission to improve and strengthen the ways communities support babies and their families,” said Matthew Melmed, executive director of Zero to Three. Melmed said he is eager to partner with Dr. Gilliam “to leverage our collective expertise, experience and voices to inspire others — especially policymakers and other critical decision-makers — to create lasting impact for babies and toddlers, not just now, but deep into the future.”
Dr. Gilliam has conducted extensive research on early childhood education and intervention policy analysis, ways to improve the mental health of young children, early childhood expulsions and suspensions, implicit bias in early childhood settings, and the health and well-being of early childhood professionals. He is executive director of the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska, where he also holds the Richard D. Holland Presidential Chair in Early Childhood Development. He is a tenured professor at the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute and a professor adjunct at the Yale Child Study Center.
“Zero to Three has been a leader in advancing transformative efforts to protect and promote the well-being of our nation’s youngest,” said Dr. Gilliam, who joined the board in 2012. “Together, we will continue to build a country where all babies and toddlers can thrive and reach their full potential.”
Learn more about the Zero to Three Board of Directors on the organization’s website.
Congratulations!! Nebraska is lucky to have you involved in their early childhood movement.
Carol Russell