Robin Wilkins is an Education Program Development Specialist with the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), Division of Early Childhood Education, where she develops policy, provides technical assistance, and serves on New Jersey’s Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) Leadership Team. Robin has also served as the Director of Professional Development for Teaching Strategies and was part of the Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO) Leadership Academy in 2018. A versatile professional with over 20 years in the field of early childhood education, Robin has also worked in Head Start, community-based programs, and school district settings.

Dawn Kalkman is the PreK manager with the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential, Office of Early Learning and Family Supports. In her role as manager, she is responsible for administering the state-funded prek program, Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP). Dawn’s work is focused on Michigan’s PreK for All initiative and expansion of free prek opportunities for families. Dawn participated in the inaugural NASLEE Leadership Academy in 2024 and in Michigan’s 2019-20 Education Policy Fellowship Program.

Michelle Belanger is the Pre-K Partnership Specialist on the Early Learning Team at the Maine Department of Education. She is working on expanding Public Pre-K opportunities in Maine utilizing a mixed delivery system. Michelle’s 22 years of experience include working as a classroom educator for children ages birth through five, a public pre-k teacher, and the program coordinator for a non-profit early care and education center. She also facilitates courses for other educators in the field. Michelle received her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Maine in Farmington and her master’s in early childhood special education from the University of Maine.

Janet Bock-Hager is the Pre-K Coordinator at the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE), where she has supported the state’s Universal Pre-K system since 2010. With more than 30 years of experience in early childhood education in West Virginia, she has served as a teacher, family services coordinator, and classroom coach. In her current role, she leads efforts to strengthen partnerships across state and local early childhood programs to support the collaborative and inclusive approach of West Virginia Universal Pre-K. Ms. Bock-Hager holds a Bachelor of Science in Child Development from Fairmont State University and a Master of Arts in Elementary Education with an emphasis on Early Childhood Education from West Virginia University. Her career spans multiple early childhood settings, including child care, Head Start, and WV Universal Pre-K. She also studied abroad with the world-renowned preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy. Prior to joining the WVDE, she worked as an Education Specialist with Head Start, supporting administrators and educators within the collaborative WV Universal Pre-K system.

Noel has been a member of the Executive Committee since 2018 and has served as both president and vice president. She is an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at Saginaw Valley State University, where she focuses on family engagement, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for early childhood, and family literacy efforts. Prior to this position, Noel was the Director of Early Childhood Development and Family Education at the Michigan Department of Education (MDE). She also supported the MDE as an Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part C program coordinator and an Early Literacy and Family Engagement Consultant. Noel has experience as a program administrator, classroom teacher, early intervention specialist, home visitor, and consultant. She earned a doctorate in early childhood education with a focus in special education from Oakland University.

Mandy Sorge works with NASLEE’s Executive Committee Officers to develop and implement the organization’s mission, vision, and goals. ​Most recently, she served as a Senior Policy Analyst for Early Care and Education in the Education Division at the National Governors Association (NGA). Prior to joining NGA, she worked in training and technical assistance for the Early Head Start–Child Care Partnerships grants. She began her career as an early childhood educator at Frank Porter Graham in North Carolina and Educare DC in Washington, D.C. Mandy holds a doctorate in leadership and learning in organizations from the Peabody School of Education at Vanderbilt University, a master’s in education policy from George Washington University, and a bachelor’s in early childhood education from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.