For

Immediate Release: April 6, 2016

For more information contact: Michele Rivest, Executive Director
919-218-0224 (cell)
Email: NCChildCareCoalition@gmail.com

MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT

North Carolina Legislators Recognized for Early Education Leadership

The NC Child Care Coalition recognized five outstanding legislators for their leadership and
advocacy for early childhood education at its 4th Annual Early Education Forum, April 6, 2016 at
the McKimmon Center. Over 160 early education professionals, teachers, business leaders, and
elected officials attended the event that focused on issues facing the early education teaching
workforce.

Michele Rivest, NC Child Care Coalition Executive Director, stated Each of these legislators has
championed early education and made it a top priority for their work in the NC General Assembly.
There are thousands of young children and their families who have had access to high quality
early education as a result of their tireless efforts. We are deeply grateful to their commitment to
advance our young childrens development, early learning, and future success in school and in
life.

LifeTime Achievement Award
Former Rep. Rick Glazier, Cumberland County

Legislator of the Year Awards
Sen. Tamara Barringer, District #17, Wake County
Rep. Josh Dobson, District 85, Avery, Mitchell and McDowell Counties

Rising Star Awards
Rep. Chris Malone, District #35, Northeastern Wake County
Sen. Jeff Jackson, District #37, Mecklenburg County

Below are brief highlights of the awards.

Rick Glazier
Former Rep. Rick Glazier served in the state legislator in the NC General Assembly for 13 years as a
state representative from Cumberland County from 2003-2015. There he served on numerous
Committees and in several leadership roles, including Minority Whip and co-chair of the House
Education Appropriations Committee. During his time in the legislature, Rep. Glazier championed early
education issues including Smart Start and NC Pre-K, and consistently prioritized the needs of children

and families in his district and throughout North Carolina, for which he has received numerous awards.
In 2015, Rick resigned from the legislature to serve as the new Executive Director of the NC Justice
Center.

Senator Tamara Barringer
Senator Tamara Barringer is serving her second term representing Senate District #17, Wake County.
She is a member of the Senate Appropriations for Health and Human Services Committee and the Joint
Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services, and is the Chairman of the
Permanency Innovation Initiative Oversight Committee, which focuses on protecting at-risk children.
Sen. Barringer has been a leader and a champion for child welfare issues, focusing on foster care and
adoption. Sen. Barringer is also a leader on childrens issues outside the legislature where she has served
as the Co-Chair of the Best NC Workgroup on Early Learning Programs, the NC Institute of Medicines
Task Force to Prevent Child Maltreatment, and represented North Carolina on the Southern Regional
Education Boards Early Childhood Commission.

Rep. Josh Dobson
Rep. Josh Dobson is serving a 2nd term in District #85 which includes Avery, Mitchell and McDowell
Counties. Rep. Dobson co-chairs the HHS Appropriations Committee and the Joint Legislative
Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee. He also is the co-chair
of the Subcommittee on the Early Education and Family Support Subcommittee, which is studying these
issues during the interim. Rep. Dobson has demonstrated his commitment, support and advocacy for
early care and education by supporting a legislative study committee on early education, and sponsoring
a bill to improve child care subsidy policy by changing the provisions related to the definition of the
family unit and allowing pro-rated parent fees for part time care and making sure these provisions were
included in the final budget bill. He has consistently supported continued funding for Smart Start, NC
PreK and Child Care Subsidies during the budget process.

Rep. Chris Malone
Rep. Chris Malone is in his second legislative term representing District #35, Northeastern Wake
County. Rep. Malone serves as co-chair of the Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee.
In 2015, Rep. Malone was quick to respond to the Coalitions request to reconsider the child care
subsidy income eligibility policies so that grandparents and other relatives could continue to remain
eligible and he also sponsored the provision to allow parents to pay part-time frees their childrens child
care, both of which passed in the final budget. As a budget chair, Rep. Malone supported early education
funding for key early education programs during the budget process.

Senator Jeff Jackson
Sen. Jeff Jackson is serving his first term in the Senate representing District 37, Mecklenburg County.
Sen. Jackson is a member of several Committees including the Finance Committee, Judiciary II, and
Program Evaluation. Sen. Jackson has dedicated himself to working on public education, health, safety,
economic development, and early childhood development issues. As a first term legislator, Sen. Jackson
formed the states first Early Childhood Education Caucus, which is a bi-partisan effort to explore North
Carolinas needs in childcare and early childhood education.


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