Daniel Hains
Chief Policy & Professional Advancement Office
National Association for the Education of Young Children
Prior to joining NAEYC, Daniel serves as the Assistant Director of Federal Policy at ZERO TO THREE, where he helped lead and implement ZERO TO THREE’s infant-toddler focused policy agenda, with an emphasis on child care and early learning policy. He started his career on the policy team at the Children’s Defense Fund, where he worked on a diverse portfolio of issues centering the needs of children and their families.
Daniel earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina and a Master’s degree in public administration and policy from American University.
Chris Swanson
Executive Director/Co-Founder
C-IMPACT
Dr. Chris Swanson is a co-founder and Executive Director of C-IMPACT, a nonprofit with a mission to achieve a more coordinated and effective human service system by breaking down silos across sectors of physical, mental, and behavioral health; education; care; employment; and social services while empowering local led solutions. Through C-IMPACT, Swanson is helping to transform the way small and mid-sized community-based nonprofits and governmental agencies partner through collective impact.
Previously, Swanson started the IDEALS Institute within the Johns Hopkins School of Education where he also served as an Associate Research Professor, following a decade of faculty service with the Center for Technology in Education. Swanson is one of the original developers of Maryland EXCELS, early childhood workforce registries used in Tennessee and Alabama, and an author of numerous studies, articles, chapters, and other media related to early childhood, special education, and ecological systems policies, practices, and implementation.
Prior to his career in higher education, Swanson was the principal of the Connections Academy' National School and the Director of Professional Development with the same company; a central office administrator and special educator with Baltimore County Public Schools and the St. Elizabeth School. He holds a doctorate in Urban School Leadership and Special Education from Johns Hopkins with a Master of Science in Special Education from the same institution. His undergrad was completed at UMBC in English and secondary education with a concentration in journalism.
Nicole Rodriguez-Hernandez
Legislative & Budget Analyst
Office of the Montgomery County Council
Nicole Rodríguez-Hernández is a Legislative and Budget Analyst for the Montgomery County Council. Over her five-year tenure, she has managed a portfolio including Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery College, and the Department of Health and Human Services (Children, Youth, and Families, and Behavioral Health and Crisis Services), among other key departments and programs. Her expertise in local policy and budgeting spans the intersections of education and the health and well-being for the County’s students and their families, with a particular focus on early care and education.
Rodríguez-Hernández is an appointed member of Montgomery County’s Early Care and Education Coordinating Entity—the Children’s Opportunity Alliance Board of Directors. She also serves as a Council representative for the County Executive’s Early Care and Education Initiative, the local Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Governance group, and the Montgomery Moving Forward Leadership and Expert Policy groups (early care and education workforce).
Prior to her current role, Rodríguez-Hernández served as a Legislative Aide for former Councilmember Craig Rice, Chair of the Council’s Education & Culture Committee, and as an Office of Response and Recovery Financial Management Branch Formulation Portfolio Manager for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). She holds an Honors Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy with minors in Organizational and Community Leadership and Urban Education from the University of Delaware, and a Master of Public Policy degree with a concentration in education policy from the University of Maryland.
Laura Jahromi
Manager, Strategic Initiatives
Children’s Opportunity Alliance Representative
Laura Jahromi brings her extensive on-the-ground experience coordinating and supporting community change efforts to her role managing strategic initiatives for the Alliance. Laura spearheads all aspects of systems change strategy – including the development and implementation of key initiatives, stakeholder engagement and facilitation, research, evaluation, and advocacy.
Previously, Laura played a project and operations management role for the Big Picture Approach Consulting team at the Forum for Youth Investment, where she helped leadership groups around the country build broader partnerships, set bigger goals, and implement bolder strategies in the interest of improving outcomes for young people. Before working on the national level, Laura helped to launch both Baltimore’s Promise, a cradle-to-career collective impact effort, and Public Allies Maryland, an AmeriCorps program focused on leadership and workforce development for Opportunity Youth. Through these roles, Laura gained experience in applying national best practices when creating new programs, services, and change efforts within a local community context. Laura also served as an AmeriCorps VISTA and has continued to support and advocate for AmeriCorps programs.
Laura holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services from Villanova University. Laura and her husband are raising two young boys in Montgomery County and spend time going on new adventures, doing crafts, and building community.