Julie Phillips, President - Julie is the Executive Director of Leap Early Learning Partners, where she has served since 1998.  Leap is the Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) Agency operated by Augusta University, and it’s 28-member team works throughout 23 counties in East Central GA.   

 Julie earned a Bachelor of Family & Consumer Sciences from Georgia Southern University and a Master of Education from Augusta State University.  Prior to working with the CCR&R, Julie served as a Child Protective Services investigator with the Richmond County Department of Child & Family Services (DFCS) and the Director of a day habilitation program for adults with developmental disabilities. She has also worked as an adjunct instructor in the ECE Department at Augusta Technical College.

Throughout her 25+ years, Julie has served on a variety of committees and boards that benefit children and families. She served as GACCRRA President from 2021-2024 and Vice-President from 2004-2021. She currently serves as the Chair of the Augusta Technical College ECE Advisory Committee and their NAEYC accreditation advisor.  Additional roles have included Head Start Education Advisory Board, Georgia Association on Young Children Board, CDA Family Development Credential Advisor, United Way Impact Council, DFCS Welfare Reform Advisory Council, and Skills USA ECE Technical Chair.  She has presented at the Southern Conference for Children, Georgia Association for Young Children Conference, and Augusta Technical College Early Childhood Development Conference.  Julie is also the mother of two wonderful daughters.

Kathy Garrett, Vice-President - Kathy is the Director of the Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) Agency of North East Georgia in Athens under Quality Care for Children (QCC).  She has been with Quality Care for Children since 2010.  Prior to coming to QCC, she was the founding Director of a Child Care program and a Kindergarten teacher in Alabama.  Kathy has also worked with the Georgia Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Gwinnett County PTA, and served as the Director of Pre-School Ministries.

Kathy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Family and Child Development from Auburn University and a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Alabama where she completed graduate studies in Special Education.  She has also completed leadership training through the Women on the Edge Leadership program with the Inward Bound Center for Non-Profit Leadership.

Lisa Belliston, Treasurer - Lisa is the Director of Professional Development and Center Services at Quality Care for Children, Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) at Metro Atlanta.  Her department of 15 Specialists supports early  childhood and school age programs to become Quality Rated, Georgia's Quality Rating and Improvement System.  She serves as an anchor for her region on the School Age Environmental Rating Scale (SACERS-U) and serves as Subject Matter Expert for Efforts to Outcomes the software used to track technical assistance and training efforts for Quality Care for Children.

Lisa earned her Ph.D. in Child and Family Development from the University of Georgia and has previously served as the President of the Georgia Association for the Education of Young Children (GAEYC).

Gloria Calhoun, Secretary - Gloria is the Director of the Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) Agency of North West Georgia in Cartersville at Quality Care for Children (QCC).  Since 2004, she has held various roles in QCC including Inclusion Manager, Technical Assistance Specialist and has held the role of director since 2006.  Prior to joining QCC, she was Disability and Mental Health Education Coordinator for Tallatoona Head Start, taught pre-school, Kindergarten and developed a private afterschool program in Leeds, Alabama. She has also taught Georgia Pre-K, first and sixth grades in the Bartow County school system.  She is the founder of Harvesting Scholars Educational Consulting and also works as part-time faculty in the online Human Services Adult Degree program at Geneva College. 

Gloria holds a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology and English from Jacksonville State University, completed graduate studies in Elementary Teacher Education, a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership, an earned certificate in Diversity Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace from the Muma College of Business at the University of South Florida, and the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center. She is a certified PLC facilitator, a Georgia, level 3 state approved trainer. She serves on various local and state boards and committees that benefit children and families.

Melissa Cole - Melissa is the Executive Director of the Region 5 Child Care Resource and Referral of Southeast Georgia at Savannah Technical College. In 2001, Melissa earned her BA in Political Science from Armstrong Atlantic State University. She earned her M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education from the same university in 2005. Melissa's experience in direct care ranges from working in Georgia's lottery-funded Pre-K program to teaching in the elementary school setting. Her previous roles with the Savannah Technical College since 2006 have been ECE Adjunct Instructor TA/Training Team Lead, Operations Manager, and Assistant Director of Operations.

Currently, Melissa serves on the Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition, Savannah-Chatham Public School System ECE Committee, The BASIC Community Outreach Grant Committee, Savannah United ECE Committee and the Woodville-Thompkins/Savannah Technical College ECE Advisory Committee.

Cindy Spann- Executive Director of South West Region

Laura White- Director of Central West Region