Board of Directors.
Julie Phillips, M.Ed. – Central East CCR&R
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. It’s 28-member team works throughout 23 counties in East Central GA.
Julie earned a Bachelor of Family & Consumer Sciences from Georgia Southern and a Master of Education from Augusta University. Julie’s past experiences include child protective services and working with adults with developmental disabilities. She has also been an adjunct ECE instructor at Augusta Technical College.
Throughout her 25+ years, Julie has served on a variety of committees and boards that benefit children and families, serving as GACCRRA President from 2021-2024 and Vice-President from 2004-2021.
Julie is also the mother of two wonderful daughters.
Laura White
Laura White is the Director of Operations for the Child Care Resource and Referral division at Quality Care for Children, where she has spent more than 13 years supporting early childhood systems across Georgia.
With over 25 years in the field, her experience includes roles as an educator, coach, trainer, and leader, giving her a strong understanding of workforce and program needs statewide.
Laura collaborates with regional teams and partners to strengthen services, expand professional learning opportunities, and build sustainable supports for early childhood professionals. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Development from DePaul University and a master’s degree in Early Childhood Studies and is committed to advancing a strong, supported early childhood workforce.
Gloria A. Calhoun
Since 2006, Gloria A. Calhoun serves as Director of the Northwest Region for Quality Care for Children, where she supports early learning programs, workforce development, and community partnerships across Northwest Georgia.
She brings more than 25 years of experience in education, adult learning, and community outreach, including classroom teaching, professional development, and program administration.
Gloria actively serves on regional advisory and community boards supporting education and workforce initiatives, including early childhood and community partnership organizations. She is a lifelong learner, holding a BS in Sociology and English, Masters Degrees in Elementary Education and Educational Leadership and actively pursuing a doctoral degree.
Gloria is passionate about leading education initiatives in her local communities that support children and families from cradle to career.
Cindy Spann
Cindy serves as the Executive Director for Child Care Resource & Referral of Southwest Georgia at Albany State University.
She has proudly served her community for 35 years in the early care and learning field; 9 years directly working with children and families in a childcare setting and 26 years as part of the Georgia CCR&R system focused on supporting all ECE professionals across the SWGA region.
She has served in a variety of CCR&R roles from program management to area operations, and currently as Executive Director. Cindy earned a BS in Psychology and a MS in Organizational Leadership, both from Columbus State University.
Yasmeen Diggs
Yasmeen Diggs is the Director for the Northeast Region at Quality Care for Children (QCC), where she oversees Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) services across 26 counties.
With a strong background in coaching and professional development, Yasmeen has extensive experience supporting childcare programs through training, quality improvement initiatives, and relationship-based coaching.
Yasmeen earned her Bachelor’s degree in Child & Family Development from Georgia Southern University. She currently serves on the Georgia Preschool Association Board and previously served as a District Representative for the Georgia Association for the Education of Young Children (GAEYC), reflecting her ongoing commitment to advancing the early childhood education field in Georgia. In addition to her professional work, Yasmeen is a proud wife and mom of two, which further fuels her passion for ensuring all children have access to high-quality early learning experiences.
Melissa Cole
Melissa Cole is the Executive Director of Child Care Resource and Referral of Southeast Georgia at Savannah Technical College.
She oversees staff members that work remotely to provide coaching and professional development for child care programs in 40 counties throughout southeast Georgia.
Through her work, Melissa builds literacy initiatives to support families and caregivers of the birth to five population as they prepare for kindergarten. In addition, she addresses child care barriers for families to join the workforce with community partners. Melissa earned her BA in Political Science and Master’s in Early Childhood Education from Armstrong Atlantic State University. She held various early childhood positions before transitioning to higher education roles at Savannah Technical College in 2006.
Kristen Groover
Kristen Groover is the Director of the Central West Region at Quality Care for Children (QCC), where she oversees Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) services across 11 counties.
Kristen earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Auburn University and has worked in the non-profit sector serving children and families for over 11 years.
One of the highlights of Kristen’s career was presenting at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) conference in Anaheim, CA in 2024. Having worked at CCR&Rs in both Alabama and Georgia, Kristen has extensive experience in providing technical assistance, coaching, and training to early educators in the field.
Lisa Belliston
Lisa is the Senior Director of Research, Evaluation and Program Impact at Quality Care for Children (QCC), Child Care Resource and Referral Regions for North West, Central West, and North East.
In her 20+ years at QCC she has worked in a variety of roles; currently she supports the data analysis of coaching and training regionally and statewide and impact analysis of other programmatic efforts at QCC.
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) and on the board for the Southern Early Childhood Association (SECA) which supports 14 states in the South East.