Kimberly Nelson,is the Executive Director of Early Childhood for Rockford Public Schools. A graduate of Northern Illinois University and St. Xavier University, she has a bachelor’s degree in Education with endorsements/approvals in early childhood, elementary, and special education and master’s degrees in Educational Leadership and Education and Teacher Leadership. Nelson supervises the district's early childhood program of more than 2,500 students ages 3 to 5 as well as a birth to 3 home visit program that serves 171 families. As a Barbara Bowman Leadership Fellow of Erikson Institute, Nelson adheres to the foundational principals of quality, access, and equity in all aspects of her work to ensure young children and their families can meet their greatest potential. Specifically, in the city of Rockford, Nelson has been able to apply the skills learned in her fellowship in Rockford’s Ready to Learn Movement whose mission is to inspire, align, and collaborate with families, children, partner organizations, neighbors, and employers so that every child in every family is ready to learn.