About

The Greater Owensboro Partnership for Early Development seeks to live by our motto: “Develop a child, develop a life.” The Partnership was created in January 2022 as a community project to expand access to quality early childhood education in the Greater Owensboro region. Over the course of the next five years, the Partnership hopes to create significant impact on kindergarten readiness and reading at grade level. Like the state of Kentucky, only half of Daviess County’s children are ready for kindergarten. Barely one-third of our children are academically prepared for school. Our partnership seeks the cooperation of public and private organizations and individuals so that we “move the needle” on measures of development and academic achievement.

OK Go! 40 Days to Kindergarten is the Partnership’s first signature project to create awareness within the community about the importance of quality early learning, directly engaging parents and families in their work as their child’s first and most important teacher.

Thank you for joining us on this exciting journey!

Greater Owensboro Partnership for Early Development Members

  • Dr. Matthew Constant, Owensboro Public Schools
  • Matthew Robbins, Daviess County Public Schools
  • Dr. Scott Williams, Owensboro Community & Technical College
  • Dr. Stacy Edds-Ellis, Owensboro Community & Technical College
  • Pat Jones, Owensboro Community & Technical College
  • Amanda Epley, Owensboro Family YMCA
  • Erica Wade, The Center
  • Sherry Baber, Owensboro Public Schools (retired)
  • Chris Westerfield, Daviess County Public Schools
  • Candance Brake, Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce
  • Hannah Thurman, Daviess County Public Schools
  • Ashtin Warren, Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce
  • Brandon Harley, Audubon Area Community Services
  • Keith Cottoned, HL Neblett Center
  • Janet Land, Settle Memorial Preschool
  • Linda Wahl, Building Strong Families (retired)
  • DJ Johnson, KY State Representative
  • Suzanne Miles, KY State Representative
  • Clay Ford, EM Ford
  • Dr. Thomas Mitzel, Kentucky Wesleyan College
  • Fr. Larry Hostetter, Brescia University
  • Dr. Ashley Holland, Brescia University
  • Dr. Nick Brake, Western Kentucky University
  • Susan Montalvo-Gesser, Catholic Charities of Owensboro
  • Paula Yvency, United Way of Ohio Valley
  • Stephanie Bertram, United Way of Ohio Valley
  • Amy Silvert, Green River Area Community Foundation
  • Rosemary Conder, CASA of Ohio Valley (retired)
  • Candi Kamuf, Green River District Health Department
  • Keith Sanders, Hager Educational Foundation
  • Dave Boeyink, Public Life Foundation of Owensboro
  • Bruce Hager, Public Life Foundation of Owensboro
  • Joe Berry, Public Life Foundation of Owensboro
  • Debbie Zuerner, Owensboro Health