Holly Higgins
Office 202.862.9863
Mobile 410.419.1631
hhiggins@preknow.org

(Washington, DC) – Pre-K Now today announced that Kathy Patterson, former D.C. Council member, will serve as the organization's federal policy director in support of its efforts to ensure that high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten is an opportunity available to three and four year olds across the country.

"We are thrilled with the addition of Kathy to our team," said Libby Doggett, executive director of Pre-K Now. "Not only is she a remarkably talented and well-respected public servant, Kathy is also a dynamic advocate on behalf of school reform and quality public education."

Well known for her leadership on various D.C. Council committees over the past 12 years, Ms. Patterson was most recently instrumental in gaining passage of legislation to fund major renovation of the D.C. Public Schools. In the process, she also fought to provide incentives for public schools to recruit and retain quality teachers.

Ms. Patterson first ran for political office as a public school activist in 1994, unseating a 2-term incumbent. Her bold leadership made her a key player in the city's financial recovery, after which she went on to chair the Committee on Government Operations, the Committee on the Judiciary, and during her last two years on the Council, the Committee on Education, Libraries and Recreation.

Ms. Patterson came to Washington, D.C. from Kansas City, Missouri in 1977 to become a Washington correspondent for the Kansas City Star. A California native, she holds a degree in journalism from Northwestern University, and a master's in English from Georgetown University. She served as communications director for the American Public Welfare Association from 1986 through 1994, working with state and local public human service administrators on effective national policy to benefit low-income Americans.

At Pre-K Now, Ms. Patterson will focus her efforts on advancing the pre-k agenda on Capitol Hill and work closely with other national organizations to pursue shared goals associated with early childhood education.

Pre-K Now collaborates with state advocates and policymakers to lead a movement for high-quality pre-kindergarten for all three and four year olds. The following funders contribute to making this important work possible: The Pew Charitable Trusts, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, RGK Foundation, the Foundation for Child Development, CityBridge Foundation, PNC Financial Services Group, and the Schumann Fund for New Jersey.

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