McCormick Institute for Early Childhood

BY | February 8, 2017

Introducing our new Executive Director, Donna Jacobson

A woman is sitting at a desk in an office with her hands folded.

EMBODYING LEADERSHIP AND DEDICATION TO CHILDREN, DONNA HAS TAKEN THE LEAD AS OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

A dedicated and enthusiastic nonprofit professional, Donna has served for more than 20 years in the fields of child welfare and early learning. As a leader, she is extremely passionate about empowering staff, providing opportunities for growth, team building, and creating an atmosphere of support, trust, and mutual respect. She has a strong talent for establishing and strengthening systems, increasing staff and organizational performance, and managing day-to-day operations without losing sight of the “big picture.”



Donna’s values embody our vision for our Executive Director—an innovative, forward-thinking individual who provides vision and leadership for the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University. In her new role, which began January 9, Donna oversees the operations of the McCormick Center, including financial management, grant writing, fund development, and building public and board relations; identifies and recruits new talent as needed; oversees staff development activities to enhance organizational performance; nourishes existing partnerships and develops new opportunities; and maps a course of action to achieve the McCormick Center’s vision. Donna will work closely with Teri Talan, Michael W. Louis Chair and Senior Policy Advisor, to passionately and articulately espouse the mission of the McCormick Center and lead the way in driving and responding to external trends, issues, and forces that shape early childhood leadership.


Donna’s advocacy for children and social change began as a social worker in Illinois, working with at-risk children and families. She continued her career in California, at one of California’s oldest child welfare organization, where she emerged as a top strategic thinker and leader, with a clear voice and the ability to unite teams and surpass goals. In 2013, Donna was promoted to the top leadership position and became responsible for all aspects of the agency, including: program and revenue development, management of a $65M endowment, and oversight of operations in eight statewide offices, 125+ staff, and an operating budget of over $60M.


As President, Donna immediately infused social work ethics and values into early learning and education services while promoting best practices in programs and operations. She focused on expanding services to at-risk communities and strengthened the agency’s commitment to quality assurance and staff development. Within two years, under her careful guidance and leadership, two new offices opened and the agency budget increased over 10%. Ms. Jacobson’s most cherished accomplishments include creating a Best Practices and Outcomes Department and opening a Family Resource Center in East Oakland.


Please join us in welcoming and congratulating Donna. She can be reached at djacobson6@nl.edu.


About the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University:


At the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership, we empower individuals to build the leadership and management skills they need to create and sustain exemplary programs for young children. Through professional development, evaluation, research, and public awareness, we promote best practice in program administration. By working with states, professional organizations, and directly with early childhood practitioners, we raise the bar on program quality. Because, when it comes to early childhood education, leadership really does matter.

Founded in 1985, the McCormick Center builds on National Louis University’s 128-year history of accomplishments in the field of early childhood education. From its founding as a vital force in the kindergarten movement of the 1880’s, NLU has remained rooted in educational progressivism and dedicated to advocacy for children and social change. The McCormick Center is committed to these same ideals.

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The AI-Enabled Administrator: Reclaim Valuable Time

By Dr. Neal Green • February 8, 2026
Tools: Gemini Gems, NotebookLM, Perplexity Spaces Overview The evidence is clear that early childhood professionals' most significant challenge is a lack of time. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, when used strategically, can give administrators some of the time they desperately need, allowing them to focus more on their staff and the children and families in their care. This approach aligns with the foundational goal of strengthening leadership effectiveness and program impact (Abel, Talan, & Masterson, 2023). When I scan the AI landscape of available products and platforms, it becomes overwhelming. There are so many options that it is impossible to keep up with every new development. Focusing on a limited number of AI tools backed by organizations with strong infrastructure and fiscal stability is a wise place to start your AI journey. McCormick Institute for Early Childhood’s (MIEC’s) upcoming professional development sessions will focus on three AI tools. These include Gemini Gems, NotebookLM, and Perplexity Spaces. Think of Gemini Gems as your customized AI assistant that you "train" to follow your rules and meet your goals. Gemini Gems are the right tool to tackle Internal Operations . NotebookLM is perfect for creating Family Support resources that stick. NotebookLM is a powerful AI tool that uses only the documents or other resources you add to generate specific, focused output. Perplexity Spaces is a fantastic choice to address Marketing demands. Like many AI tools, you can toggle back and forth between open web searches and focused documents that are specific to your work. Gemini Gems: The “Specialist Teammate” Gemini Gems allow you to create templates you can use repeatedly for agendas, HR policies, and more. If you have used AI in the past, you know that writing an effective prompt takes time, and they can easily get "lost" if you use AI often. Gems removes that challenge and lets you save your most effective prompts without having to rewrite them every time you use Gemini. It is up to you to decide if you want to create several smaller Gems to tackle common challenges you face or create larger Gems that encompass large swaths of your work. For our purposes, we will focus our Gem work on Internal Operations, addressing Program Administration Scale (PAS) Item 9: Internal Communications (Talan & Bloom, 2011). Imagine using a Gem to turn messy staff meeting notes into professional minutes with clear action plans in minutes or less! NotebookLM: The "Walled Garden" NotebookLM is an excellent tool for Family Support for your center, addressing PAS Item 17: Family Support and Involvement (Talan & Bloom, 2011). After uploading documents and resources, such as your parent handbook or community referral lists, to your Notebook, you can create several resources that parents/guardians of your center students will love. Just a few of the impressive features available with NotebookLM include audio (podcast) summaries, video summaries, and reporting functions with templates or the option to create your own report with metrics that matter most to you. Perplexity Spaces: The "Research Librarian" Perplexity Spaces is a perfect AI partner for Marketing your early childhood education (ECE) program, addressing PAS Item 18: External Communications (Talan & Bloom, 2011). You can build your own centralized repository, with control over branding to ensure consistency and present a professional, current image. Adding specific instructions to your space eliminates the need to format documents constantly and saves valuable time. The consistency that a Perplexity Space offers in this regard allows you to upload messages that are the "voice” of your brand. Your marketing efforts are not only more aesthetically pleasing but also enable you to track trends at similar centers in your area, helping you assess the competition. Strategies for Success: Audit your Internal Communications: Identify one repetitive task, such as creating staff meeting agendas (PAS Item 9), and automate it with a Gemini Gem. Curate your Family Resources: Gather three to five existing documents to "feed" a NotebookLM project for more responsive family support (PAS Item 17). Standardize your Brand: Use a Perplexity Space to ensure all public relations tools project a consistent, professional image (PAS Item 18). Reflection Questions: Which administrative task takes the most time away from your interactions with staff and families? How might centralizing marketing materials (branding) impact the professional image to prospective families? Table 1: AI Tools for ECE Professionals
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