READ MORE ABOUT KANDACE +

Kandace Thomas, MPP, PhD is a nationally recognized leader in Child Development, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, and collaborative efforts. She is the Executive Director of First 8 Memphis, the first place-based early care and education systems building organization in Tennessee.

Kandace is responsible for partnering with our Board of Directors, local government, philanthropists, and many other community stakeholders to implement Memphis and Shelby County’s early childhood plan by improving quality, increasing access and advocating for a well-funded aligned system. Under her leadership, Memphis and Shelby County were the first in the state to offer universal needs-based Pre-K, and Memphis and Shelby County released the first majority-Black community Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Landscape Assessment.

Kandace serves on the Core Leadership Team of the Early Success Coalition and ZERO TO THREE Board. Kandace is a frequent speaker on child development, diversity-informed practice, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, and systems building. She has a PhD in Child Development from Erikson Institute/Loyola University of Chicago, a Master’s of Public Policy degree from The University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy, and a BA from Wesleyan University.

READ MORE ABOUT HEATHER +

Heather is a dedicated advocate for early childhood education, bringing nearly a decade of experience to her role. As a proud Memphian, she is committed to fostering nurturing environments where young children can grow, explore, and develop a lifelong love of learning.

Heather holds a Bachelor's degree in Health Services Administration from the University of Memphis and a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education from Christian Brothers University. Her career has encompassed a variety of roles, such as teacher, content lead, instructional facilitator, instructional coach, and literacy coach, all focused on early childhood education. Heather is deeply passionate about enhancing the educational experiences of children in Memphis and is enthusiastic about leveraging her teaching and coaching skills to further the mission of First 8 Memphis.

In her free time, Heather enjoys traveling, dining out, beauty, and binge-watching her favorite TV shows. She is thrilled to be part of the First 8 Memphis team and contribute to the success of the Pre-K program and the children it serves.

READ MORE ABOUT HRANT +

Hrant is a recent graduatate of Christian Brothers University with a degree in Computer Science. Hrant applied to work at First 8 Memphis because our mission aligned with both his personal and professional values. He's lived in Memphis his whole life, and he wants to be able to make a difference in the community even if it's through a data-oriented medium.

READ MORE ABOUT JOHANNA +

Johanna believes that a strong early childhood experience sets the foundation for lifelong learning and success. After serving as a classroom teacher and instructional coach in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools English as a Second Language Department, Johanna sought out additional training as a Reading Specialist. Her professional and educational experiences made clear the importance of an aligned early childhood system in meeting the needs of all children and families. Johanna began working with the First 8 Memphis Pre-K program in 2021 and strives further our vision of a community in which every child has the resources to thrive.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Johanna moved to Memphis to join the Memphis Teacher Residency, through which she received a Masters of Education from Union University. Johanna received a B.S. in Secondary English from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Now a Memphian by choice, Johanna lives in the city with her husband and daughter.

READ MORE ABOUT LEAMBER +

A native of Nashville, TN LeAmber Hill moved to Memphis to attend the University of Memphis in 2005. After graduating from the University of Memphis, LeAmber began her career as a teacher counselor with Youth Villages, a non-profit organization serving at risk-youth. In 2016, LeAmber was able to receive her master’s degree at Capella University for Mental Health Counseling. Prior to her departure with Youth Villages, LeAmber worked in their corporate compliance department managing policies and procedures. She is married with two children.

READ MORE ABOUT MAURICA +

Prior to joining First 8 Memphis, Maurica Jackson has held various progressive corporate/manufacturing accounting and finance roles for various manufacturing/distribution for-profit companies in the Memphis Metropolitan area including Cargill Inc., KTG, USA and Nike. Originally from North Carolina, Maurica moved to Memphis to work for Cargill while also immersing herself into the Memphis community by volunteering with Feed the Needy and National Association for Black Accountants (NABA) Memphis. Maurica received a B.A. in Accountancy from Winston-Salem State University, a HBCU in North Carolina, and a MBA from Christian Brothers University.

READ MORE ABOUT VALENCIA +

Valencia's passion for early intervention and innovative early childhood development has driven her dedication to educating and inspiring others to advocate for progressive change over the past 18 years. Valencia's previous roles as a licensed teacher and district lead with a turnaround district have focused on creating projects that enhance quality early learning opportunities in high-priority areas and ongoing improvements to special education policies to best serve families. She brings a wealth of experience working as a liaison to build reciprocated partnerships between families, schools, and community stakeholders to be vigorous advocates aiming to achieve equity and enhance quality education opportunities for all.

Born and raised in Memphis, TN. Valencia is a devoted wife, mom of Dacoda & Mariah, and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

READ MORE ABOUT CORTNEY +

For over a decade, Cortney Thomas has made her imprint on the Memphis education landscape. As a graduate of the University of Memphis (Political Science, BA) and Brown University (Urban Education Policy, MA), Cortney believes that every child should have access to high-quality education and enrichment opportunities regardless of their socio-economic background.

As Senior Manager of Partnerships for First 8 Memphis, Cortney leads and convenes the F8M Leadership Council and collaborates with key partners, including elected officials, to promote and provide high-quality early childhood education for all children- prenatal through age eight in Memphis and Shelby County.

Before joining F8M, Cortney served as the Director of Student Affairs for Memphis Grizzlies Prep, where she notably co-authored the charter application for the Memphis Grizzlies Prep STEAM School for Girls - one of only three all girls charter schools in the state of Tennessee.

She is a dedicated wife and boy-mom, and a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

READ MORE ABOUT KENYONA +

Kenyona's dreams are her reality. A Memphis native, Kenyona received her bachelor’s in Public Relations from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Passionate about giving back to her community, following college, she returned to Memphis to further pursue her career and worked with clients such as NAMIC, Ampro Industries, Inc., Encounter Your Potential, and Howard University School of Divinity. Leading up to her role at First 8 Memphis, Kenyona used her spare time to substitute as a Pre-K teacher to gain knowledge on the early childhood learning system. She now uses her expertise and short-but-sweet teaching experience to turn F8M’s mission, vision, and dream into a reality. She is married with two fur babies, Ash and Astro.

READ MORE ABOUT KYNNEDY +

A native Memphian, Kynnedy obtained a Master’s in Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Memphis and a Bachelor's degree in Education with a minor in Africana Studies from Rhodes College. Shortly after beginning her career as an English as a Second Language (ESL) educator, Kynnedy became interested in the intersectionality between academic instructional practices and educational policies.

Kynnedy has various experiences ranging from public speaking to conducting quantitative and qualitative research. Before transitioning to this role, Kynnedy served as a P-12 Policy Fellow at The Education Trust – Tennessee, where she assessed new and existing policies, data, and research to inform and promote education justice in Tennessee. In her new role, Kynnedy will lead our advocacy efforts to further inform how we can best serve children in Shelby County.

READ MORE ABOUT BENNETT +

A proud Memphis native, Bennett holds a Bachelor of Arts in Health Equity with a minor in Mathematics from Rhodes College.

Excited to begin her professional career in the city she loves, Bennett is deeply committed to fostering early childhood development and believes in the transformative power of investing in young children and their families. Prior to joining the First 8 Memphis team, she interned at the Urban Child Institute, where she gained valuable experience and insight into the early childhood space in Memphis and Shelby County.

Outside of work, Bennett enjoys exploring new spots around Memphis, is a huge fan of the Grizzlies, and loves spending time listening to music, hiking, and sewing. In her role at First 8 Memphis, Bennett plays a key part in advancing early childhood initiatives through project management, research, and data analysis.

READ MORE ABOUT LADORA +

LaDora received a BA in psychology from the University of Memphis and began her career as a counselor with Youth Villages. She spent more than a decade in the corporate sector in various roles with Frito Lay, Inc (a division of PepsiCo). A native Memphian, LaDora’s love for the city of Memphis deepened through Nexus Leaders (c/o 2011). LaDora was well-positioned as a subject matter expert in her role as an HR and Sales Administrator, when she transitioned to the non-profit world in May 2016. LaDora has high regard for the unique ways collaboration and innovation support children and families, cradle to career. Supported with professional development through Seeding Success, LaDora received a designation of Certified Administrative Professional in May 2019. LaDora joined First 8 Memphis in August 2019 and feels favored to contribute to the good future of her hometown, starting with the youngest citizens.