Kathleen Alessandro serves as the Executive Director of Everybody Ready, a non-profit that supports the development and maintenance of an equitable, accessible early
childhood system in Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan. She has managed several non-profits ranging from early care centers to workforce development organizations.
She has consulted and spoken nationally about work-life “balance” in an ever-changing economy, Kathleen served as subject matter expert for the NBC White Paper, American Works
When America Works, and presented at the G-7 Economic Conference. She also served
as President of the National Association of Women Business Owners of Greater Detroit. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Marygrove College inDetroit. While Kathleen does not share an early childhood educational background, she uses her 40+ years of non-profit management experience and contacts to bring the critical issues of early childhood in front of the business community, faith communities, K-12 learning communities, elected officials, and the general public. She often refers to early childhood as “the first step in workforce development” – to focus attention on the importance of equitable and accessible early childhood resources. She has extensive experience with fostering partnerships on the ground, creating literacy-rich environments in her community. She has managed partnerships with local laundromats, libraries, WIC offices, places of worship, early childhood education sites, colleges/universities, public housing, health providers, and other organizations and businesses to create early learning opportunities in everyday spaces. Her team focuses on connecting “life points” (families) with “touchpoints” (community locations). To this end, ER’s Great Start program has engaged over 3500 families through local partnerships and by transforming everyday spaces. The Great Start Team is also leading a foundation-funded demonstration program with early care scholarships for working families and also training providers and parents in best utilizing ASQ developmental screenings. Kathleen takes every personal and professional opportunity to elevate early literacy and early childhood system development to the forefront of public policy, community action, and family kitchen tables.