This spring, Freeman’s era as a central figure in early childhood education is coming to an end. After the 2023 legislative session, she will step down as president and CEO of her Growing Up New Mexico. Kate Noble, vice president of policy and stakeholder engagement for the organization, will succeed her.

Freeman’s history as one of New Mexico’s early childhood education leaders began nearly 20 years ago. After pursuing a career in healthcare and behavioral health as a licensed independent social worker, Freeman moved to Santa Fe County in 2003. He became president and CEO of New He Mexico.

According to Freeman, under the banner of the United Way, the organization primarily funded various other organizations but did not focus on specific early childhood education. Shortly after, Freeman and Stacey Quinn, chairman of the board at the time and now honorary director of Growing Up New Mexico, decided the organization would take a different approach. Instead of spreading funds across a number of non-profit organizations, United Way dedicates all resources to early childhood efforts for children 5 and under.

“We no longer wanted to be charities. We wanted to be change agents,” Freeman said. “We wanted to invest money in community change that had a long-term impact and really made sense to the problem.”

The organization won’t officially change its name until 2021, but Quinn said Freeman has been enthusiastic about its singular mission ever since.

“She loves the kids in Santa Fe dearly and wants them all to have the best lives. That’s what got her up in the morning. That was her motivation. We “She never lost sight of it. She was mission-oriented, but in the best possible way,” Quinn said.

Freeman began building support for early childhood education in Santa Fe, and throughout New Mexico – building it “brick by brick.”

It started in one pre-kindergarten classroom at Agua Julia Elementary School. The organization is after requesting federal grants for early childhood infrastructure. After that, one pre-K classroom expanded to two classrooms. The organization then hired someone to run a small home-visiting program for new parents.

Around 2009, Growing Up New Mexico entered the policy world to support additional government resources for early childhood education. There, Freeman saw the role of her organization as a link between early childhood care providers and legislators.

“We have always viewed the role of our policy as not advocacy. [but] As an intermediary between all parties involved, where there is agreement and where issues can be moved forward,” Freeman said.

In 2015, Growing Up New Mexico transported a herd of 4-year-olds from the Pre-K classroom to the State Capitol and held a one-day class at the Roundhouse in support of passage of the Pre-K Act.

Today, Growing Up New Mexico provides preschool and child care for children ages 3 to 5 at Kaune’s Early Learning Center, perinatal home visit programs, multi-generational family support, and more. , in addition to its legislative advocacy efforts.

For Freeman, the program helps families feel supported as they raise their children in New Mexico.

“It needs villages, but many people don’t have villages, so we build villages,” she said.

Noble joined Freeman Village in 2018, signing contracts to travel the state and interviewing early childhood education providers. Her work has been inspiring, Noble said, which combined her previous career experience to help her focus on her “best subject”: early childhood education.

“I was bitten hard by that particular bug,” said Noble.

Noble, who also serves as president of the Santa Fe School Board, said he has been careful to avoid any potential or perceived conflicts of interest during his tenure with Growing Up New Mexico and the school board. Aside from refusing himself from a vote related to the Growing Up New Mexico lease currently signed on the building, he said the two roles never regularly clashed.

Rather, Noble sees involvement with the organization and the school board as a conflict of interest. Both roles involve similar systems, policies, subjects, and stakeholders, but the main difference is the age of the children involved.

However, Noble will not seek re-election as chairman of the board in 2023 and will concentrate on his new role.

She said she will continue the work that Freeman and others began years ago.

“I’m really in awe of what she’s done and what she’s built into the organization,” Noble said of Freeman. I’ve never met a person whose hearts are completely connected.”

Adding to decades of work specializing in the early childhood education sector, Noble will continue to ensure public policies are well-informed by the field experience of childcare providers across the state. The industry has long been under-resourced, largely due to systemic sexism, she said. You can continue your efforts to recognize.

“We have a unique position and a unique opportunity to grow stovepipes between first-hand experience with families and practical policies and practices while building an industry,” Noble said. “…we need a colossal evolution and an awareness of the incredible value and return on investment that early childhood can bring to economies, businesses, governments and societies.”

Danish said Freeman’s ability to hire knowledgeable people and her efforts to plan for her own retirement would serve the organization well.

“She has put together a really good succession plan for Growing Up New Mexico. …I think that is the sign of a true leader: someone who can build a good succession team that will take the reins.” ‘ said Denish.

Quinn, meanwhile, said Noble’s new perspective and familiarity with New Mexico’s policies will help the organization.

“As we grew at Growing Up New Mexico, it became very clear that organizations have lifecycles, just like we do,” says Quinn. “In this life cycle, it’s time to hand it over to the young, energetic people in the trenches right now.”

Freeman said she feels good about the change too. She’s ready to retire.

I’m not entirely sure what she will do in April when her departure becomes official, but she plans to stay in Santa Fe and participate in some advocacy work.

“Because service is mine, I’m going to do something about early childhood and other kinds of issues that are important to me.

Still, Freeman doesn’t stray far from Growing Up New Mexico. Her legacy gifts from the organization’s staff bring to life one of Freeman’s primary goals for Kaune’s early learning center. It is an outdoor learning space with experiential learning opportunities including vegetable gardens, pollinator-friendly flowerbeds, solar panels, water and plants. and garden creatures.

Freeman said the space will provide both students and parents with hope and education on environmental issues.

“We want this to be an oasis for the community,” Freeman said of the garden.

The outdoor learning space, where Growing Up New Mexico will be fundraising in the spring, will be a living tribute to Freeman’s efforts.