Kim Davenport is the CEO of Edward Street, an early education advocacy and policy organization dedicated to improving the quality and impact of early education and care in Central MA. She has over 30 years of experience in early education and nonprofit management, previously serving as Edward Street’s Vice President of Initiatives & Aligned Programs, where she led citywide birth-to-3rd-grade alignment efforts and helped secure state funding for preschool planning, Covid recovery, and special education supports.

Before joining Edward Street, Kim was Chief Program Officer at Jumpstart for Young Children, where she developed a national early education curriculum and launched the Pearson Teacher Fellowship to prepare early childhood educators.

Kim chairs the Together for Kids Coalition, represents Central MA on state advisory groups, and serves on multiple local boards, including the Worcester Education Collaborative and the Worcester Education Equity Roundtable. She is an adjunct faculty member at Fitchburg State University, Worcester State University, and Quinsigamond Community College.

A graduate of Leadership Worcester, Kim holds an M.A. in Child Development from Tufts University and a B.A. from Villanova University.

Tempe Staples (she/her) is the Research and Evaluation Coordinator for the Coalition for a Healthy Greater Worcester, and oversees the monitoring and evaluation processes for the Greater Worcester Community Health Improvement Plan (check it out here!)

Tempe is a life-long Massachusetts resident, and holds her Master of Health Science in Global & Community Health from Clark University, where she worked on a range of community-based research projects, including community needs assessments and policy solutions for early childhood education and care, teen parenting, and restorative justice. Prior, Tempe earned her Bachelor of the Arts in Global Studies, Geography, and Community Health from Hofstra University. There, she served as a Health Leads Advocate at Nassau University Medical Center assisting new parents with their WIC applications. 

Tempe's publications represent the nexus of social policy and health outcomes. Her 2016 human geography thesis and map "Paid Family Leave & Maternal Mental Health" earned honors and was presented at the American Association of Geographers. Her 2020 article "Understanding stakeholder positionalities and relationships to reimagine asylum at the US-Mexico border: Observations from McAllen, TX" was published in the Journal of Human Geography.  Most recently in the spring of 2025, she lead the authorship of the article  "The Use of Trusted Messengers to Conduct Qualitative Research: A Community Health Improvement Plan Case Study in Worcester, MA" in the Journal of Health Promotion.

Having experience with community engagement, trust-building, and data-driven storytelling, Tempe endeavors to keep her work human-centered and equity-focused.

 Chris O’Keeffe is a seasoned nonprofit leader with extensive experience in program development, grant-making, and nonprofit evaluation. As the retired Vice President for Program at the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, Chris managed several key initiatives, including the establishment of GWCF's Early Childhood Initiative and TFKC. His career includes a 20-year tenure at the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, where he contributed to developing strategies that improved nonprofit performance and increased their impact within communities.

He has also served as a trustee of the Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School (AMSA) and is a past president of the Marlborough Community Development Corporation and the  STEM Soaring Eagles Foundation.

Elyzabeth Frontaan is a public health advocate, behavioral health communicator, and community organizer with over 15 years of experience advancing health equity, educating and promoting healthcare access. She is a Community Relations Representative at Carelon Behavioral Health, for the Central Massachusetts outreach team for the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Helpline. Elyzabeth is also a published award-winning writer and speaker whose work has been featured in national health advocacy projects and public health forums. She is an active member of several statewide coalitions focused on autism, child wellness, and public health equity. As well as a parent and the founder of Follow the A.R.LO an educational project aiming to support parents of children will disabilities,  maternal health advocacy, and mental health educational services.