Vanessa Rich, 1951 - 2015 - Printer Friendly

01/08/2016

Vanessa Rich, 1951 - 2015

All children need a laptop. Not a computer, but a human laptop. Moms, Dads, Grannies and Grandpas, Aunts, Uncles - someone to hold them, read to them, teach them. Loved ones who will embrace them and pass on the experience, rituals and knowledge of a hundred previous generations. Loved ones who will pass to the next generation their expectations of them, their hopes, and their dreams.
Colin Powell, first black U.S. Secretary of State, 1937 - 2021

Vanessa Ann Rich, City of Chicago Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Family and Support Services, died on Sunday, December 27, 2015. The National Head Start Association's tribute to Vanessa observed (in part):

"Vanessa engaged herself completely in everything she cared about. That she cared so much for Head Start meant that the millions of children and families she touched had a unique opportunity for success in life. Vanessa was a brilliant and formidable leader, a fearless advocate, and a kind, devoted friend. Born on October 30, 1951 in Monmouth, Illinois, Vanessa served as a teen volunteer intern for the newly created Head Start program in the summer of 1965, a transformative experience that set the course for her life's work. Throughout a career spanning more than 40 years, Vanessa remained a remarkable early learning advocate – embracing and pursuing professional opportunities that would fuel her passion to expand opportunity for vulnerable children and families....

"Vanessa once said, 'In Head Start, we don't just stand on the porch, we come all the way into the house.' That is how she lived: all the way in. Her fervent belief in the value of quality early learning — and the bold, deliberate, determination with which she pursued that conviction — will continue inspiring and fortifying the entire Head Start community."

Vanessa was always a fervent supporter of Exchange -- she was always among the first to try out our new resources. I remember her incredibly optimistic and joyous attitude, and her wonderful sense of humor.

NHSA is planning a "National Celebration of Vanessa's Life" on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2016.

Learning Naturally - Inspirational Online Learning (www.learningnaturally.org)

Softerware, Make Managing Your Childcare Center Easier.

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