City Colleges of Chicago

Veronica Herrero, chief of staff and strategy at City Colleges of Chicago, was recently selected to participate in the Early Childhood Leadership Academy (ECLA) Executive Fellows program at Erikson Institute, a leading graduate school in child development.

The ECLA is one of Erikson’s signature initiatives, providing local leaders with dynamic learning experiences to enhance their knowledge on early childhood science. The Executive Fellows program is designed to help decisionmakers examine how policies affect young children and families so they can enact more equitable decisions in their roles.

“At City Colleges, we not only provide childcare offerings in our child development labs, but many of our students are parents as well,” said Herrero. “I look forward to using this experience with Erikson Institute to learn more about how we can implement decisions that support both our youngest students and parent-students alike.”

Every year, a new cohort of local decisionmakers is selected to participate in the Executive Fellows program, which takes place over two multi-day learning sessions. Herrero will join Illinois leaders in the legislative, legal, educational, and governmental sectors, as well as other sectors connected to early childhood. Notable program alumni include U.S. Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García, Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, Truman College President Shawn L. Jackson, and many more.

To learn more about the Erikson Institute, visit www.erikson.edu.