Dr. Andrea Anderson, director of Lucy Brock Child Development Lab, was recognized as a Women of Action honoree by the Boone Chamber of Commerce at the Watauga Women in Leadership Gala in October.
The Watauga Women in Leadership is a group whose goal is to empower High Country women in business and leadership in all stages of their careers.
When asked what receiving this award meant to her, Anderson said, “It was affirming to know that there are others in the community who are supportive of Early Care and Education programming.”
“Others see the value of the work we are completing to support children and families,” she continued. “They see early education as a valuable and vital part of the educational process.”
Anderson began her career as an early educator in a Head Start program. For her, working with children at risk has been a guiding force in all that she does. She explored other avenues to serve children at risk by moving into a position with The Children’s Council - Watauga County’s Smart Start Partnership.
She is a three-time graduate of Appalachian State University, earning a B.S. in child development; an M.A. in child development, birth-kindergarten, and an Ed.D. in educational leadership. As part of her undergraduate experience, she was introduced to App State’s Lucy Brock Child Development Lab Program. During her graduate studies, she was employed with Wilkes County Schools as the assistant director of pre-k.
She has served as the director of Lucy Brock since 2011. As part of her leadership, she has increased the impact of access to pre-k classrooms through a partnership with Watauga County Schools. These three additional sites have also increased lab placement opportunities for students enrolled in the child development program at App State. Over the last nine years, she and her team have successfully been awarded grant funding of over one million dollars to operate the program.
In 2022, Anderson received the Reich College of Education’s Outstanding Leadership Award for her work. She is very proud to serve App State students, the High Country community, state agencies, and others across the country who see the power of early education.
Andrea Anderson
