Sharon Scott-Chandler

Sharon Scott-Chandler, vice president for Head Start and children’s services at Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD), was recently named the new chairperson of the state Early Education and Care Board by Gov. Deval Patrick.

“I am honored to be appointed by Governor Patrick to be part of the Commonwealth’s education leadership team,” said Scott-Chandler. “I know that if we collectively hold to the principles of high-quality early care and developmentally appropriate education by qualified teachers, we can together move closer to our goal of educating the whole child and nurturing every child.”

Scott-Chandler has been a part of the ABCD family for a number of years, and has headed Head Start for just over four years. From 1999 to 2003, she headed the ABCD Child Care Choices of Boston (CCCB) program, where she administered the state-funded voucher management system for Boston and four other cities and towns with an annual budget of more than $42 million sent to 1,400 center-based, family and informal child care providers, serving more than 11,000 families.

“We’re very proud of Sharon; it’s a great honor,” said ABCD President and CEO Robert Coard.

Prior to that, she served as an assistant attorney general for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the Executive Bureau of the Office of Attorney General Scott Harshbarger, where she advised, researched and developed policy on issues such as child care, education, welfare reform, diversity and urban health care.

Previous positions include director of legislative and intergovernmental policy in the Office of the Attorney General, as an associate at the Boston law firm Morrison, Mahoney & Miller, and as a legislative aide to U.S. Congressman Sidney R. Yates.

Scott-Chandler received her law degree from Northeastern University Law School and her bachelor’s degree in political science from Tufts University. She is a member of the board of directors for Project Hope, Northeastern School of Law Alumni Association and the Massachusetts Black Lawyers’ Association, among others.