Rina Irwin, Chief Executive Officer at Child Development Centers, Inc. (CDC), recently received a nationwide recognition for her leadership.

At the 11th Annual What’s Right in Education Conference in Florida, Rina was presented with a 2022 Difference Maker Award by Studer Education. Since its inception in 2018, less than 10 leaders have received this national recognition and distinguished award.

“I’m honored to have received this incredible award from Studer Education and have the opportunity to showcase the work being done throughout our centers,” said Rina. “As we continue to grow and expand, CDC is proud to continue making a difference in the lives of the children and families that we serve.”

In her role as CEO, Rina oversees an organization that provides childcare and early childhood education to nearly 2,000 children across 14 centers in Venango, Crawford and Erie counties. This recognition comes after Irwin recently received the CEO of the Year Award for 2022 at the Nonprofit Excellence Awards, which is presented by the Nonprofit Partnership in Erie.

Guided by her leadership, the Asbury Child Development Center was also named the 2022 Erie’s Choice Awards Winner for preschool and childcare in Erie. These awards, which are presented by the Erie Times-News, allow people to nominate and vote for the organizations that they feel are most deserving and make an incredible impact on the Erie community.

Since Irwin stepped into the role of CEO, she has led CDC to double participation in both parent satisfaction and employee engagement surveys, which demonstrates her concern and commitment to actively listening and responding to her stakeholders.

Congratulations Rina!

This article was published in the Venango Chamber’s January 2023 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.