Michelle Kang

Michelle Kang is the Chief Executive Officer for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), a global association dedicated to promoting high-quality early learning for all children. In addition to providing a professional community for early educators, NAEYC provides guidance on high-quality early education and how support for early education benefits families, businesses, and communities. As a daughter of Korean immigrants, her leadership of the organization includes a focus on elevating the voices of the dedicated and passionate child care workforce, which is predominantly women and especially women of color. She became CEO after serving as NAEYC’s inaugural Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, where she helped guide the organization through the pandemic at a critical time for the child care sector. Kang joined NAEYC after a long tenure at Bright Horizons, an international provider of early education, most recently as Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Operational Strategy. She and her husband live in Maryland with their three children.