Kathleen Sullivan, MA, has over 35 years of experience within the Head Start community. She holds a Master's Degree in Child Development Language and Literacy from Tufts University's Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development, a Bachelor's Degree in Hispanic Studies from the University of Southern Maine and is a UCLA Anderson School of Management Head Start Fellow.
Ms. Sullivan currently serves as Vice President of Programs and Head Start/Early Head Start Director at Children First, Inc. in Sarasota County, Florida. In her role, she oversees the Head Start and Early Head Start education programs at multiple locations across the country. Children First provides high-quality early childhood education and family strengthening services to hundreds of children, ages birth to five, and their families each year. Children First is recognized as a National Head Start Association "Program of Excellence."
Before coming to Children First, Ms. Sullivan served as a Head Start teacher, Center Director, and Children's Services Manager in Maine, where she developed culturally and linguistically responsive programming for enrolled refugee families. Hailing from many different countries and cultures, more than 20 languages were spoken by the children and families in her program.
In her role as Vice President of Programs at Children First Inc. Ms. Sullivan has been instrumental in establishing transformative workforce development programming that supports the economic mobility of families the agency serves. She has also designed innovative and meaningful mental health programs that address the social and emotional well-being of children, families, and staff alike, fostering an agency-wide culture of wellness and care.
Through her active engagement and vision, she has become a recognized leader across Sarasota County, driving community-wide initiatives and serving as a trusted voice for early childhood best practices throughout the region.
In 2025, Sarasota Magazine presented Ms. Sullivan with its Unity Award, recognizing her leadership and commitment to fostering understanding and connection across diverse communities.
Ms. Sullivan is the author of three works on culturally responsive early childhood education which have garnered regional and national distribution. She is a frequent speaker at the local, state, and national level on child development. She serves on the Region IV Head Start Association Board of Directors representing eight Southeastern states. She also serves on the Early Learning Coalition of Sarasota County Board of Directors and was appointed by the Coalition to represent Sarasota County on the Florida Office of Early Learning's Racial Equity Task Force.
In 2024 Ms. Sullivan was honored by the Florida Head Start Association with the Aubrey Puckett Memorial Award for demonstrating passion for and commitment to serving through advocacy as both a current staff member and Head Start alumna. She subsequently received the award at both the Region IV Head Start Association and the National Head Start Association levels, representing more than 170,000 children, 40,000 staff, and 300 programs across the Southeastern United States, and more than one million children and families nationwide.
Ms. Sullivan and her husband of 42 years are the proud parents of three daughters; each of whom attended the Head Start program. The remarkable young women they raised - each brilliant, capable, and deeply passionate - stand as their greatest source of pride and inspiration.
Kathleen Sullivan, AG05