Candace Witherspoon is the current Acting Director for the Division of Child Development and Early Education. She has been with the Division since December of 2023. Candace comes to the Division from the Wake County Public School System where she most recently served as a Senior Director for Policy and Compliance in Special Education Services supporting children, families, and schools for the district, Prek-12. Candace holds Masters Degrees in Education for Curriculum and Instruction and Special Education. She has had a lengthy and distinguished career in special education spanning almost 20 years, including working with pre-k programs within public schools, early intervention for students of all ages and abilities, and a significant amount of experience working with parents, administrators, and teachers. She has worn several hats over her career including teacher assistant, teacher, school-level leader, district-level leader, mentor, and coach. Seeing first hand the impact and importance of quality early intervention and instruction for a child’s future learning and success, Candace is thrilled to join us in our journey to ensure children and families have access to quality early education learning experiences, and those running and supporting these programs have the resources necessary to make that happen.