Rhian Evans Allvin serves as the chief executive officer of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), a position she has held since August 2013. NAEYC is the largest national professional association for early childhood educators. Its mission is to promote high-quality early learning for all children, birth through age 8, by connecting practice, policy, and research. NAEYC advances a diverse and dynamic early childhood profession and supports all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children.
Before joining NAEYC, Evans Allvin was a guiding force in Arizona’s early childhood movement for more than 15 years. Earlier experiences also helped prepare Rhian for her role at NAEYC. She was a founding partner in the Brecon Group, specializing in public policy, philanthropy, and community engagement and a senior advancement officer at the Arizona Community Foundation. Additionally, she served in leadership roles with Libraries for the Future, a national nonprofit promoting the important role of public libraries in American life, and Children’s Action Alliance, Arizona’s state-based child advocacy organization.
Rhian Evans Allvin holds a bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University and a master’s degree in business administration from Arizona State University. She has earned widespread recognition for her work on behalf of children, including being inducted into the Northern Arizona University College of Education Hall of Fame in 2016 and receiving the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center’s Excellence in Early Education Award in 2015, the Southern Arizona AEYC’s Board Award in 2014, and the Junior League of Phoenix Valley’s Impact Award in 2011.
