Arlington, VA (Jan. 15, 2025)—Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) today announces that Dr. Rajiv Suri and Kim McDougal have joined the organization’s board of directors, effective Jan. 1, 2025.
Dr. Rajiv Suri is a seasoned technology executive with over two decades of experience driving innovation and creating value across diverse industries. Rajiv currently leads a global team of data scientists and machine learning engineers at Hewlett Packard Inc. (HP) developing AI and machine learning products and platforms that improve employee and process efficiency, unlock insights, and drive impactful business outcomes. Prior to joining HP, Rajiv served as the Head of Card AI Strategy & Systems at Capital One, where he led teams transforming the credit card business with data and machine learning.
“I am honored to serve on the CCAoA board and look forward to helping develop solutions to the child care crisis,” said Dr. Rajiv Suri, Global Head of Enterprise AI and Machine Learning at HP Inc. “Today, too many families struggle to find affordable child care. Modernizing child care technology and systems is a necessary step towards a solution, and I’m delighted to apply my knowledge and experience to this challenge.”
Kim McDougal is senior vice president of social services at YMCA at San Diego County. She leads a team of over 350 full-time and 900 part-time staff to consistently deliver on contracts providing subsidized child care for families with low incomes, respite care for families with children with disabilities, support for quality child care, and connecting parents to child care. She has over 18 years of YMCA leadership experience and has served on statewide and local committees to enhance quality and access to child care including the California Alternative Payment Program Association (CAPPA), the California Resource & Referral Network, and the San Diego Regional Economic Development Council Foundation.
“For decades, Child Care Resource & Referral agencies (CCR&Rs) have helped communities ensure high-quality child care meets their unique needs. Today’s CCR&Rs are leading the way with innovations,” said Kim McDougal, Senior Vice President of Social Services, YMCA of San Diego County. “As a leader at a community-based CCR&R that is also a YMCA, I am so pleased to join the CCAoA board and apply best practices to support local child care systems, fee assistance programs, businesses, the military workforce, and more.”
As board members, Rajiv and Kim will provide strategic guidance to help CCAoA advance its mission of making America child care strong. Together with its on-the-ground network, CCAoA shapes policy and practice through actionable research. It builds system leadership to support child care professionals and programs in delivering high-quality care and assisting families in finding and affording the care they need. CCAoA partners with employers to prioritize child care for their workforce and foster economic growth. Additionally, it provides thought leadership and direct services to support military families. Finally, CCAoA drives policymakers toward sustainable solutions grounded in a real-world understanding of what works and what doesn’t.
CCAoA is deeply grateful to those leaders transitioning from the board: Stephanie Berglund, Chief Executive Officer, Thread; Renée Boynton-Jarrett, Pediatrician, Social Epidemiologist and Associate Professor, Boston University School of Medicine; and Terri Helms, Program Director, Child Care Aware of West Central Arkansas.
“We’re excited to welcome experts to our Board who bring valuable knowledge and experience to help guide Child Care Aware of America into 2025 and beyond,” said Susan Gale Perry, CEO of Child Care Aware of America. “Having a leader in technology modernization and a seasoned child care expert with deep experience in managing child care subsidies will help us better support our members, child care professionals, the military, and others.”
Determined by external nomination and election by the membership body, CCAoA’s board consists of Child Care Resource & Referral agencies (CCR&Rs), nonprofit organizations, government organizations and agencies, and for-profit corporations.
Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) is the only national organization that supports every part of the child care system. Together with an on-the-ground network of people doing the work in states and communities, we help America become child care strong by providing research that drives effective practice and policy, building strong child care programs and professionals, helping families find and afford quality child care, delivering thought leadership to the military and direct service to its families, and providing a real-world understanding of what works and what doesn’t to spur policymakers into action and help them build solutions. Everyone is stronger when we make America child care strong.