About us

The Arizona Early Education Funds Staff

Janita Gordon
Director, Arizona Early Education Funds

Over twenty years of organizational development and resource development experience in non profit and academic institutions. Responsible for raising over $80 million throughout an eighteen year career.

• Built an aggressive development and marketing team at Arizona State University's Ira A.Fulton School of Engineering to obtain its goal to fund-raise over $76 million within two years;
• Formed and managed the External Advisory Board of corporate and education leaders to establish the Arizona State K-12 Technology Plan;
• Create and implement strategic plan to solicit and secure major gifts of $10,000 and above;
• A well-established knowledge of early care and education issues via personal involvement with childcare and early childhood education.

University of Wisconsin- BS in Political Science and Public Administration

The Arizona Early Education Fund (AEEF) board approved the hiring of Dr. Eva Marie Shivers, Program Specialist Consultant to evaluate, review and help revise grantmaking priorities. Primarily through the funding and development of regional partnerships, AEEFs' grants were designed to establish an early care and education and health system . With the support of private and corporate philanthropy, grants from $25K to $100K helped communities build capacity, enhance local programmatic efforts, conduct community assessments and plan together in Arizona's 15 counties. Dr. Shivers will assist AEEF's staff and board in the evaluation of the work that has taken place and will help revise funding priorities to accommodate the vast needs of Arizona's young children and families.
Dr. Shivers' education background and related experience: University of California, Los Angeles, Psychological Studies in Education, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies: M.A. in psychological studies in education, June 2001; Ph.D. in psychological studies in education, December 2003; Howard University School of Law, Washington D.C., J.D. May 1995; Academic Merit Scholar; Arizona State University, B.A. in English Literature, magna cum laude, Dean's List.