Melissa Newkirk, M.Ed., associate director of the ECIC, is the project coordinator for the Missouri Quality Assurance Report. She has been a leader in developing and implementing quality rating initiatives in Missouri since their inception more than 20 years ago. She has extensive experience using various assessment tools to evaluate early childhood programs, from child outcomes to classroom environments, teacher-child interactions and program administration. As a former early childhood coach, she believes in supporting teachers through meaningful coaching to provide the highest quality early learning experiences for Missouri’s youngest citizens.

As a leader, she brings an inclusive team dynamic where all members have a voice and choice in developing systems. She has a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University in Family Life and Community Services and a master’s in Early Childhood Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She manages a busy household in her free time with her husband, Brett, three lively middle-school and elementary-aged children, and too many pets to count. She enjoys reading, watching historical dramas and working on puzzles.