Shaun McNally Departs from Alliance; Heads to Iraq

As the June meeting of the CT Early Childhood Alliance wound down, its executive director said he had an announcement to make.

“This will be my last meeting with you,” Shaun McNally said. For many of the group's members, it was the first time they were hearing this announcement and many were shocked to hear of the executive director's departure.

McNally was planning to go to Iraq to become a legal governance advisor with a USAID-funded Democracy and Governance Program to help establish an effective government. He left for Iraq on June 23, and thankfully, McNally has reported that much has changed since the last time he was in the country.

“I worked in Iraq in 2005, when things were very violent,” he said. “In my first week here in Baghdad, I've been struck by the dramatically reduced levels of violence, a trend that I hope will grow over time.”

McNally began as the Alliance's executive director in February 2008 after his position of chief of party and senior resident director for the Albanian program of the National Democratic Institute came to an end in December 2007. As he planned his trip back to the United States, McNally said he was looking for an opportunity in Connecticut to put his skills to work on behalf of an important public policy issue. The CT Early Childhood Alliance seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so.

“To show how small the world has become, my initial interview was conducted by VOIP [Voice Over Internet Protocol] phone while I was in Albania. My American interviewer was living in Moscow. All for a job in Hartford,” he said. “Kind of cool.”

With no legislative agenda before McNally arrived, the group met over the summer and crafted a list of shared principles and turned them into tangible legislative priorities and a strong framework for action.

“As a result, the organization has thus far been effective in shielding young children from the worst of budget cuts,” McNally said.

The first Advocacy Day, said McNally, in 2008, was poorly attended, but noted that this year's event saw over 400 adults and children converge on the Capitol to meet with legislators and help them understand the importance of investing in early childhood care and education.

“I want to emphasize – this transformation was member driven,” said McNally. “I was proud to be a small part of the effort.”

As the Alliance prepares to find a new executive director, McNally has some advice for his successor:

“Continue the process of promoting a strong coalition and seek ways to add value to being a part of the Alliance.”

“I believe the Alliance has become a respected and very effective voice for young children in Connecticut,” he said. “The strength of the Alliance is its members, standing together, and speaking out in one voice for young children. Sometimes unity is difficult and requires members to be willing to perhaps give a little of their own program desires for the greater good.”

“My time with the Alliance was a great experience,” said McNally. “I will be forever proud to associate myself with the dedication of the providers and parents who sacrifice so much so that Connecticut's young children have the best opportunity for a bright future. While I have left the Alliance for new work, I proudly count myself as a continuing member of the CT Early Childhood Alliance.”