It is with great enthusiasm that we are announcing Northwest Regional ESD’s next executive director of Early Learning: Johnna Timmes.

After a rigorous recruitment process, Johnna Timmes, our current executive director of Instructional Services, has been named to this significant leadership position. Starting July 1, Johnna will oversee Northwest Regional ESD’s Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education program, Child Care Resource and Referral, Northwest Early Learning Hub and Northwest Parenting Hub. By combining these four programs under one umbrella, our agency will be poised to provide a more holistic and coordinated early learning system serving the communities of Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook and Washington counties. 

Johnna has been preparing for this role since the day she first entered an early childhood special education classroom as an educational assistant in 1989. Johnna’s 29-year career as an early childhood educator, K-12 program coordinator and education systems administrator is extensive. In addition to her current role at Northwest Regional ESD, some of her most recent positions include director of operations, data and grant support at the Oregon Department of Education, adjunct professor at Portland State University, administrator of the Network for Quality Teaching and Learning, and two roles at Education Northwest—senior advisor/recreating secondary schools and equity associate. Other career highlights include:

• Managing a range of important grants and budgets from smaller projects of six million dollars to statewide programs of $34+ million, achieving excellent, equitable results. 
• Helping national organizations understand and implement the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, including the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and the American Association of Occupational Therapists (AOTA)
  • As part of this effort, was the first to partner with NASP to publish a directory of ethnically and linguistically diverse school psychologists to support families in the evaluation process for their children.
• Launching the first inclusive early learning classroom in the Skokie School District in the 1990s.

Not only are we impressed with Johnna’s accomplishments and her stellar work as the executive director of Instructional Services at NWRESD, but she was well-received in her final interview with a wide range of early learning staff. We heard overwhelming support for her hire, with comments like: “She is clearly a connected, experienced, practical, flexible, energetic, powerhouse of a candidate;” “I like the passion for early childhood education and value of our littlest citizens. The stated focus on relationship building, equity, and repair are most inspiring to me;” and “Johnna is my ideal candidate for the position, we would love to have her!” 

“I am beyond excited to be back in early childhood," says Johnna Timmes. It is truly my first love and allows me to continue the work I started at the beginning of my career to impact families and our students in ways I believe are truly unique in education.”

You can view a clip from Johnna’s interview with early learning staff to learn more about her.