Title: Executive Director
Company: Colorado Department of Early Childhood
Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
Dr. Lisa R. Roy, Executive Director at Colorado Department of Early Childhood, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements, and leadership in early education.
With many years of experience in early childhood development and equity to her credit, Dr. Roy has excelled as the executive director of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood since 2022. She has been committed to advancing educational opportunities for all children in a number of notable positions in her field, including as a program officer at The Piton Foundation from 2004 to 2008, a senior associate at the Center for the Study of Social Policy from 2008 to 2010, the executive director of The Timothy and Bernadette Marquez Foundation from 2010 to 2014, and a consultant for Grantmakers for Education from 2015 to 2016. Prior to her present post, Dr. Roy served as the executive director of early education at Denver Public Schools between 2016 and 2019 and the director of program development at the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska between 2019 and 2022.
Dr. Roy embarked upon her professional path at the Community College of Aurora, Colorado, from which she earned an associate degree in 1992. She continued her studies with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and speech communications from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 1994 and a master’s degree in counseling education and psychology with an emphasis on school counseling from the University of Colorado with high honors in 1996. She ultimately concluded her studies at the University of Colorado at Denver in 2016, graduating with a Doctor of Education in leadership and educational equity with an emphasis on executive leadership. Dr. Roy has also pursued additional professional development opportunities, obtaining a graduate certificate in advanced writing from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2021 and a certification in executive education for senior executives in state and local government from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 2023.
Since 1994, Dr. Roy has been additionally active as a member of the board of directors for organizations such as the Colorado Office of Resource Referral, the Colorado Juvenile Firesetter Prevention Program, the Colorado Parent Information Resource Center, and New Beginnings Statewide Advocacy, among others. She has also been recruited as a partner with the Denver Preschool Program as well as to positions with the Children’s Colorado Board, the Mental Health Centers of Denver, and the Emily Griffith Foundation. Furthermore, she has found much success with her creative works including essays published in various reputable outlets such as “Submit, Ouch, Revise, Resubmit” in the Brevity Blog in 2021, “Summer of ’68: Crab Feast” in The Linden Review in 2021, and “Prairie Pioneer” in Essay Daily in 2022. Dr. Roy has likewise contributed numerous articles to Blackpast.org in addition to reviewing books and other scholarly works.
Throughout her career, Dr. Roy has been celebrated for her leadership and dedication to education. In 2023, she was recognized as the Alumni of the Year by the Graduate School of Education at the University of Colorado at Denver. Moreover, Dr. Roy has been presented with the Barbara Jordan Inspirational Award for Outstanding Leadership in 1995, the TRIO Aspired Achiever Award in 1998, the Living Portraits of African American Women in Philanthropy Award in 2012, and the Harmon Award for Early Childhood Mental Health in 2022.
Dr. Roy attributes her success to her family’s legacy of education and perseverance. She was greatly influenced by her great-grandfather, Prof. John W. Bruner, who was a superintendent of colored schools, as well as her great-grandmother and grandmother, who were also educators. Looking toward the future, Dr. Roy plans to retire in the coming years and intends to focus on genealogy and creative non-fiction writing, aiming to illuminate lesser-known historical narratives.
For more information, please visit:
Press Release
Colorado Department of Early Childhood
Harmon Award Press Release
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