Devonya Govan-Hunt, Ph.D.

Dr. Govan-Hunt is a committed community advocate and education leader. After moving to Charlotte
from Ohio over ten years ago, she served as a site coordinator for the Dell Curry Foundation, a high
school challenge tutor for Communities In Schools, and assistant director for Wesley Child Development
Center. She then became a child development specialist with one of the lead resource and referral
agency in Charlotte. That is where she fostered her passion for improving early care and education
systems.
Dr. Govan-Hunt earned her PhD in Early Childhood Education at Walden University in 2011. She’s
presented her research at numerous educational forums, including: The National Smart Start
Conference, the National Afterschool Association, The National Association for the Education of
Young Children, and the National Black Child Development Association. Her research focuses on
cultural competency, addressing preschool to prison pipeline, mass incarceration, and race
matters.
Dr. Govan-Hunt holds numerous leadership positions including, the President and CEO of BCDI-
Carolinas, Founder and CEO of Govan-Hunt Staff Development , the President of the Mecklenburg
Child Care Association, Co-chair of READ Charlotte’s ‘Ready for School’ committee, President of the
Charlotte Bilingual Preschool Board of Directors, member of the Leading on Opportunity Council,
Chair Woman of the Community and Family Engagement Equity Committee for the Charlotte
Mecklenburg School Board of Education, member of the NC Think Babies Leadership Team, and
leader for the statewide policy group, Care and Learning Coalition also known as CandL. Hunt leads
BCDI-Carolinas as a statewide leader fighting to eliminate harsh and unfair disciplinary practices in
preschool. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, and music. She is the proud mother of two
young daughters: McKenzie and Madison.