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Early childhood program directors carry enormous responsibility. They shape the culture of a program, support the growth of staff, partner with families, and ensure children experience high‑quality care and learning. Yet many directors step into the role without a clear roadmap for navigating its complexity.
The Intentional Director is that roadmap.
Drawing on more than sixty years of combined experience, Angel Stoddard and Pam Boulton offer a practical, grounding framework that brings together leadership, management, relationships, and reflection. With honesty and encouragement, they illuminate what directors need most to build thriving programs for children, families, and staff.
Inside, you’ll find tools and insights to help you:
- Strengthen the essential dispositions of purposeful, emotionally centered leadership
- Build sustainable business practices without losing sight of mission
- Deepen quality through relationship-based programming
- Understand the difference between excellence and perfection—and why it matters
- Reflect on your growth with self-assessments, prompts, and real-world vignettes
Whether you're new to leadership or seeking deeper alignment in your practice, The Intentional Director supports you in leading with confidence and clarity—so your entire community can thrive.
The Intentional Director is a thoughtful, generous, and much-needed guide for anyone leading an early childhood organization. With honesty, care, and deep respect for the complexity of the director role, the authors illuminate both the joys and the real challenges of leading well—and doing so with intention and grace. The Intentional Director is a gift to our field, and a standing ovation is well deserved.
—Karen Foster-Jorgensen, author of It’s More About Strategy Than Math: Childcare Business Financial Success
What a contribution these wise women authors have added to our professional literature for program administrators! Whether you are a new or seasoned early childhood program director, this book boldly challenges and systematically guides you to consider your legacy. With their belief that leadership is a service—not just what you do, but how you show up—you’ll discover that with intentional ways of working and being, you are shaping a story to live into as we all work to heal a troubled world.
—Margie Carter, co-author, The Visionary Director, a Handbook for Dreaming, Organizing and Improvising in Your Center; co-founder, The Reimagining Our Work (ROW) Initiative
Pam and Angel truly understand the delicate balance directors hold every day—between people and systems, vision and logistics, care and accountability, and the very real tensions that live within those spaces. The Intentional Director feels like sitting in a reflective conversation with trusted mentors who invite you to slow down, ask meaningful questions, and lead with both heart and integrity. Their emphasis on relationships, curiosity, and reflective practice makes this book not just a professional resource, but a companion for the ongoing journey of leadership in early learning and care.
—Jacqueline Ewonus, Program Director, SFU Childcare
Pam Boulton, EdD, is Child Care Director Emeritus after her 40-year tenure as the Director of the UW–Milwaukee Children’s Center. She participated in the development and teaching of the Administrator, Leadership and Program Development Credentials in Wisconsin—a 42-credit series specifically for child care directors and administrators and those who support them. She has served as the coordinator for the Exchange Leadership Initiative for Exchange Magazine, is a member of the leadership team for the Exchange ROW (Reimagining Our Work) Initiative, is actively engaged with the World Forum Foundation Working Group on Children’s Rights and has been involved in the Wisconsin Nature Action Collaborative for Children.
Introduction. Where the Journey Begins
Part 1. WHO YOU ARE
Chapter 1. Keystone to Excellence
Purpose and Intention
You Are the Keystone
A Commitment to Excellence
The Distinction Between Excellence and Perfection
An Awesome Responsibility
It’s All About Relationships
A Strengths-Based Approach
Chapter 2. The Essential Dispositions
Professionalism
Determining the Essential Dispositions
The Fourteen Essential Dispositions
Part 2. WHAT YOU DO
Chapter 3. You Are Both a Manager and a Leader
Lead and Manage with Intention
Leaders Need Followers
Multiple Right Answers
The Director’s Impact on Culture and Climate
Chapter 4. The Essentials for a Thriving Business
Understanding the Big Picture
The Seven Essentials for a Thriving Business
Chapter 5. The Essentials for Program Excellence
Pedagogical Leadership
The Seven Essentials for Program Excellence
Chapter 6. Before We Say Goodbye