Joan Lombardi

Joan Lombardi, Ph.D., is an expert in early childhood development and social policy, with more than five decades of experience advancing the well-being of young children and families in the United States and internationally. Lombardi serves as principal advisor and adjunct professor at the Stanford Center on Early Childhood at Stanford University's Graduate School of Education, and as a senior scholar and adjunct professor at the Thrive Center for Children, Families and Communities at Georgetown University. She is also co-founder and senior advisor of the Collaborative on Global Children's Issues at Georgetown.

Lombardi has held key government positions across multiple presidential administrations. She served as the first deputy assistant secretary for early childhood development in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and previously held the role of deputy assistant secretary for policy and external affairs in the Administration for Children and Families. Lombardi was the first commissioner of the Child Care Bureau, contributing to the development of child care and early education policy at the federal level.

In addition to her government service, Lombardi is the founding director of the Early Opportunities Initiative, an advisory service to philanthropy focused on young children, families, and communities. She founded Global Leaders for Young Children with the World Forum Foundation, a program supporting leadership development and mentoring for emerging leaders from dozens of countries. Lombardi also served as the founding chair of the Birth to Five Policy Alliance, now known as the Alliance for Early Success. Her publications include the book "Time to Care: Redesigning Child Care to Promote Education, Support Families and Build Communities" and the co-edited volume "Beacon of Hope: The Promise of Early Head Start for America's Youngest Children."

Lombardi serves on the governing boards of the National Black Child Development Institute and the Global Fund for Children, and is a member of the executive leadership council of the global Early Childhood Development Action Network. She advises philanthropic organizations including the Buffett Early Childhood Fund and the Bainum Family Foundation. Lombardi's work emphasizes equity, community-driven solutions, and the science of nurturing care, providing policy expertise and global perspective to audiences in early childhood education, philanthropy, and community leadership.