Ann J. Bowdish
Early Childhood Services Director
As the Early Childhood Services Director of Positive Education Program (PEP), Ann J. Bowdish provides primary administration and supervision for the agency’s continuum of early childhood services including Early Childhood Centers (ECCs) and Day Care Plus.
Ms. Bowdish’s tenure with PEP spans 35 years, and during that time, she has been instrumental in the development and implementation of the agency’s early childhood services. She has a passion for working with children during the early years and an unwavering commitment to providing services that honor family-centered practices. It is her personal philosophy that children are best helped by enhancing their parents’ sense of confidence and competency in their parenting skills.
Ms. Bowdish joined PEP as an intern school psychologist after teaching mathematics in the South Euclid-Lyndhurst School District. At PEP, she has worked as a program consultant, program coordinator for the ECCs (then the Early Intervention Center), and assistant director. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education and both a master’s degree and educational specialist degree in school psychology from Kent State University.
Recently, Ms. Bowdish was elected by her peers to serve on the Public Policy Partners Advisory Committee of Voices for Ohio’s Children. She is actively involved in numerous state and local collaborative groups and she is involved in both the Advisory Council and the Preschool Network of the State Support Team Region 3. Ms. Bowdish is active with The Junior League of Cleveland.
An expert on early childhood education and mental health, Ms. Bowdish has presented to local, state and national audiences. She is a member of the Council for Exceptional Children and their Division of Early Childhood; the Cleveland Association of School Psychologists; the national, state, and local Association for the Education of Young Children; and the Ohio Association for Infant Mental Health.