GCDC Association

Background

The GCDC was initially established as a club under the GEWA in 1973 with the goal of providing quality on-site childcare for the benefit of GSFC employees. In 1986, the club was incorporated as a non-profit corporation governed by a parent elected Board of Directors. In 2011, components of GCDC were transitioned to GEWA so that GCDC operations could better align with the goals and resources of GSFC. The membership and Board of Directors were reorganized into the NASA GCDC Association not only to accommodate this new organizational relationship with GSFC, but to maintain and further strengthen the critical role of parents in the relationship between GEWA, GSFC, and the Association.

Purpose

The general purpose of the NASA GCDC Association is to support the GCDC in all of its endeavors at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), located in Greenbelt, MD. The purpose of the Association is to:

  • Promote and enhance the education of GCDC students;
  • Promote open communication and cooperation between GCDC administration, GCDC parents, and the NASA GSFC Goddard Employees Welfare Association (GEWA);
  • Provide volunteer assistance to teachers and other staff members; and
  • Raise funds in support of the goals of the Association. Furthermore, the purpose of the Association Board of Directors is to provide support and advice to the GEWA Operations Manager in overseeing the GCDC.

Scope

The GCDC Board of Directors shall be responsible, among other duties, for the following:

  • Monitoring the proper running of GCDC on a monthly basis;
  • Ensure the proper administration of all GCDC policies, including financial, admissions, etc.
  • Preparing and recommending the proposed annual GCDC operating budget to the GEWA manager;
  • Reviewing the equipment needs of GCDC and recommending the purchase of new equipment within approved budgetary guidelines;
  • Supporting the GEWA Operations Manager when hiring a new Director is required;
  • Evaluating the performance of the GCDC Director and making a recommendation of the performance to the GEWA manager.

The Association shall not manage the operations of the GCDC or its staff.

Board Nominations for the 2024-2025 School Year

The GCDC Association’s Board of Directors is now accepting nominations for the 2024-2025 School Year. Please consider supporting our program by running for GCDC Association’s Board of Directors.

Both currently enrolled and wait-listed parents are eligible to serve on the board.
Positions up for election are Secretary and Members-At-Large (2 Positions).

Parents may self-nominate or nominate another parent on this page,  GCDC Board Nomination Form (gcdcnasa.org).

Nominations Due May 31 st

For more information, contact the GCDC Association’s Register, Christine Banks @  Ericka.C.Banks@nasa.gov

Board of Directors

Duties of the President (Appointed Civil Servant): The President shall be the chair of the GCDC Board of Directors and shall have the following responsibilities:

  • Preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors or appoint a chair in the event of his/her absence at a meeting;
  • Serve as the primary point of contact between the GEWA Operations Manager and the Board of Directors;
  • Responsible for calling all meetings of the Board of Directors, the General Membership meeting, and ad-hoc meetings as necessary;
  • All duties incident to the office of President and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him/her by the Board of Directors, the GEWA Operations Manager, or the office of the GSFC Director;
  • Shall serve a three-year term.

Duties of the Vice President (elected): The Vice President shall have such powers and duties as may from time to time be assigned to him/her by the President or the Board of Directors. The Vice President shall also preside over the Parent Association Committee (PAC) which holds regular meetings open to all GCDC members with the objectives of strengthening the GCDC community including providing workshops and speakers on parenting and child development. The PAC membership is open to all members of the Association.

Elected in odd-numbered calendar years and shall serve a two-year term.



Duties of the Facilities Representative (Appointed Civil Servant): The Facilities Representative shall have the following responsibilities:

  • Serve as the GCDC Building 90 Facilities Operations Manager (FOM) with all the responsibilities inherent in that position as defined by GSFC policy;
  • Serve as the liaison to GSFC facilities management;
  • Ensure all parties uphold agreements between GCDC/GSFC/GEWA;
  • Shall serve a three-year term.

Duties of the Education Representative (Appointed Civil Servant): The Education Representative shall have the following responsibilities:

  • Serve as the liaison to the GSFC Office of Education;
  • Seek opportunities to enhance the GCDC curriculum with GSFC resources;
  • Provide outreach to other NASA early childhood development centers;
  • Support the Director with GCDC partnerships with institutions of higher learning;
  • Support the Director with GCDC outreach to the GSFC community;
  • Shall serve a three-year term.

Duties of the Treasurer (Appointed Civil Servant): The Treasurer shall have charge of all funds, securities, receipts and disbursements of the Association, and shall be responsible for deposit of all monies, securities and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Association in such banks and depositories as shall be designated by the Board of Directors. He/She shall be responsible for:

  • Maintaining adequate financial accounts and records following generally accepted accounting practices;
  • Preparation and filing of all tax returns and audit/financial statements of the Association required by law;
  • Disbursing the funds of the Association as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, taking proper vouchers for such disbursement;
  • Reviewing the financial affairs of GCDC and reporting status to the GEWA Operations Manager;
  • Acting as the liaison between GCDC and the GSFC Chief Financial Office;
  • Coordinating the development of the GCDC Annual budget and review of the operating budgets;
  • The performance of all duties incident to the office of Treasurer and such other duties as may from time to time be assigned to him/her by the Board of Directors or the President;
  • Shall render to the Board of Directors and the members at the annual meeting of members an account of all his/her transactions as Treasurer and the financial condition of the Association;
  • Shall serve a three-year term.

Duties of the Secretary (elected): The Secretary shall:

  • Assist with communications and outreach (for example, fundraising activities notifications, volunteer solicitations, upcoming events annnouncements);
  • Act as secretary of all meetings of the Board of Directors, subcommittees and of the members as requested;
  • Preserve and organize documentation on a shared drive;
  • Keep and preserve the record of all votes and the minutes of all such meetings in permanent books and provide content to the GCDC webmaster. This content as a minimum must edit out sensitive information before the Minutes are posted to the website;
  • Have responsibility for the Articles of Incorporation, these Bylaws, and the books, records, and papers of the Association relating to its organization and management as an Association;
  • Give or cause to be given notice of all meetings of the members and all meetings of the Board of Directors, and he/she shall see that all other notices required to be given by the Association are duly presented and served, and shall, in general, perform all the duties incident to the office of Secretary and such other duties as may from time to time be assigned to him/her by the Board of Directors or the President;
  • Be elected in even-numbered calendar years and shall serve a two-year term.

Duties of the Registrar (elected): The Registrar shall be responsible for:

  • Oversight of the membership list and the GCDC waiting list according to the priorities as established in Section VII.A of these Bylaws;
  • Serving as the Association Board member of the Nominating Committee (see Section VII.G);
  • Sending or causing to be sent membership renewal notices for each school year;
  • Certifying a quorum at meetings of the membership; and
  • Ensuring that voting is conducted in accordance with processes outlined in Section B.6.

Elected in odd-numbered calendar years and shall serve a two-year term.


Duties of the Members-at-Large (elected): The Members-at-Large are required to attend meetings, interviews, and perform “other duties as assigned.” They have no signature authority. Member-at-large responsibilities may include:

  • Assisting with the Public Relations needs of the GCDC such as advertising when there are enrollment vacancies;
  • Assist with communications and outreach (for example, fundraising activities notifications, volunteer solicitations, upcoming events announcements);
  • Assisting with employee relations such as staff surveys;
  • Coordinating fundraising activities such as book fairs, fun run, and appreciation week (from concept to execution);
  • Providing or coordinating computer support(for example, updating software on iPads, transferring school picture from iPads, and escalating issues to an assigned IT contact).

Elected in every calendar year and shall serve a one-year term.

Parent Advisory Committee (PAC)

GCDC’s Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) is equivalent to what many may refer to as a school’s PTA. GCDC’s PAC is an excellent way to become involved in activities that support our school. To learn more about PAC, visit this page.