Honoring 25 years of leadership in VT-HEC’s Early Childhood Programs
Manuela Fonseca retired after 25 years of exemplary service as director of VT-HEC’s Early Childhood Programs, effective December 31, 2025.
For more than 30 years, Manuela made significant contributions to the early education field as a teacher, instructor, administrator, and researcher. Her work has included serving as the Early Education Coordinator at the Vermont Agency of Education; Technical Assistance Specialist for Preschool Development Grants at Applied Engineering Management Corp, and most notably, as program director for VT-HEC – many years creating, developing, guiding, and teaching in VT-HEC’s Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education Licensing Programs. She steadily built these programs by forming an advisory committee, coordinating course development, recruiting instructors, teaching courses, and advising students.
Under Manuela’s leadership, VT-HEC’s Early Childhood licensing programs prepared over 400 early childhood educators and early childhood special educators. This work not only addressed an urgent need for dedicated and highly trained early childhood educators, but also positively impacted the lives of families and individuals in Vermont and beyond.
It would be difficult to measure the extent of the impact Manuela has had on the many current and future early childhood educators who went through her programs and she personally taught, guided and counseled through the years.
— Dennis Kane, Executive Director
Manuela’s accomplishments included successfully navigating Vermont’s Results Oriented Program Approval process, which established the VT-HEC programs as models of educational excellence, and guiding the development and implementation of a new initial licensing component, further strengthening program offerings and available pathways to early educator licensure in Vermont.
At its December 1, 2025 meeting, the VT-HEC Board of Directors formally recognized Manuela’s commitment, expertise, and lasting impact on VT-HEC and on the broader community it serves. The Board resolved to rename the VT-HEC Early Childhood Programs in her honor.
Moving forward, the programs will be known as the Manuela Fonseca Early Childhood Programs.
The Board, along with the leadership and staff of the entire VT-HEC, extends their deepest appreciation and gratitude to Manuela for her outstanding service and contributions made throughout her tenure. We wish Manuela a happy and fulfilling retirement.
Dennis Kane, Executive Director of VT-HEC, reflected on Manuela’s legacy:
It would be difficult to measure the extent of the impact Manuela has had on the many current and future early childhood educators who went through her programs and she personally taught, guided and counseled through the years. It is even more difficult to measure the impact all those early educators have had on young children, many of whom are now adults having their own children. Within our organization Manuela was a constant advocate for the accessibility of the programs and quality of courses and instructors. I could not be more pleased that the Board agreed to recognize her work and the far-reaching impact it has had. It is completely appropriate to rename the programs in her honor.