Morgan has more than 20 years of experience working with community partners and state leaders to strengthen early childhood systems. She began her career as a toddler teacher and has served in leadership roles at Early Milestones Colorado and Virginia Early Childhood Foundation. Her work has included the design, launch, and oversight of several statewide initiatives, such as Colorado's LAUNCH Together, Virginia's Ready Regions, and Virginia's QRIS where she and Katie collaborated to re-design Virginia's standards. She holds a master’s degree in public administration with a focus on public-private partnerships.

Katie holds a Ph.D. in early childhood education with a focus on quality measurement and improvement. She received a Childcare Research Scholars grant from the federal Administration for Children & Families, OPRE. She has spent more than a decade working with higher education and nonprofit partners including University of Virginia and Virginia Early Childhood Foundation. This work has included content creation for the Head Start Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center and collaboration with Morgan to re-design Virginia's QRIS to better meet the needs of early educators and the families they serve.