Cay leads TQEE’s employer child care solutions consulting practice, part of the organization’s TN Business + Family Forum initiative. One of the nation’s foremost experts in employer-sponsored child care, she brings more than 30 years of experience spanning the full spectrum of the field — teaching, center operations, business development, client relations, and senior-level consulting — built through direct, hands-on work with both employers and providers.
Cay began her career as a preschool teacher, then worked with a Child Care Resource and Referral agency helping the business community and families connect to child care options. She spent the bulk of her career at Bright Horizons supporting employers across most industries, from rural manufacturers to Fortune 500 companies, explore, evaluate, and establish child care solutions for their people. Most recently, Cay founded Collective Care Benefits, where she brings independent, data-driven child care benefits consulting to organizations of all sizes and sectors.
As “fractional” VP for TQEE, Cay gives Tennessee employers what they need to build a confident business case for child care, backed by sound financial modeling and a real understanding of their workforce.
Underneath the strategy, Cay is deeply passionate about the teachers and caregivers doing this work every day, believing that supporting the people closest to children is the heart of the solution. She holds a B.S. in Child and Family Studies from Virginia Tech. Her favorite children’s book is Stone Soup, because it reminds us of the impact each of us has when we share with our community.re with our community.
