# Jessica Klos Shapiro | Best in Government Affairs NY 2026

> For two decades, Jessica Klos Shapiro has been one of Albany's most persistent voices for New York's youngest children and the workforce that cares for them.

Canonical: https://www.uslege.ai/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/2026/jessica-klos-shapiro

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[Best in Government Affairs](/best-in-government-affairs)› [New York](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york)› [2026](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york#honorees)› [Association Advocates of the Year](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/association-advocates)› **Jessica Klos Shapiro**

USLege · Best in Government Affairs · New York

New York · 2026 Honoree

![Jessica Klos Shapiro, Senior Director of Policy and Community Education at Early Care & Learning Council — winner, Association Advocates of the Year, 2026 Best in Government Affairs New York](/assets/awards/ny-2026/jessica-klos-shapiro.jpg)

Category

[Association Advocates of the Year](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/association-advocates)

Organization

Early Care & Learning Council

Title

Senior Director of Policy and Community Education

[View LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-klos-shapiro-7a9a8311)

[01 · Association Advocates of the Year](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/association-advocates)

# Jessica Klos Shapiro

**Senior Director of Policy and Community Education**, Early Care & Learning Council

> She's one to watch!
> 
> one colleague

For two decades, Jessica Klos Shapiro has been one of Albany's most persistent voices for New York's youngest children and the workforce that cares for them. As Senior Director of Policy and Community Education at the Early Care & Learning Council, she builds the partnerships and drives the advocacy behind funding and legislation that shape the state's child care system — work that peers describe as unmatched in its expertise after more than 20 years in the field. As one colleague put it simply, "she's one to watch!"

Over the last several budget cycles, Klos Shapiro has helped push billions of dollars into New York's child care system, with a particular focus on sustaining and stabilizing the child care workforce. She was instrumental in securing funding for ECLC to administer the state's new child care substitute pool and in directing grant dollars toward provider workforce support and development — tangible wins that peers say she pursued relentlessly. Most recently, she helped lead ECLC's response to the state's move toward universal child care, continuing work that began by helping providers survive the pandemic.

Klos Shapiro also serves on numerous legislative and policy committees focused on children and youth and is a 2026 Early Childhood Policy Fellow at Bank Street College of Education — proof that even after 15+ years at ECLC, she's still building toward the next stage of impact for New York's families.

Same category

## More _Association Advocates of the Year_ honorees.

 [![](/assets/awards/ny-2026/therese-daly.jpg) **Therese Daly**United Way of New York State and 211 New York Inc.](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/2026/therese-daly)[![](/assets/awards/ny-2026/catherine-chen.jpg) **Catherine Chen**Asian American Federation ](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/2026/catherine-chen)[![](/assets/awards/ny-2026/kei-williams.jpg) **Kei Williams**NEW Pride Agenda ](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/2026/kei-williams)[![](/assets/awards/ny-2026/matt-nelligan.jpg) **Matt Nelligan**New Yorkers for Affordable Energy (NYAE) ](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/2026/matt-nelligan)[![](/assets/awards/ny-2026/ashley-stuart.jpg) **Ashley Stuart**New York Health Plan Association ](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/2026/ashley-stuart)[![](/assets/awards/ny-2026/caroline-bobick.jpg) **Caroline Bobick**New York State School Boards Association](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/2026/caroline-bobick)

[All New York honorees](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york#honorees) [Association Advocates of the Year](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/association-advocates) [The September 16 ceremony](/best-in-government-affairs/new-york/ceremony)

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