George C. Philipp is the Director of the WestEd E3 Institute. He leads all aspects of E3’s initiatives, including advocacy, strategic planning, program administration, contract development, staff supervision, and technology development.
One of the institute’s major initiatives, Santa Clara County’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), has supported over 200 early education programs to improve the quality and impact of their work. E3’s other major initiative, the Quality Matters Stipend Program (QMSP), supports over 500 early educators annually to engage in professional development activities and improve their teaching practice.
Philipp’s leadership in California’s early education system has included contributing to the development of the state’s Early Care and Education Workforce Registry and Career Lattice, which help shape California’s professional development system for early educators. He serves on California’s Transforming the Workforce Birth to Age 8 Core Team and the Workforce Registry Advisory Board. Other leadership roles have included Commissioner of FIRST 5 Santa Clara County (2012–2017) and board member of Children’s Collabrium and of Action Alliance for Children.
A longtime advocate for the child development field, Philipp has worked in early education policy development for more than 20 years. Before joining WestEd, Philipp was a Program Services Administrator for First 5 Alameda County. He has also consulted for the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at University of California, Berkeley, and co-authored multiple reports on the challenges early educators face in their workplaces.
Philipp received a BA in Psychology from Roanoke College.