Paige Kepner
Owner, Executive Director    

My relationship with the Child Development Center at Wyndham is particularly special because I have grown up inside it's warm and inviting walls. My mother, Debbie Hungerford, established CDCW in 1995, and since our doors opened, I have always considered it a second home.

My sister, Lauren, and I grew up enjoying the classes, summer programs and after- school activities offered at the center. While attending Douglas Freeman High School, I worked at CDCW as an assistant teacher in the afternoons and eventually participated in Henrico County’s Teacher Intern Program at CDCW. I was fortunate to grow up right along with CDCW; it truly molded and shaped me into the person I am today. I knew after my first year at CDCW that I wanted to be a part of the early childhood education world. With those goals in mind, I received my bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Teacher Education at Virginia Tech. After graduation, I moved back to Richmond where I volunteered at an elementary school and taught in the Library program at CDCW. During that time, I fell in love with the endless possibilities of children’s literature, and decided to attend the University of Pittsburgh where I received my Master Degree in Library and Information Sciences, along with my K-12 certification as a School Library Media Specialist. After graduation, my husband and I moved to West Virginia where I had the privilege of working at Wheeling Country Day School. Several years later, I received an offer that was too good to refuse. My mother invited me to take the reins as preschool director to allow her to concentrate on the business side of the operation. My husband and I made the leap with both of us shifting careers, me to CDCW, and Alex to an entrepreneurial endeavor with Project Green, an organic lawn care company, and we’ve never looked back.

Today, our family legacy continues with my two sons who are students at the school; and as a parent I am humbled by the trust that our CDCW families place in us. It is a privilege to share the joy of learning with our students each day and I believe I speak for the entire staff when I say that we are blessed to be a part of this magical place.

Thank you for taking the time to learn my story, and it is my hope that someday I will learn yours.