Monette Ferguson

Executive Director

Alliance for Community Empowerment

Dr. Monette Ferguson has worked in the non-profit sector for almost 20 years at Alliance for Community Empowerment (formally known as Action for Bridgeport Community Development Inc. (an urban community action agency). She was born and raised in the same community of Bridgeport, Connecticut, where she serves the most vulnerable community members with life changing resources. Monette began her non-profit leadership career as a Head Start family case-worker at this agency. She quickly advanced to directing the Early Learning division here. In this role Dr. Ferguson oversaw more than 300 staff members who provide quality school readiness, SEL experiences and comprehensive family resources to over 1000 families in Bridgeport and the surrounding area. She had worked in this role for almost 9 years.

Dr. Ferguson has grown her leadership development over the years in this position while writing grants, managing multi-million dollar budgets, and collaborating with community partners toward  the common goal of ensuring quality early childhood experiences for all children while assisting families with breaking the cycle of poverty. She has participated in several State Department workgroups assisting in defining “school readiness,” and creating standards for the Connecticut Early Childhood Teaching Credential. She is a past Connecticut representative for the New England Head Start Association and has been honored and travels locally and nationally as a strong advocate who fights for quality education for all in the early childhood space. She spearheads statewide work to end homelessness in early childhood populations and works tirelessly for equity in education.

Dr. Ferguson is currently the Executive Director of Alliance for Community Empowerment (formally known as Action for Bridgeport Community Development (ABCD Inc.) and holds Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Bridgeport.

She serves as Vice Chair on the Governor’s Workforce Council Equity and Access Committee, serves on the Board of Directors for Read to Grow and the Workplace. She is an advisor to the MPH program at Sacred Heart University and is Co-Chair on the Bridgeport Area Non-Profit Collaborative (BANC), she is a member of the Housatonic Community College CEO Advisory Council, and she is also a member of Senator Murphy’s City Council.