John Noble sets an example of business advocacy

Fifteen years ago, architect John Noble didn’t expect to become an advocate for early childhood education. At the time, his firm, SHP Architects, asked him to become more involved in Northern Kentucky as part of a business development strategy. That’s when he found himself working on the design of two preschools and learning about the critical nature of the early years in terms of building the tools for a successful life, so he figured, “why not focus on this?” 

“I’m basically a big kid,” he said. “My favorite question is ‘How would I play in this place?’”  

That question has sparked a lasting passion. 

Last week, EC Learn presented John with the “All Hands In” Advocacy Award for 2025. John has been a member of the EC Learn board since its inception in 2020. He previously served on the board of 4C for Children. He began his involvement in Early Childhood Education as a member of the United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s PreK Works Task Force. 

Pictures of John Noble winning the All Hands In award for advocacy.

“I got interested in theories of curriculum development for early childhood, especially the Reggio Emilia approach, which promotes child-centered learning through exploration, discovery, and play. Before I knew it, I was going to Washington, D.C., to represent Northern Kentucky at the annual NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) Public Policy Forum. At my first NAEYC conference, I was one of a very few business professionals there,” he recalled. “The organizers even showed a chart of all the participant roles—and there I was, this one little circle labeled ‘architect.’” 

Over time, John has seen early childhood education evolve from being overlooked and taken for granted to being seen as a key component of the workforce development ecosystem. 

“Early childhood education is infrastructure, just like good roads and clean water,” he said.  He is proud of the commitment Kentucky lawmakers have made toward childcare through the CCAP (for families) and ECCAP (for employers) programs. Still, he is perplexed that more companies are not participating. “We know the need exists and that it makes good business sense to support childcare, but we cannot seem to complete the loop. I would love to learn from a group of chief operating officers about what it would take to meet that need and what we could adjust in the ECCAP program to make it more attractive to them.  It’s too important to give up on.” 

John’s firm continues to support his advocacy work, even though it makes up a relatively small segment of their project portfolio.  “Initially, I was only doing it because they told me to. Now they see the value as this becomes more and more of a nationwide challenge. Partly through these efforts, my firm has developed a reputation as a subject matter expert in the childcare arena and, while it is still a fairly niche area, there is every indication that it meets a critical need that will only grow over time. My involvement reflects our commitment to the future of learning and the critical need to support the youngest learners of Northern Kentucky, because in no time at all, they will be the workforce of our region.” 

When asked why he spends so much time in early childhood meetings when he could be focusing on architecture projects, John was clear: “Business voices help nonprofits stay focused and strategic. Our perspective can help refine goals and maintain momentum, and in return, those clear and demonstrable achievements provide the value to private sector partners that keeps us at the table.” 

In addition to his work with EC Learn, John participates in the NKY Works Early Childhood Education Focus Area, one of our five key focus areas, alongside Career Readiness, Work-Ready Adults, Regional Talent Attraction and Promotion, and Employer Best Practices. We encourage businesses to join one of our teams.  

Or if your business is experiencing specific workforce challenges, NKY Works can help. We can connect you to various resources to address your particular needs. Reach out to us at 859.657.WRKS (9757) or NKYWorks@NKADD.org.