Terry Lock, director of the Kamehameha Schools early childhood education division, will serve as the state’s early childhood coordinator, the governor announced today.

Lock will be instrumental in developing an early childhood action plan for the state and will also oversee work to plan a “state structure that supports an early childhood system,” coordinate state agencies to improve services for children and families, and advocate for public policy improvement to help Hawaii’s children, according to the governor’s office.

“If we’re going to really be serious about our future, we have to invest it in,” said Gov. Neil Abercrombie, at a news conference. “If we’re going to be genuinely serious and sober-minded about how we’re going to accomplish this, then we have to take the neccesary steps at the beginning. That means early childhood education.”

Lock, who will start in mid-July, has more than 35 years of experience in early childhood education.

Her position will be partly funded by a $300,000 W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant over the next two years. The grant will also support Tammi Chun, the governor’s education adviser.