Linda Keyes, a native Washingtonian, started working in the DC Recreation Department (DPR) during summer breaks from college.

In 1974, she returned to DPR as a teacher-aide in the newly established Daycare Program, progressing to become a teacher, Center Director then Lead Teacher responsible for supervising several centers.  She also had responsibility for planning, and implementation for all recreation (day camping, field trips, program-wide events) activities for all 22 DPR centers with 550 children and 90 plus staff.

In 1994 she moved to the Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Early Childhood Development under Barbara F. Kamara, as a Program Monitor, providing technical assistance to Child Development Programs.  She specialized in Out of School Time Programs (OST) and headed the OST and Health Committees in the rewrite of the Child Care Regulations.

In 2002, after she retired, she chaired the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on OST.

She continued to be in touch with the child care community.  She later joined the DC Early Learning Collaborative as the Outreach and Communication Consultant until 2018. She also engaged child development employees in enrolling in the AA program at the University of the District of Columbia, with which she continues to this day.