CFO Director Leaving After 21 Years
By JENNIFER OSBORN - Ellsworth American
ELLSWORTH - The executive Director of the local Head Start agency, Child and Family Opportunities, is preparing to leave after 21 years.
Jeanie Mills said she had been offered a couple of "interesting opportunities" recently that she may explore.
Mills has advised the agency's board that she will likely leave by December.
"It's a great time for somebody to step in because we're kind of on an upswing,” Mills said.
Child and Family Opportunities, which is located on Avery Lane off Beechland Road, turns 40 in September.
"I think CFO is really poised to be the recipient of some opportunities for growth,” Mills said.
Mills speaks of federal stimulus funding. Agency staff have written two grants totaling $800,000, which, if awarded, would enable CFO to expand Head Start by 20 more children – 10 in Winter Harbor at the Peninsula School and 10 in Bucksport.
Another grant would allow the agency to add 36 infants and toddlers to CFO's early Head Start program.
Under Mills' leadership, the agency has grown, serving more than 350 children annually across Hancock and Washington counties. CFO provides care directly in Ellsworth, two Machias centers, Jonesport, Calais and Sedgwick.
As public schools have decided to provide public pre-K education to area 4-year-olds, CFO has partnerships in Sullivan, Lubec and Calais and is working with other communities.
Walter Kumiega, who is chairman of the board of directors at CFO and a former CFO parent, said Mills has made a difference for parents and children.
"One of the first impressions I had was the importance she placed and, through her influence, the whole agency placed on the parents' involvement in education,” said Kumiega.
Head Start has a component, mandated by federal law, that requires parent involvement in the classroom.
“Under Jeanie's leadership, it's been handled very well and has fostered a lot of growth on the part of a lot of parents,' Kumiega said. For example, as Kumiega’s daughter has grown (she's now in high school), he has gone on to serve on the Deer Isle-Stonington School Committee.
"Over the past 10 years or so, CFO has gotten involved in a lot of partnerships with schools or other community organizations to expand Head Start services,” Kumiega said. "I think that's been good because it's tough to get a good preschool setting in eastern Maine. There aren't a lot of options available. By expanding...we've made that available to more kids, which is important.”
Mills said the focus for the Board is to look into the future and ask where it sees CF0 going for the next 40 years. The board wants to hear from leaders about what help is needed, she said.
She sees expanding the infant care as potential goal for the agency. When CFO built its new facility off Beechland Road six years ago, it began serving 24 infants in the child care center for the first time. There has been a waiting list since.
Mills notes that she came to CFO without a "typical" social service agency background.
She had worked as a journalist in California before she and her family moved to Maine.
Shortly after arriving in Maine, Mills decided to work part time while her children were young. That was 21 years ago and she went to work in CFO's child care referral program, which was then new and needed publicity and support.
"I got really quickly hooked,” Mills said.
Five years later, she served one year as interim executive director before permanently taking the position 15 years ago.
Mills says she's a better parent for having had all the exposure to child care professionals.
josborn@ellsworthamerican.com
9/14/09 - We currently have the Executive Director position open for possible candidates - for more information, please go to our "Career Opportunities" page or click here