BELLOWS FALLS — Parks Place Community Resource Center is starting off the new year with a new director, a new president of the board of directors, and two new board members.
Katie Dearborn, a board member since 2015, was voted in as president for two years, and in February, the organization hired Megan Applegate as executive director.
The organization has also welcomed Liz Ainsworth and Ellen Lawrence to the board.
Dearborn, the branch manager for Mascoma Bank in Walpole, N.H. and an active community member during the past 15 years, lives in Westminster with her husband, Chad, and two children, Abby and Colby, who attend schools in Bellows Falls.
Applegate, who had previously served as resource coordinator, has worked as interim executive director since October.
Born in Rockingham, she was raised in Texas and comes to Parks Place with a background in public relations and communications for organizations large and small.
She worked for more than a decade as a newspaper reporter and teaches local writing classes.
Applegate is married with four children, ages 15, 10, 7, and 6, who attend Windham Northeast district schools.
Through Parks Place, she created an after-school club at Central Elementary, which kicked off in January and serves 18 to 30 kids daily. Programs explore topics like science, technology, engineering, and math, an art lab, and a martial arts afternoon led by local professionals.
Founded in 1992, Parks Place is home to nearly 40 providers in health, education, employment, social justice, and human service programs. It serves Bellows Falls, Rockingham, Athens, Westminster, Saxtons River, Grafton, and surrounding areas in Vermont and New Hampshire.