PRESQUE ISLE — United Way of Aroostook’s Board of Directors has announced the pending retirement of the agency’s executive director Claudia Stevens. Stevens will be retiring in January, 2016 after more than 16 years serving the donors and programs of the United Way of Aroostook.
United Way Board President Dan Bagley stated, “We are sad to see Claudia leave this position that she has held for so long but understand her desire to take a step back from this busy role. We appreciate all that Claudia has done for the organization.”
Stevens states “I have given this a great deal of thought and this is the right time for me to retire from my position so that I will have more time to travel and spend time with family. I have loved serving in this role and feel that it has been an honor to represent the United Way over the past 16 years.
“I was blessed with this opportunity to discover my calling which was to help people and be part of an organization that can really make a difference and create a sustainable change here in Aroostook County. I have had the privilege of working with many outstanding board members over the years and have enjoyed the opportunities the executive directorship has provided me in my career,” she said.
During her tenure Stevens has been involved with United Ways of Maine serving as both president and treasurer. Through the United Ways of Maine she helped spearhead the 2-1-1 Maine information and referral system for the state of Maine and secured a resource coordinator for Aroostook County.
She is also responsible for the implementation of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library which is a literacy program that mails a book to a child once a month from the time they are born until they reach their fifth birthday. Since its inception, over 32,000 books have been provided to Aroostook County children.
Bagley states “The Board of Directors is proud of the work that Claudia has accomplished and is very confident that there is a strong organizational structure in place and the transition to a new executive director will be smooth.
“For 58 years the United Way of Aroostook’s mission has been to mobilize resources to improve the lives of people in our communities. Donors and supporters as well as the agencies and programs that are supported with donor dollars can feel confident that the governance of the United Way of Aroostook is in good hands with oversight of an 18 member local Board of Directors,” he added.
