Head Start director to retire after 24 years helping young learners

Pam Wadhams will step into role for Bonnie Malakie at Community Action

Photo by Ginny Kropf: From left, Renee Hungerford, executive director of Community Action, and Bonnie Malakie, retiring director of Head Start’s Children and Youth Services, stand outside the Head Start office on east State Street in Albion with Pam Wadhams, who will replace Malakie when she retires June 30, and Ryan Lasal, recently hired as strategic director of children’s services and special projects.

ALBION – Community Action of Orleans and Genesee has announced some changes in its Head Start program.

Bonnie Malakie is retiring on June 30 after 24 years as Head Start’s director. Before stepping into the director’s position, Malakie spent eight years as a consultant for Head Start.

Filling the director’s position at Head Start will be Pam Wadhams, who has been associate director of the program.

Stepping into a new role is Ryan Lasal as strategic director of children’s services and special projects.

Hungerford explained the chain of command will be Wadhams reporting to Lasal and Lasal to Hungerford.

The Head Start program has been a vital part of Community Action’s services to the community since 1965, with Head Start for children aged 3 and 4 and Early Head Start for 18-month to 3-year-olds in Medina, Albion and Batavia, and universal pre-K in Kendall.

Early Head Start Childcare Partnership partners with day care facilities for infants and toddlers.

A childcare resource and referral program connects parents with daycare and subsidies.

“We also help people start their own daycare facilities,” Hungerford said.

In addition, there is a small home-based program with six slots available.

Currently, 173 children are served in Head Start, 58 in the Childcare Partnership and 38 in Early Head Start.

Head Start’s new leadership brings several decades of experience to their jobs. Lasal spent the last 10 years at CRFS.

“I found there has been an extremely solid foundation built here,” Lasal said. “This program serves a lot of kids and does extraordinary things in the community. I’m looking forward, along with Pam, to continuing to build on that foundation and move it into the future.”

Wadhams has worked more than 30 years with Head Start.

“I see us being a strong presence in the community and continuing to support families and their children,” she said. “We are in the process of expanding the pre-school program to a full day, something families want and need. I love being able to make a difference in the community I grew up in.”

“I am doing some restructuring of our children’s services to reinvigorate these programs and increase enrollment,” Hungerford said. “I aim to put new focus on our Head Start programs to ensure children are truly getting a head start and enter the public school systems fully prepared. We can do more with technology and innovation to set our students up for success.”

Malakie said she plans to spend the summer relaxing and doing more with her husband Larry.

“This will include volunteering,” she said. “I’m taking a new path and looking forward. I will continue to support Community Action. I will be leaving a piece of my heart here.”

She added that through the years, there has been one constant at Community Action, and that is change.

“But we’ve been able to keep up with required changes, expected changes and positive changes,” Malakie said.  “I’m leaving everything in good hands with a very dedicated and committed staff with strong leadership and two new directors. The difference we make in the lives of children and families every day is what has kept me here all these years.”