SALEM — The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem has hired city health agent Joanne Scott as its new executive director.
The Hawthorne Boulevard youth organization launched a national search in May to replace former executive director AnnMarie Tanzella, and the board voted yesterday morning to hire Scott, a Salem resident who has worked as Salem's health agent for 14 years.
Scott said her new post may appear to be an odd career twist, but she believes the two jobs are closely related.
"It's a natural extension to go from here to there, though it's not readily apparent to many people," said Scott, 55. "My job is to promote wellness and health and to prevent disease. Now, I'll be looking at a more specific population — youth and their families — not the entire city."
Scott is familiar with the club. She was a longtime board member and served as president and secretary. She said it was the first job she has applied for since taking her job with the city in the mid 1990s.
"I applied because it's the only position I could truly love more than the one I have now," said Scott.
She will earn $85,000 a year.
Tanzella, the former director, resigned in May after 2 <1/2> years to take a similar position at the Boys and Girls Club of Stoneham. Scott will be the club's sixth director in the past decade.
"The turnover at the executive director position is clearly one of the reasons we were attracted to Joanne," board president Sumner Jones said yesterday. "She's been in her present position 14 years. She lives here. Salem is her home. ... She really feels a commitment to this cause — it's about the children in Salem who need a safe place to be and need enrichment in their lives."
Despite the turnover at the top, the Boys and Girls Club is doing well, and membership, finances and programming are all strong, according to Jones.
When asked about her goals, Scott said she will aim to provide "stability."
"One of my goals is to provide the club with stability into the future," she said. "This is not a stepping stone. ... This particular position is really calling to me."
Jones credited Tanzella with building a strong staff and programs over the last three years.
"Now, we need somebody who can really lead the club from a philanthropy perspective," said Jones, "and building alliances in the community by leveraging other nonprofits that focus on similar issues," such as the schools, The House of the Seven Gables and Children's Friend.
"We need to really forge an effective alliance with those (groups)," he said, "and Joanne has the skills to do that."
Jones said between 30 and 40 people applied for the position. The board interviewed five candidates, and chose Scott.
"Maybe it's a little bit unusual because she doesn't have direct Boys and Girls Club experience, and that's certainly what we were looking for," said Jones. "But we felt her unique background overcame any negatives in terms of not having direct experience in terms of the operating side. ... And she knows the club well. There will be no surprises for her stepping into this role."
Scott has a bachelor's degree in biology and a master's degree in public health, and previously taught anatomy and physiology night classes to adults. She has lived in Salem 23 years.
Scott said she the club notified her yesterday morning, and she will start two weeks from Monday.
"I'm absolutely thrilled," she said when reached at the City Hall annex yesterday afternoon. "I'm elated."
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