The United Community Action Network has named a new executive director.
Shaun Pritchard will lead the non-profit organization starting January 21st.
A release from UCAN said most recently Pritchard has been the Executive Director of the Western Illinois Regional Council and Community Action Agency, located in rural west-central Illinois. The release said he has extensive experience in organizational leadership, planning, community and economic development, capacity building, program development, personnel management and oversight of fiscal management.
UCAN’s Board of Directors selected Pritchard after a nationwide search. Board President, Susan Fisher-Maki said the Board was excited about the outcome of the search. She said “we are thrilled to have Shaun join the strong Executive Leadership Team already present at UCAN”. Fisher-Maki said Pritchard has a history of bringing people together to develop pathways to prosperity. She said in his most recent position, faced with waning government support, he not only kept his agency afloat, he increased its size by taking over a failing agency.
UCAN provides human services to residents of both Douglas and Josephine County and has served the area for 50 years.
Pritchard said he is ready to lead UCAN into the next decade. He said being hired was a “tremendous opportunity and honor”. He said as a child his family went through a period of time when they needed help. He said the local community action agency helped them through the “rough patch”. Pritchard said he never forgot how important that help was to his family.
Pritchard will be relocating with his wife and two teenage children. He succeeds Mike Fieldman who recently retired after leading the agency for 20 years. UCAN currently has 218 employees.