Hamilton takes over at Waverly Community House

Michelle Hamilton recently was named executive director of the Waverly Community House “Comm” after the previous director Maria Wilson retired. She lives in Clarks Summit and moved to the area in July of 2019 from Pawcatuck, Connecticut. She graduated from a high school in Brattleboro, Vermont, and then attended Dean Junior College. It is a liberal arts school in Massachusetts. She furthered her education at Southern Connecticut State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in recreation and human services. “From the first time that I stepped onto the grounds of the Comm, I knew this was a place I wanted to work,” she said. “I had spoken to the previous director Maria Wilson and she shared with me all of what the Comm has to offer the community and I was immediately hooked. I love the Comm and its rich history and the wonderful opportunities that it provides in terms of the arts, education and recreational offerings. You can find something for every age group at the Comm.” Before becoming the executive director of the Comm, she was CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeastern PA, executive director for the Andover Hebron and Marlborough, Connecticut, Youth Services Bureau and in the field of public health at Ledge Light Health District in New London, Connecticut. Her career includes 32 years in fundraising, grant writing, special events and program planning. “As the director, you have so much responsibility in terms of administrative duties so in order to keep connected to the community, I make a point of getting out from behind my desk and to take a break and walk around the building checking on the preschoolers or the folks in the fitness classes to get a sense of what is happening here at various times of the day,” Hamilton said. ” I particularly like seeing the young people using the gym who often in the winter are seen playing a quick game of pickup basketball. I have enjoyed getting to know the staff and learning their areas of expertise, learning about the programs and meeting the community at the different events the Comm offers.” She, the staff and board are looking at adding some new programs for the community, including staff led toddler program called Romp and Stomp. This program will include gross motor skills for children 1 ½ to 2 ½ years old and their parents. She also would like to bring in new programs for teens and new special events. “When I started at the Comm, I became aware of a few rooms where I thought new programming or a slight renovation might be in order,” Hamilton said. “The Family Room will be updated with new toys, rug, paint and more cozier seating. The library will be getting some new rugs, appropriate seating for children and will have some literacy programing in the future with book signings by local authors.” She enjoys golf and belongs to a women’s golf league. She also enjoys reading, traveling and her three dogs. She is married to her husband Lance for 22 years. They have three children – Grant, a senior at Temple University; Quinn, a sophomore at Temple University; and Alec, a senior at Abington Heights High School. “The Comm is an amazing place, rich with history, activities for all ages and provides a sense of community to all that come,” she said. “The people who walk through our doors know the value of what the Comm has to offer and I want them to feel that they are part of a larger family. The connections that the user makes transcends just the transactional use of the Comm.”