SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Springfield Family Center (SFC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Melissa Valcourt, MSLD, as its new executive director, bringing more than 15 years of nonprofit leadership, experience, and a strong commitment to community, collaboration, and service.
Springfield Family Center is a community-based charitable food organization dedicated to providing resources to food-insecure neighbors throughout the greater Springfield area. Rooted in compassion and community, SFC strives to ensure individuals and families seeking assistance are welcomed and treated with dignity and respect.
Throughout her career, Valcourt has worked in community-based and human service organizations, including serving in leadership roles as executive director of Spark! Community Center in Lebanon, N.H., and director of the Charlestown Senior Center. Her extensive experience in nonprofit management, strategic planning, fundraising, financial oversight, staff development, and community engagement, coupled with her relationship-centered leadership philosophy and vision for the future, will serve her well as she steps into this important leadership role at SFC.
At the heart of Valcourt’s leadership philosophy is a simple belief: Strong organizations are built through strong relationships.
“When I think about why I chose to come to Springfield Family Center, I keep coming back to one thing: people,” Valcourt said. “I was drawn to the center because of its mission and because of the incredibly important role it plays in the lives of individuals and families in Springfield and the surrounding communities.”
Tara Chase, chair of the Springfield Family Center Board of Directors, said the board was especially drawn to Valcourt’s experience, collaborative approach, and commitment to community.
“Springfield Family Center has a long history of being a place our neighbors can turn to for support, and the board wanted a leader who understood the importance of protecting that foundation while also helping us think about what comes next,” Chase said. “Melissa brings a strong combination of nonprofit leadership experience, creativity, compassion, and a genuine desire to listen. We are excited to welcome her to SFC and to work alongside her as we strengthen partnerships, plan for the future, and continue responding to the needs of our community.”
Valcourt holds a Master of Leadership from Granite State College, as well as bachelor’s and associate degrees in business management. As she begins her new role, she says listening, learning, and building relationships throughout the Springfield community will be among her first priorities.
“I’m not coming into this role believing that I have all the answers,” Valcourt said. “I’m coming with experience, curiosity, energy, and a willingness to listen. I’m excited to learn from this community, to work alongside the incredible people already invested in the center, and to see what we can accomplish together.”
The Springfield Family Center Board of Directors looks forward to working with Valcourt to build upon the strong foundation already in place while planning for the organization’s future. Priorities will include strengthening community partnerships, expanding volunteer and community engagement, supporting staff, pursuing sustainable funding opportunities, and developing a strategic vision responsive to the changing needs of the community.
Valcourt hopes SFC will continue to be a place where asking for help is met with compassion rather than judgment.
“My hope for the future of Springfield Family Center is that we continue to be a trusted, welcoming, and essential resource for individuals and families throughout our community,” Valcourt said. “I want us to honor the history and relationships that have made the center what it is today while also being bold enough to imagine what it can become tomorrow.”
That vision includes bringing businesses, nonprofits, schools, faith communities, civic organizations, volunteers, donors, and residents together around the shared goal of strengthening the Springfield community.
“I want us to be an organization that is willing to ask, ‘What’s possible?’ rather than simply, ‘What have we always done?’” Valcourt said.
The Springfield Family Center Board of Directors welcomes Valcourt to the organization and looks forward to introducing her to the individuals, families, volunteers, donors, businesses, and community partners who make the center’s work possible. She can be reached at 802-885-3646 or mvalcourtsfc@outlook.com.