Megan Gean-Gendron was recently named the new executive director of York County Shelter Programs, Inc. Megan comes to the job with a unique set of experiences and qualifications: she is the daughter of Don Gean, who was executive director of the Shelter from 1985 to 2014, when he retired.

“I don’t remember a day when this agency was not a central fixture in our family,” Megan said in an article published in the January 21 edition of the Portland Press Herald. “I grew up right along with the agency. My parents joke that when I was younger I said I wanted to be the first female governor of Maine or the executive director of the shelter. It was work that spoke to me young.”

YCCAC has maintained a close relationship with York County Shelter for many years. Don Gean was a familiar face at our Spruce Street office site and at our health center. In fact, our Health Services program originated at York County Shelter and was picked up by YCCAC shortly after it launched.

YCCAC staff regularly helped out at the Shelter’s Mama Mia pasta dinners, volunteering in groups once or twice each summer to serve spaghetti and salad, bus tables, wash dishes, and provide the diners with any help they might need. John Sylvester, a generous friend of YCCAC who passed away last year, was always at the dining hall entrance, to collect the money. John and his wife, Joan, who worked at the Shelter in a variety of capacities for a number of years, were selected as recipients of our Teddi Award in 2013.

We are tremendously excited about this transition in management, and look forward to working closely with Megan and her staff to make York County a safe and supportive community for all York County residents.

Photo:  Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer, Portland Press Herald