Imagine Worcester #49 Jill Dagilis

Virginia Swain's guest is Jill Dagilis, the Executive Director for the Worcester Community Action Council. Building upon a 30 year track record in community service, Jill began a new chapter in her career as Worcester Community Action Council's new Executive Director in September, 2006. Worcester Community Action Council, Inc., a 45-year strong Not-for-Profit organization, is known as the �gateway� to services for low income residents in Central Massachusetts. WCAC�s mission is "To stimulate change in the fundamental causes of poverty and to create and provide opportunities for economic self-sufficiency through services, partnerships, and advocacy". The agency provides services to over 72,000 residents in 37 communities within Central Massachusetts and South County annually. The agency has 120+/- employees, a $26 million budget, and provides 20 programs in 4 priority areas: Education, Employment, Energy, and Asset Development. Programs range from emergency intervention (such as Fuel Assistance) to education and self sufficiency--Head Start and Early Head Start, Healthy Families of Southern Worcester County, Partnerships for Children, Youth Works�summer employment, Energy Conservation, Educational, and Lead Abatement Programs, and Worcester Community Connections Coalition�a parent-driven coalition. Within this budget the agency is managing more than $11 million in federal stimulus programs�primarily in the areas of weatherization, Head Start, and employment for at-risk youth. Jill, has just entered her 5th year at WCAC as Executive Director and has led the agency�s strategic planning process for the future, renovated the agency�s 16,000 square feet of office space in downtown Worcester, grown the annual budget from $13M to $26M in this period, and successfully implemented a multi-faceted fund raising and marketing program for WCAC. She brings a 25-year track record as a leader in Worcester�s city government with a focus on community development where, over her career, she served as the Commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services, Commissioner of Code Enforcement, Staff Assistant for Operations to the City Manager, and Grants Acquisition Coordinator. Her most significant achievement was her ten-year assignment as Contracting Officer to coordinate the $90 million, state-of-the art Worcester Technical High School. A challenging project from beginning to end, Dagilis led a team of contractors, architects, and municipal officials to a successful culmination; the project was completed ahead of schedule and under budget and opened for its first classes four years ago! Jill is known for building teams to find solutions to community challenges. She continues to �pay it forward� by serving as a mentor to many local non-profit leaders as well as to college students. Her work includes many volunteer contributions from the Worcester Business Development Corporation, a member of the Central Massachusetts Regional Employment Board, the City of Worceter�s Youth Advisory Committee, the Institute for Energy Sustainability, the Regional Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness, FLIC�Female Leadership Interest Council, Greater Worcester Community Foundation, the YWCA, the Worcester State College Foundation Board, Dress for Success, to serving as an active member of Hadwen Park Church. Her undergraduate degree is from Worcester State College in Urban Studies and her Master in Public Administration degree is from Clark University. She and her husband Paul have two adult children Michael and Jesse Marie who inspire her everyday. Jill is grounded in her deep faith and has a positive attitude and sense of humor. With a love of construction and interior design, as well as floral arranging and music, Jill has a creative side that is ever-thirsty. A great fan of Worcester she is dedicated to helping to make Central Massachusetts the great place that it is through her professional and volunteer commitments. She credits her accomplishments and her love of her work to