After 29 years of working with the Centre County Youth Service Bureau, Denise Herr McCann is moving on to lead local nonprofit agency Centre Helps.
McCann will become executive director of Centre Helps effective Aug. 9, the organization announced on Monday. She succeeds Leanne Lenz, who, after four years in the role, became executive director of the Centre County United Way in July.
“I am honored to be joining the staff of an organization that provides such critical services to the Centre County community,” McCann said in a statement. “This year is the 50th anniversary of Centre Helps, and I’m looking forward to strengthening and expanding services so we can be there to help people in crisis and people who need us for another 50 years.”
McCann was most recently vice president of programs at CCYSB, where she implemented numerous new programs, such as AmeriCorps, JUMP, and a challenge ropes course. She also expanded drug and alcohol prevention programs and helped secure more than $7 million to support programs for youth.
She has been president of the Big Brothers Big Sisters state association, currently serves on the board of Leadership Centre County and for the past 10 years has been a consultant on runaway and homeless youth issues for the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
A Centre County United Way partner agency and collaborative nonprofit, Centre Helps provides resources and outreach through a 24-hour crisis and suicide prevention helpline, basic needs case management program, Youthful Offenders program and volunteer training initiatives. A trained team of staff and volunteers helps community members navigate the local safety net to transition from crisis to improved quality of life.
