Our committed leadership team strives to meet the needs in our community. Each member brings a different skill set and together they oversee 170 dedicated team members stretching across Aroostook County.
Jason Parent
Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer
As Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Jason leads Aroostook County Action Program. Jason holds a Master of Science in Business Degree from Husson University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication from the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Prior to joining ACAP in 2015, Jason held communication leadership positions in higher education and healthcare for nearly two decades. At ACAP, Jason and his leadership team have positioned the Agency to become a national leader in advancing and adopting the Whole Family/Two-Generation Approach and a Comprehensive Service Delivery Model that involves working with families and individuals on all facets of their advancement so they achieve greater economic independence and overall wellbeing. He is passionate about community involvement and volunteerism and currently serves on the boards of a number of organizations, including the Maine Association of Non-Profits, Coastal Enterprises, Inc., Aroostook Partnership, Aroostook Aspirations Initiative, Aroostook Regional Transportation System, Aroostook Home Health Services/Valley Home Health Services, Katahdin Valley Health Center, and is the Immediate Past President of Maine Community Action Partnership. Born in Canada and raised along the border in Maine’s northernmost region—the St. John Valley—Jason’s first language is French. He has been greatly involved as a volunteer leader in preserving, advancing, and promoting the area’s Acadian and Franco-American Culture.
Sherry Locke
Chief Administrative Officer
Sherry, an Aroostook County native, and husband Chris, chose to raise their family in rural Maine to teach their children about community service, neighbors helping neighbors, and the importance of hard work. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Sherry has been a National Certified ROMA Implementer (NCRI) since 2021 and recently earned her Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP) designation. A committed community advocate, Sherry has served in leadership roles for numerous organizations in Aroostook County throughout her career. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Homeless Services of Aroostook and Nor state Federal Credit Union. She has also served on the Board of Directors and as Past President for the Kiwanis Club of Presque Isle. Sherry has a deep understanding of community needs and is passionate about making Aroostook County a better place to live and work
Wanda Osgood
Chief Finance Officer
Wanda joined the ACAP Team in July of 2019 and in June 2021 she was promoted to Director of Finance. An Aroostook County native and past ACAP client, Wanda earned her associates degree in Accounting though the Dislocated Worker Program when a local business relocated out of state. Wanda is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Accounting at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Wanda resides in Caribou with her significant other Curt and teenage daughter Jayden. Wanda loves living in Aroostook County and enjoys the small town community environment. As a Girl Scout Troop Leader and an officer in her local Parent Teacher Organization, Wanda enjoys working with programs that allow our youth opportunities and mentorship.
Sue Powers
Director of Strategic Initiatives
As Director of Strategic Initiatives for both Aroostook County Action Program and Maine Community Action Partnership, Sue works with community action leadership to build systems and practices to support transformational mindset to Whole Family Approach. As ACAP’s director of operations for early childhood education, wellness, health and prevention programs, for three decades, she brings that expertise to policy planning and development tables across Maine. She attended University of Maine Presque Isle and holds degrees in Criminal Justice and Social Science. Sue has worked in community action for 43 years and over the last eight years has focused on ACAP’s organizational structure and culture change to incorporate 2-Gen/Whole Family Approach and comprehensive intake into everyday processes of the organization. Currently, she leads ACAP’s journey to become a trauma informed organization and coordinates training opportunities for staff along this pathway. Sue holds the national Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP) certification demonstrating leadership in community action’s vision and values to address the causes and conditions of poverty. She is a member of National Community Action Partnership’s Whole Family Peer Expert Corps where she coaches CAP teams from across the country on their Whole Family journey. Appointed by Governor Janet Mills, in 2019 Sue became a member of the Maine Children’s Cabinet, Early Child Care Advisory Council. Sue is committed to developing systems and structures that support the health and well-being of families, children, and communities. Sue with her husband Joe raised their three now adult children in the small, rural town of Mapleton.
Megan Barnes
Director of Programs
Megan Barnes is the Director of Programs for Early Care and Education at Aroostook County Action Program, and has worked with children and families to provide Early Childhood Education Services for the last 13 years. She started at Aroostook County Action Program in 2009 in the role of Program Manager; she was responsible for the implementation of day to day programming and oversight of operations at the center level. In 2019, she accepted a position as Coordinator for Disabilities and Education Services for the ECE program at ACAP; in this role she was responsible for the oversight of policies and procedures around all governing agencies; she was also charged with supporting education staff in furthering professional development opportunities through ongoing training and assistance around best practice. Megan has a Master’s Degree in Business Leadership and is a certified teacher of children with disabilities. She truly values the importance of early intervention and advocating for families and children; she continues to work with staff to provide quality early childhood education to the county’s most at risk population. Megan resides in Fort Fairfield, Maine with her husband Ron.
Heidi Rackliffe
Director of Programs
Heidi is currently the Director of Programs at Aroostook County Action Program. She received her bachelor’s degree in Social Work from University of Maine at Presque Isle and began her career at ACAP in 2009 as the first Case Manager/Licensed Social Worker for the agency. Heidi has a reputation in Aroostook County for serving clients at their lowest and connecting them with the resources necessary to go from surviving to thriving. She has helped hundreds of individuals and families move from homelessness into a new home, a true passion and something our community depends on her for. Some of her favorite projects with the agency was creating the very first Community Cupboard in Aroostook County to be an additional help for those struggling with food insecurity and creating a pop emergency shelter in record time to meet the needs of those experiencing homelessness during Covid. Heidi and her husband Ryan reside in Washburn with their two children Owen and Kaylee. Community has always been important to Heidi and currently is a member of the Washburn After School Program Advisory Board, the Behavior Health Advisory Board for UMFK, recently accepted to be a member of the UMPI Advisory Board and was a previous director for the PI Kiwanis Club.
ACAP is governed by a volunteer 21-member board of directors. The Board of Directors is tripartite, meaning its membership is comprised of equal numbers of public, private and consumer representatives. The Board determines policy, provides leadership to staff, approves grant applications, and plans, oversees expenditures, and evaluates programs. The Board is seated for a One-Year Term.
Board of Directors Members 2023-2024
Trudy Gorneault, Chair; Gary Sanfacon, Vice Chair; Paula Sperrey, Treasurer; Suzanne Senechal-Jandreau, Secretary; Dan MacDonald, Parliamentarian; Andy Grass, At-large Representative to Executive Committee; Billi Griffeth; Erik Vaughn R.N.; Nancy Troeger; Jeff Ashby, Atty.; Senator Harold ‘Trey’ Stewart; Senator Troy Jackson; Sheriff Paul Johnson; Tracie Papsadora, PT, DPT, CBIS; Carolyn Kimball; Ammie London; Bobbie Chasse; Bruce Thibeault; Nina Bradstreet; Robin Levesque; Jennifer Buckingham.
Aroostook Policy Advisory Council APAC
APAC was organized in 1972 and elects low-income sector representatives to the ACAP Board of Directors. Its members act as spokespersons and advocates for low-income groups in Aroostook County in matters relating to the alleviation of the conditions of poverty.
Aroostook Policy Advisory Council Members 2023
Suzanne Senechal-Jandreau- Chair, Caribou; Carolyn Kimball- Vice-Chair, Presque Isle; Brian Bouley, St. John Valley; Shelby Wilson, Presque Isle; Bobbie Chasse, Caribou; Dawn McCrossin, Caribou.
Parent Policy Advisory Council
Parent Policy Council works in partnership with management staff to provide oversight, review, planning and goal setting for the Head Start and Early Head Start Program. Parent Policy Council is comprised of parent representatives from across the County, voted on by local parent committees. Community representatives also make up the body of representatives, also elected by the local parent committees.
Parent Policy Advisory Council Members 2023-2024
Bruce Thibeault, Caribou; Lisa Rubin, New Canada; Matthew & Molly Orcutt, Bridgewater; Jennifer Smith, Houlton; Nina Bradstreet, Presque Isle; Martha Jane Book, Cariobu.
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Thank you for your interest in supporting ACAP programs and services! As a leader, or in partnership with others, ACAP provides guidance to the community in responding to emerging human needs in the areas of community, family, energy and housing, and workforce development services.