Aldworth takes over for Daniel D’Angelo, who resigned to take the job of executive director of the West Springfield Boys & Girls Club.
Jennifer AldworthLUDLOW - The Board of Directors of the Ludlow Community Center/Randall Boys & Girls Club has announced the appointment of Jennifer A. Aldworth as executive director.
Aldworth takes over for Daniel D’Angelo, who resigned to take the job of executive director of the West Springfield Boys & Girls Club.
D’Angelo said he saw an opportunity to grow the West Springfield Club so that it offers before and after school child care and summer camp programs similar to the programs Ludlow offers for working parents.
Aldworth said she grew up in the Cumberland-Lincoln, R. I., Boys & Girls Club.
The daughter of a single mother who worked two jobs, Aldworth said she spent the majority of her time at the club between the ages of 10 and 17.
Her swim coach at the club was instrumental in helping her apply to colleges, she said, even taking her on college tours.
She ended up attending her swim coach’s alma mater, the University of Connecticut.
“My mother was very supportive of my attending college, but she didn’t know everything about the college application process,” Aldworth said.
After getting a master’s degree in human resource development from Clemson University, Aldworth returned to the Rhode Island club to begin her professional career as program director, before being promoted to branch director where her main role was to oversee the opening of the club’s second site.
She later worked for Boys & Girls Clubs in Long Island, Brockton and then for five years as executive director of the Waltham club.
Aldworth called the Ludlow club is “a great facility.”
“It is a great resource for the community,” she said.
She said the challenge for non-profits is always to increase fundraising.
The club also will be looking at increasing memberships and participation in programs so that the club is truly Ludlow’s community center, Aldworth said.
She said the staff and the board have been very welcoming and she is looking forward to meeting more people in town.