Hackensack, NJ – Greater Bergen Community Action Inc. (GBCA), the federally-designated anti-poverty agency of Bergen County, has announced the appointment of two key leadership positions in the agency: Mary Cudina as Director of Head Start & Early Head Start (agency-wide); and Lynne Algrant as Vice President of Planning, Development and Communications.
As a result of a search process begun several months ago, Mary Cudina has been selected to provide direction to the wide-spread Head Start program, with branches in Jersey City, Paterson, and Bergen County. With a Bachelor’s from University of Delaware and Master’s in Social Work from Columbia University, she served GBCA Head Start for more than ten years as a Mental Health Specialist, as an Associate Director of Special Services, and as the founding Area Director of Head Start in Jersey City in 2014.
In 2018, Cudina accepted the responsibility of leading a newly-formed GBCA Division: Planning, Development, and Communication, building a solid foundation and melding a cohesive unit capable of making excellent, even unique, contributions to the mission of GBCA. She will assume her new role as Agency-wide Director of Head Start and Early Head Start on July 1, 2020, taking over for interim Head Start Director, Figen Tabakci, who is also the Director of GBCA’s Adult Education Division.
Following Mary into the leadership role of the Planning, Development, and Communication Division is Lynne Algrant, who will join GBCA on July 1, 2020 as V.P. of Planning, Development and Communication.
Algrant has served as CEO of Bergen Volunteer Center for the past five years. With a Bachelor’s from Emory College (Phi Beta Kappa), and Master’s from Rutgers, she has had a diverse career, both in public service (Englewood City Council member, 2010 – 2015), and the private sector: as an independent school administrator, as a Foundation executive, and as a consultant in a broad range of subject areas. She is particularly proud of her work in developing and steering Bergen LEADS, a well-regarded civic leadership program of the Bergen Volunteer Center.
GBCA Executive V.P., Dr. Allan De Giulio, says “We are indeed fortunate to be able to announce the appointment of these two outstanding professionals, even while we remain challenged and preoccupied by the persistent pandemic that shows little signs of abating. But end it will, and GBCA will be positioned to address the future with confidence as a result of these two stellar appointments.”
ABOUT GREATER BERGEN COMMUNITY ACTION
Greater Bergen Community Action (GBCA) is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit Community Action Agency. Established in 1967, Greater Bergen is part of a nationwide network of poverty-fighting enterprises which were established as part of the nation’s effort to address the intractable and persistent problem of poverty in America. For more information about GBCA, go to www.GreaterBergen.org.
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