LEWISTON — Androscoggin Head Start and Child Care announces the selection of Betsy Norcross Plourde as the new executive director. She will succeed Estelle Rubinstein, who is retiring at the end of December after serving as the executive director for more than 20 years.

Plourde has a bachelor’s degree in public management and a master’s degree in social work and is a licensed master social worker. She served from 1991-1995 as the director of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Androscoggin County before joining Advocates for Children in Lewiston, becoming AFC’s executive director in 2000.

In her new role, Plourde will oversee a staff of more than 100 people at Head Start’s 10 sites throughout the county. She will be responsible for securing federal, state, and local funds to support Head Start’s programs, as well as developing and managing systems that assure the use of these funds to most effectively carry out the agency’s mission.