HADLEY – A Northampton woman whose experience includes serving as an outreach worker for the Easthampton Council on Aging and a care adviser for Highland Valley Elder Services is the new director of senior services in Hadley.
Hayley Wood, who also had a career in nonprofits after coming to the region in 1998, on Wednesday was unanimously appointed by the Select Board to replace Suzanne Travisano,, who retired last month. Wood’s first day will be Oct. 21.
Wood told the board that she had a fulfilling experience as the outreach worker for Easthampton senior citizens.
“I’m really looking forward to marshaling what I’ve learned in that capacity in a leadership role for Hadley,” Wood said.
In 2016, Wood sought work helping older adults maintain comfortable lives in their homes, beginning as an ombudsman with Highland Valley Elder Services where she visited skilled nursing facilities in Hampshire County to observe conditions and speak with residents about their care. She then became a care advisor at Highland Valley, doing home visits to clients of home care services.
For the Easthampton Council on Aging, she helped clients access public benefits and worked as a SHINE counselor, and recently helped complete a mural highlighting facts regarding housing, transportation, social inclusion, disabilities and economic security for senior citizens.
For almost 17 years, Wood worked at Mass Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. where she became senior program officer, advising grant applicants, evaluating funded programs and coordinating a children’s literature and live storytelling program in public libraries across the state,
She had also been managing director at Double Edge Theatre, creating large-scale paintings for outdoor summer performances.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
