Published 6:00 am Wednesday, June 10, 2026
By David Horowitz
A teacher with a background in education, program management and community engagement will lead Community Education of Bowling Green and Warren County — the local nonprofit known best for its before- and after-school programming.
Community Education Board Chair Ryan Dearbone announced the hire, DeLanna Williams, last week as the new executive director. Bill Oldham, who led for six years, vacated the role when he retired in July, and the nonprofit’s then-associate director Joshua Smith led as interim ED.
Williams aims to grow Community Education — particularly, its before- and after-school programming as well as its adult learning offerings — as Bowling Green’s population expands. Williams — most recently, a pre-K to fourth grade teacher at the Broadway Methodist Church’s Early Learning Center — was selected among numerous hires in part because of her vision for Community Education as a growing bridge for the community that brings people together, Dearbone said.
“Community Education, in our opinion, will be essential for before- and after-school programming, for volunteerism, for enrichment — it’s going to be a linchpin in a lot of ways for our community,” Dearbone said. “We wanted to make sure we have a leader in place who not only understands that, but can go in and figure out how Community Education can best serve the community as it grows.”
To expand before- and after-school programming, Williams aims to build strong connections with local schools and organizations, such as Foundation Christian Academy and the Bowling Green Area Young Life, a youth organization for high schoolers, she said. Williams also intends to partner with Western Kentucky University both in its education department and other colleges as is helpful to find qualified part-time employees.
Hiring remains one of Community Education’s biggest challenges, Dearbone said. Oldham had described it as job one, made more difficult by public school regulations that had changed so student educators could serve in classrooms earlier in their education certification pathways — helping schools, but unwittingly eating away at Community Education’s employment pool.
Separately, while Community Education already offers adult classes, Williams hopes to add enrichment offerings to additional areas for community enrichment, such as gardening, pottery, 3D-printing and glassblowing.
She also hopes to improve the classes’ accessibility through means such as grants or scholarships. And, she aims to heighten visibility — whether through team-building activities, date nights or somehow else, “I’m all for it,” she said.
“Without losing the foundation that Community Education was built on, I want to take that foundation and lead it into the next chapter … leaning into what is already established and keeping up with the growth of our community, as well,” she said.
Her mother, a retired school teacher, had instilled a love for learning early on. Working at the Centrikid Camps through college via the nonprofit Lifeway Christian Resources in Nashville reaffirmed her love for kids.
And, as a stay-at-home mother for the last four and a half years, she felt compelled to do something for her — and Community Education’s mission struck a chord. With a bachelor’s in history and master’s in public administration, Williams aims to combine her background in organizational leadership and policy analysis with her love for community, she said.
“I’m very thankful that the board believes in me, and I’m just very excited to partner with Community Education and just see where we can go,” she said.
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