Big changes are coming for Bloom House Youth Services, namely a major leadership change.
During KVOE’s Talk of Emporia Friday, Bloom House founder and current Executive Director Clara Corn announced that current Director of Services and Art Therapy Carolee Conway will be taking over as Director come August. Corn says the change is being made to allow her to focus more on her family and full-time career as an instructor at Emporia State University.
While she will no longer be the director, Corn says she is not walking away from the agency entirely as she plans to remain on as a volunteer and member of the Board of Directors. She adds that she has nothing but faith in Conway, saying she was the only logical choice that came to mind when she began planning for the transition.
Conway, says she is looking forward to her new appointment, adding that Corn has been a great leader who has laid a tremendous foundation for the agency to thrive and grow.
Conway says she has no immediate changes planned for the agency, saying she simply wants to get her feet under her and continue to elevate the standard that has already been set.
Taking over as Director of Services for Conway will be recent Emporia State University graduate Abby Stephens, who will also serve as the agency’s Director of Mental Health. Corn formally introduced Stephens to the community during Friday’s interview.
The announcement of the leadership change comes as the agency prepares for a fundraiser later this month. TNT Disc Golf and Deathwish Discs will be hosting a disc golf tournament on Saturday, July 12th, with all proceeds going to support the agency’s recent fire system upgrade to its facility at 301 West 11th Avenue. According to Corn, the upgrade was recently completed, thanks in part to several generous donations from local donors.
Bloom House will also be opening its doors on July 4th for an open house and BBQ. A picnic lunch will be available from 11 am to 1 pm with a BBQ and games scheduled from 5 to 7 pm.
For more information, visit BloomhouseKS.org or find Bloom House Youth Services on Facebook.
