The longtime director of Mattapan’s ABCD Family Service Center resigned earlier this month, leaving a vacancy that the organization is filling with experienced staff from other neighborhoods.

Lille Searcy, a Mattapan resident credited with initiating many of the organization’s local programs, announced her decision in a letter circulated this week.

“Although the time seems right for a number of reasons, it is with sadness that I now inform you that I am no longer the Director of the ABCD / Mattapan Family Service Center,” Searcy wrote.  “During the next few months I will take time to reflect on my past career, focus on family and personal
priorities, and explore new professional options and opportunities.”

Michael Vance, ABCD’s Vice President for Field Operations, has been on site at the Mattapan office since Searcy’s departure earlier this month. Milagros Arbaje-Thomas, director
of the Parker Hill/Fenway NSC, is also assisting in the transition period at the River Street facility that includes a Head Start office, along with other anti-poverty programs, including fuel assistance and foreclosure prevention.