EMAA NAMES WILLIAM BUNCH NEW DIRECTOR

STE. GENEVIEVE -- A new executive director has been appointed to East Missouri Action Agency.

The organization's board of directors appointed William Bunch to the position during a meeting Monday. Bunch will assume the position Oct. 1.

He replaces Robert Fulton, who is retiring after four years.

Fulton has retired from one job before, "and he said he is making it official this time," said board chairman Tim Evans.

Bunch has worked in various EMAA positions for more than 20 years. For the past eight years he has headed the Community Services Department, one of the organization's major program divisions.

Evans said Bunch was hired after an extensive public search. Bunch's knowledge of the multimillion-dollar organization and experience working with low-income families will enable him to meet several immediate obstacles, he said.

"The bottom-line issue is we deal with low-income individuals, and as regulations change with Social Security, SSI and all that, we've got to make some changes so we can continue to offer services," said Evans. "The big thing is he has to be flexible enough to add and change programs as we need to help those individuals."

EMAA is a non-profit community action agency that operates in Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Iron, Madison, Perry, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve and Washington counties. The organization has an annual budget of approximately $11.5 million and operates eight community action offices and 10 Head Start centers throughout its service area.

Bunch said his long history with EMAA will assist him in preparing social programs to meet numerous challenges.

"I have roots in community action," he said. "I look forward to working with the staff, board and funding sources to further improve EMAA's service to the low-income families of Southeast Missouri."

Bunch holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Missouri and attained certified community action professional status in 1997. He served four years in the Navy.

He and his wife, Debbie Moon Bunch, live in Bonne Terre. They have a son, 17, and daughter, 14.