First 5 Kern names new executive director
By The Bakersfield Californian
By CHRISTINE BEDELL
Californian staff writer
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Jamie Henderson is the new Executive Director for First 5 Kern.
cbedell@bakersfield.com
The First 5 Kern Commission, which spends the local share of tobacco tax money on programs benefiting young children, has named Jamie Henderson its next executive director.
Henderson is a career educator, including serving 12 years as superintendent of the Rosedale Union School District. He will replace Larry Rhoades, who was interim director for 2 1/2 years.
"He is highly qualified and has a big heart for the children in our community," First 5 Kern Chairwoman Mimi Audelo said of Henderson. "We're excited about a new chapter for First 5 Kern."
First 5 Kern receives about $12 million a year to fund health, childcare and education programs promoting early childhood development for kids up to 5 years old. Its money comes from a 50 cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes approved by voters in 1998.
To date, according to its website, First 5 has allocated more than $100 million to 450 programs sponsored by 240 different organizations throughout Kern County.
The agency's directorship has had an interesting history. Rhoades took the reins from Wendy Wayne, who left after being diagnosed with cancer. Wayne was brought in after the controversial tenure of Steve Ladd, during which questions were raised about agency spending on travel, cars and office furniture via a contract with Cal State Bakersfield.
Henderson's first day at First 5 Kern will be Sept. 27. He and the board have not finished negotiating his pay, Audelo said.
Henderson was for several years a teacher in Bakersfield and principal in Taft before beginning a 28-year career in the Rosedale Union School District, according to First 5 Kern. It credited him with developing the Ready to Start preschool program, which serves 800 to 900 pre-kindergartners every summer.
Audelo said a key goal for Henderson is to position First 5 for the long-term future as it has already approved program funding for the coming three years. The direction First 5 goes in depends to a great extent on what happens with the state budget, said Audelo, director of special events for San Joaquin Community Hospital.
More than 30 people applied for the executive director job, Audelo said.
Henderson said he's spent a lot of years working with children age 5 to 14 and he relishes the opportunity to work on behalf of younger children and their families.
"First 5 is a great, great organization and its commission is absolutely dedicated to children and families," Henderson said. "I'm excited to be a part of that team."
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