GREENFIELD — After five years at the helm during which she saw the organization work through a pandemic and set records in enrollment, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County Executive Director Jennifer Webster is stepping down to accept a role at the national level.

Webster is poised to become Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s senior director of program impact and scale. Her final day as executive director in Franklin County will be April 7. Under her leadership, the local agency won the national federation’s 2021 Small Agency of the Year award, launched three new programs, doubled its budget and received a $500,000 donation from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

“I am incredibly grateful for my time here and I am honored that this community and agency trusted me to lead them through the last five years,” Webster said. “As a person growing up that could have used more mentorship in my own life, I’ve had some lived experience that gives me perspective into what programs … can really mean.”

On Wednesday, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County announced that David Beturne, current executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County, will serve as interim executive director, effective April 8. Beturne, a 22-year veteran with his current agency, will be tasked with supporting the Franklin County agency through the next few months while it transitions leadership. At the same time, he will keep his role in Hampden County.

While her new job is national, expect to continue seeing Webster in the community and at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Franklin County events because her role is remote. She will also manage the new, upcoming Youth Empowerment project, with more details about the initiative expected in the future.

“I will still have lots of direct contact with current and alumni mentors and mentees and program staff,” said Webster, who has spent nearly 11 years total with the Franklin County agency. “It’s a really exciting way to continue to live the mission that I’ve been passionate about.”

Looking back on her time as executive director, Webster said she was able to “energize and stabilize our program team through COVID” and grew the number of kids being served by the agency to record levels last year.

Part of that increased enrollment is due to the pandemic’s lasting effects on children and teens. Another aspect of it was the addition of virtual programming that invited high school students from around Franklin County and the North Quabbin region to volunteer as mentors for younger children.

“That was a huge growth opportunity for our agency coming out of the pandemic, being able to engage our local high school students,” Webster said, adding that the high school students are benefiting on both ends. “We’re giving them support and guidance and mentorship and training for how they can help a person younger than themselves … and at the same time it’s helping them as well.”

As she leaves her position, Webster said children and teens’ needs continue to grow — she highlighted “incredibly increased” rates of depression, anxiety and loneliness — and Big Brothers Big Sisters needs more mentors to ensure everyone is properly served.

“We do have what I’m considering a critical mentor shortage in our adult program,” Webster said. “We are ready and equipped to enroll mentors and train them as quickly as they come in.”

Volunteers are able to share what hours work best for them, as well as their interests, and the agency will match them with a child or teen based on those mutual preferences. For more information, visit bbbs-fc.org/volunteer.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.

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