Flowers Early Learning Names Internal Leader as CEO
Nonprofit early childhood operators in Southwest Michigan see an operations-focused successor take over a federally funded network.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in People
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Flowers Early Learning, the Benton Harbor-based early childhood agency formerly known as Tri-County Head Start, has named Kevin Wordelman its new chief executive officer. Wordelman, who previously served as the agency's chief operating officer and human resources director, accepted the role in August 2026 and succeeds longtime leader Chanda Hillman.
Why it matters
The appointment places an internal leader with operations and human resources experience at the helm of a 200-employee organization running 17 locations across Southwest Michigan. The move follows Hillman's eight-year tenure and her departure to lead the Michigan Head Start Association, leaving the agency to continue its federally funded work under established internal leadership.
Flowers Early Learning serves nearly 600 children and families a year through 17 locations and 200 employees, and Wordelman is the fourth CEO in nearly 55 years of local operation. The release does not report budget figures or program enrollment changes, and it is unclear how the leadership transition will affect staffing or service levels.
The players
Flowers Early Learning
A Benton Harbor-based early childhood agency operating a federal Head Start grant across three Southwest Michigan counties, with 17 locations and 200 employees.
Kevin Wordelman
The agency's newly named CEO, formerly its chief operating officer and human resources director, with prior roles at Open Doors Kalamazoo and two terms on the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners.
Chanda Hillman
The former Flowers Early Learning CEO who served eight years before becoming executive director of the Michigan Head Start Association.
Brian Saxton
Board Chair of Flowers Early Learning who announced the appointment in the agency's news release.
The details
Flowers Early Learning operates a federal Head Start grant in Cass, Berrien and Van Buren counties, a program that has run locally since 1972 and serves children ages 0 to 5. Head Start itself was launched in 1965 as a federally funded early care and education program, and the agency was renamed Flowers Early Learning in 2024 after founding director Orion Flowers. Wordelman's background spans agency operations, human resources, nonprofit leadership, and two terms on the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners.
Timeline
2022: Kevin Wordelman joined Flowers Early Learning.
2024: Tri-County Head Start was renamed Flowers Early Learning.
Spring 2026: Chanda Hillman became executive director of the Michigan Head Start Association.
August 2026: Wordelman accepted the Flowers Early Learning CEO role.
November 5, 2026: The news release announcing Wordelman as CEO was published.
Market Landscape
Flowers Early Learning's leadership succession sits within the federally funded Head Start model launched in 1965, under which local grantees operate programs and maintain their own executive leadership. The agency's fourth CEO in nearly 55 years reflects the long-term continuity typical of Head Start grantees that operate across multiple decades.
Operators of nonprofit early childhood programs should watch for how the new CEO's operations background shapes staffing and administrative practice over the coming year. Leaders in similar federally funded grantee organizations may find the internal-succession model worth comparing against their own leadership planning.
The takeaway
Internal promotion into the CEO role gives Flowers Early Learning continuity in operations and human resources at a time of leadership transition. Nonprofit operators reviewing succession plans should consider how an internal candidate's operational experience compares with an external hire's when a long-tenured leader departs.
Further reading
For more on executive moves across the state's businesses and nonprofits, see People in our Michigan coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Herald Palladium.
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