WATERVILLE — The new CEO of the Alfond Youth & Community Center is the former head of a YMCA in Maui, Hawaii.

Steven Scraggs, 54, started the Waterville job remotely Monday and plans to move to the area later this month.

Scraggs succeeds Ken Walsh, who held the Alfond Center position for 34 years. Walsh moved to Florida, where he started last month as president and CEO of World Youth Clubs. During his tenure in Waterville, he helped raise more than $100 million, transforming the center into a nationally recognized model for youth development, community engagement and innovative programming.

The center at 126 North St. has programs for both children and adults. Enrichment, after school child care, youth sports, mentoring, summer camp, health and wellness, aquatics, gardening and other programs are offered.

Scraggs said Monday in a phone interview that he plans to move his family to Maine by the end of the month.

“I’m really excited and looking forward to meeting as many people as I can and making Waterville my home,” he said.

Scraggs has been involved with YMCAs for the last seven years.

Scraggs grew up in suburban Kansas City, Missouri. He worked in Maui for two years and before that, he was former executive vice president of a YMCA in Kansas City. Before that, he was a district-level director and principal at Kansas City Public Schools and earlier, principal for a large high school in Omaha, Nebraska.

He was interviewed in Waterville early in December and was notified of his acceptance for the job in later that month, he said. He had never been to Maine, he said.

“AYCC is unique in that it is the only combined Boys & Girls Club and YMCA in the country,” Scraggs said. “The facility’s beautiful, I love the area, and I had the chance to visit Waterville and the surrounding towns. People were very friendly. There’s clearly a commitment, from large philanthropic organizations right down to the people on Main Street.”

Scraggs said the center has had a tremendous run of bringing new programs and services to the nonprofit, and it will continue to evolve with community needs. He said officials will continue to look at existing programs and be laser-focused to make sure they maximize return on investment.

Susan Scacchi, the new chairwoman of the AYCC board of directors, wasn’t immediately available Monday afternoon for comment but said in a statement posted on the Alfond Center website that the leadership transitions reflect intentional planning and a shared vision for AYCC’s future.

“We are confident that Steven’s leadership, supported by strong board governance, will ensure continued stability, growth, and positive impact for the communities we serve,” Scacchi said.

Scraggs said he and his wife, Stacey are in the process of buying a home in or around Waterville. They have a son, 23, who lives in Kansas City and a daughter, 19, who is enrolled in college there.