When Tracie Travers saw last year that Good Will-Hinckley was looking for a new leader, she was intrigued by the opportunity to return to the organization where she worked nearly 20 years ago.

“Originally, I thought, ‘I’m really happy where I am,’” Travers said in an interview. “And then, when I woke up the next morning, my heart was telling me, ‘You absolutely have to apply for the Good Will-Hinckley position.’”

So, she did, and started as the executive director and president of the Fairfield nonprofit the beginning of April.

In a news release this week, the organization said Travers will guide it through a new chapter.

“Travers is known for her collaborative leadership and ability to build strong partnerships across education, workforce, and community sectors,” the announcement said. “She will lead Good Will-Hinckley with a focus on innovation, sustainability, and student-centered impact.”

Established in 1889 by George Walter Hinckley, the nonprofit has offered education and other programs for at-risk youth for more than a century on a sprawling campus off U.S. Route 201 in the Hinckley area of Fairfield.

In 2009, it shut down many of its educational and residential services, including its high school. Three years later, Good Will-Hinckley helped launch the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences, the first charter school in the state. The school now operates as a separate organization, although it remains on the Hinckley campus.

Today, Good Will-Hinckley’s main educational program, the Glenn Stratton Learning Center, offers clinical and educational services to students in kindergarten through grade 12 who experience significant social-emotional and behavioral challenges.

Now, the organization serves fewer than 50 students, Travers said, but she noted that number is lower during what she called a rebuilding year. It employs about 40-45 people, some of whom have worked there for decades, she said.

The organization says it serves “youth and families through non-traditional education, residential programs, and behavioral health services, with a focus on helping individuals build stability, skills, and pathways to success.”

The nonprofit also runs a college step-up and transitions program, as well as the L.C. Bates Museum, which focuses on natural history and local culture and is open to the public.

Travers, 54, who grew up in Gardiner and lives in Fairfield, worked at Good Will-Hinckley from 2000 to 2008, first as an educational technician and eventually as the program manager for staff enhanced programs. She then worked in various roles at the statewide education nonprofit JMG, most recently as vice president of strategic partnerships.

She takes over for Lisa Sandy, Good Will-Hinckley’s senior director of admissions and programming, who was leading the organization on an interim basis. Before her, Gary Dugal led the nonprofit.

“We are entering an exciting new chapter at Good Will-Hinckley, and Tracie is exactly the leader to guide us forward,” Ben Ward, the chair of the board of directors, said in a statement. “Her strategic mindset and passion for innovation will help us expand our impact and strengthen opportunities for young people across Maine.”

Among her goals, Travers said she plans to develop workforce programs in collaboration with other institutions and welcome the greater community on to the campus through new programs.

She said Good Will-Hinckley is in a good position, with an energetic board, strong endowment, dedicated staff and a “lasting reputation.”

“I feel like we couldn’t be better positioned than we are right now to really grow,” Travers said.