FAIRFIELD — Good Will-Hinckley announced Tuesday that Gary Dugal, the organization’s vice president of operations, will be the new president and executive director.

Dugal has 30 years of experience in education and will replace Rob Moody, who stepped down this summer to become principal at China Primary School in Regional School Unit 18, Good Will-Hinckley announced in a news release.

Good Will-Hinckley announced Tuesday that Gary Dugal, the organization’s vice president of operations, has been promoted to become its new president and executive director. Photo courtesy of Good Will-Hinckley

“At my core I’m a teacher and a coach, a direct result of my work here,” Dugal said in the release. “I understand the depth of the mission and I look forward to building on the impressive progress of my predecessor in serving at-risk youth and families in our great state.”

Good Will-Hinckley was founded in 1889 as a farm, school and home for low-income boys, and has offered a variety of programs over the decades. In 2009, a number of the organization’s programs ended, although it was able to stabilize its operations.

In 2012, 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 is run out of the Moody School, which is located on the Good Will-Hinckley campus.

The private, nonprofit Good Will-Hinckley now runs the L.C. Bates Museum, the Glenn Stratton Learning Center, a Campus Living Program, College Step-up and Transitions, Roundel Residential, as well as other programs aimed at assisting Maine children and families.

After announcing in April that Moody would step down, the board of directors spent several months searching for a replacement. Dugal was chosen out of a pool of 12 applicants from a variety of professional backgrounds.

Ben Ward, chair of the board of directors, said he was excited to welcome Dugal to the role.

“Gary’s passion for the mission will ensure that Good Will-Hinckley continues serving the youth in our community who need a helping hand,” Ward said.

Dugal first worked at Good Will-Hinckley as a teacher in 1993 and later worked in the Independent Living Program. He has held multiple roles in the organization’s administration.

He has a bachelor’s degree in business and community health education from the University of Maine at Farmington, and a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Maine in Orono.

He lives in Winslow with his wife, Michelle, and their dog, Chilli.

“The mission of this organization — helping youth and families live, heal, learn and grow — has never been more robust or necessary than it is today,” Dugal said in the release. “The importance of the work our incredible staff does every day cannot be overstated. As such, I walk into this position with my eyes wide open, feeling the weight of this responsibility.”