Needham residents looking for adult enrichment classes this fall will find a new face running the program: Charly Nanda, a longtime arts advocate and community volunteer, has stepped in as director of Needham Community Education's adult programs.

Nanda replaced Amy Goldman, who retired June 30 after leading the program since 2018. NCE's adult division is one of four age-specific branches within Needham Community Education, itself a self-funded arm of Needham Public Schools supported entirely by class fees and donations.

The program serves adults across Needham and surrounding communities, offering everything from fresh cheese-making and ceramic oyster plate sculpting to private language lessons and Mah Jongg for beginners. NCE as a whole, spanning all four divisions, provides more than 500 enrichment programs to over 6,000 participants each year, according to the district's website.

Nanda's roots in Needham run deep. She has chaired the town's Council for Arts and Culture, served as secretary for the Cultural Council, sat on the working group for the Needham Arts & Culture Action Plan, and served as a Town Meeting member. Much of the town's recent public art traces back to her work: the mural by Trader Joe's, downtown art boxes, painted jersey barriers, blacktop art at High Rock, fence art at Pollard, and mosaics around Haddock-McLeod Plaza.

"Mah Jongg? Hot cakes," Nanda told the Needham Observer, describing one of the program's most popular offerings.

Goldman spent her final six months creating a handbook of checklists covering every aspect of the job. The two worked side-by-side for two and a half weeks before Goldman's departure, according to the Needham Observer.

Goldman took over from Mary Grace Summergrad in 2018. Summergrad was NCE's first adult program director, appointed after Sue Bonaiuto reinvented the program in 2006. During her tenure, Goldman built partnerships with local organizations including Powisset Farm in Dover, Gordon's Fine Wine and Liquors, and Cappella Restaurant.

Nanda said she wants residents to see NCE as a resource and plans to build programming around community input. She pointed to a Nantucket weaving bracelet class in the fall catalog that originated from a single resident sharing an interest with Goldman.

The fall catalog, which includes classes in musical instruments, watercolor painting, new languages, golf, and Canasta, will be mailed to all Needham, Wellesley, Dover, and Westwood residents in late August, according to the NCE website. Residents can register online or by phone at 781-455-0400, ext. 5.