Attorney Caitlin Musson, Head Start parent Chanelle Dundas join MEO Board

Wailuku attorney Caitlin Musson and Head Start preschool parent Chanelle Dundas attended their first Maui Economic Opportunity Board of Directors meeting as members Thursday.

Musson holds the Maui County Bar Association seat on the 21-member board. Dundas represents the Head Start Policy Council. The tripartite board consists of representatives of government, business and the community served by the 59-year-old anti-poverty community action agency.

Musson is an attorney with Horovitz & Tilly and replaces Peter Horovitz, who served on the board from 2016. She graduated with her law degree from the University of Colorado in 2018 and was admitted to the Hawai‘i State Bar in 2020.

Dundas takes the Head Start Policy Council seat on the board that had been held by Elizabeth Dela Cruz for a year.  She is a caregiver and stay-at-home mom and has a son attending Head Start in Makawao.

Head Start offers preschool to 3 and 4 year olds at no cost to income-qualifying families.  The program works with families and parents, who have a say in their child’s curriculum and activities through the Policy Council.

“Head Start helps my child achieve self-awareness and development skills . . . I’ve seen him grow and learn so much from teachers and friends,” Dundas said. “Head Start also helps me understand situations that arise and how we can work together on navigating every situation the right way and in one path.”