Emily Sheffield: Nasson Champion

Emily Sheffield

Phot: Autumn Bliss Photography

By: Jennifer Davie

How many hats can one person wear? That’s a challenge that Executive Director Emily Sheffield of the Nasson Community Center & Little Theater, continues to test! 

To say that Emily is “all in” is an understatement. Under her direction the community center and theater continue to grow and prosper.  

Organizing youth sports, facilitating theater programming and curating eye-catching social media content to promote offerings are just a few of the hats that Emily wears. She also handles the finances and does payroll for the All Friends Learning Center. Add to all that, unclogging toilets, shoveling snow and overseeing ongoing capital improvements, Emily does it all!

Emily joined the Nasson Community Center & Little Theater family as a board member in 2015. She then became the assistant to its executive director in 2018 and took over as executive director in 2019. She now ensures seamless operation of youth sports, including sponsored basketball and volleyball as well as wrestling. 

Community youth sports programming is a vital piece to a thriving community and offers developmental athletic opportunities to all kids. Youth who want to try a new sport or do not have the financial resources to participate in costly out-of-town travel sports, can be physically active, make new friends and truly become a part of their community. Who ensures that these programs run without a hitch? Who coordinates the registration process, collects payments, schedules the gym, cleans the gym, solicits the volunteers, coordinates team picture nights and more? Emily of course!

Benji Hoctor an enthusiastic youth basketball player

Photo: Jennifer Davie

When asked if there’s additional youth programming in the works Emily shared, “We’re open to meeting with coaches or community members to discuss their ideas with us. Pickleball seems to continue to be super popular and since we have our own equipment, we would love to see a youth league start.” 

In addition to youth sports programming, another pillar of the Community Center is the Little Theater. It offers a convenient and cozy location for enriching arts offerings and can easily be converted into a meeting space for local civic groups. The public may also rent the space for private events.

Mary Poppins, Matilda Jr. and The Addams Family are just a few of the offerings that have been successful over the last year in the Little Theater. Emily believes that “community theater provides a safe space for people to explore their creative potential, live out their dreams on stage and experience the joy of performing in a supportive environment, regardless of their prior acting experience.” She added, “We strive to offer this each and every time an actor walks through our door while offering quality performances to our community at an affordable price.” 

The Kiwanis Club of Sanford gathers in the space every Wednesday for their luncheons and club meetings and the York County Beekeepers Association holds regular meetings there. Countless memories have been made as community members have celebrated birthdays, baby showers and celebrations of life in the space. Contact Emily to book the community center.

The gym and theater are enough to keep any one person on their toes and busy, but Nasson also houses another critical offering for the Sanford/Springvale community: the All Friends Learning Center, a childcare program.

With the shortage of childcare centers in Maine, this Nasson program is crucial for the greater Sanford/Springvale community. It services between 30-40 families, offering quality childcare and, more importantly, peace of mind that children are safe and loved as their caregivers head to work each day.

In a time when gaining access to information takes just the touch of a button, we can be quick to forget that all the happenings and information you see about the Nasson Community Center and Little Theater have a real, live person making those things happen: its Executive Director, Emily Sheffield!

BREAKING NEWS: 

Nasson Community Center hasn’t officially announced their 2025 season yet, but permission has been given to share that they have received the artistic rights to the following shows! 

• Summer 2025: Annie 
• Summer 2025: Frozen Jr. 
• Winter 2025: The Sound of Music 

The Nasson Community Center and Little Theater is a 501c3 non-profit.

To support the community center and/or make a donation, email Emily directly at: office@nassoncommunitycenter.com

or check out their website at: https://nassoncommunitycenter.com/