Robert C. Grant Honored at Retirement Ceremony

Long-time Board President Led Head Start of Morris County for Two Decades

Bob Grant and students from a Head Start class in Morris Township. Juan Fernandez, executive director Head Start Community Program of Morris County, is on the far right.

Children carrying colorful, oversized cutouts of the letters R, C and G joined area officials, families and employees of the Head Start Community Program of Morris County today in honoring Robert C. Grant, who stepped down as president of the organization.

Grant served for the past 22 years on the Head Start board of directors, most of that time as president. He guided the organization through government shutdowns, funding challenges and unparalleled growth. Under his tutelage, Head Started doubled the capacity of its pre-school program between its Dover headquarters and classrooms at county facilities in Parsippany-Troy Hills Township.

“What you have given children is not only a head start in education, but also an example of service to the community. When children see that, they learn that giving back is part of life -- and when they give, they will receive it back a hundred times over. We need a thousand Bob Grants, and we need a thousand children who learn through this program and get a true head start,” said Morris County Commissioner Christine Myers, presenting a resolution of honor on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners.

View More Photos from the Retirement Ceremony

Under Grant’s leadership, the program expanded public pre-K partnerships, launched an Early Head Start program and completed major renovation projects that broadened early education opportunities for hundreds of children and families throughout Morris County.

Grant thanked his colleagues, past and present, as he was presented with honors during a ceremony held at the Head Start facility in Parsippany.

Noting some of Head Start’s most significant achievements, Grant recalled working with the late state Sen. Anthony R. Bucco and then-Gov. Richard Codey in the early 2000s to secure $545,000 in state funding for the program. It helped Head Start to bring in a waiting list of 70 children, phasing them into classrooms at its Dover headquarters over a two-year period.

“This organization and its accomplishments have been truly bipartisan … not only bipartisan, but generational in its support,” Grant said. “It’s been a remarkable journey, but … the time has come for me to step aside.”

Morris County Commissioner Christine Myers presenting the resolution of honor to Bob Grant.

State Sen. Anthony M. Bucco, who carried on his father’s commitment to Head Start, provided Grant with a legislative citation, crediting him with helping generations of children while inspiring generations of people in Morris County to lend time and support to the program.

“Your leadership has guided this program a long way, from Dover to here, and you should be really proud of that,” Bucco said, referring to the program’s expansion under Grant.

In 2020, Grant and then-Morris County Administrator John Bonanni advanced a federal, state and county partnership to expand Head Start to create classrooms for 90 children at a county facility in the Morris County Nonprofit Mall in Parsippany off Central Avenue.

The New York Jets Foundation added a playground at the facility, and in 2021 the new building was dedicated as the Robert C. Grant Head Start Center of Morris County.

Grant more recently oversaw a renovation and expansion of the original Head Start facility in Dover, where five classrooms were added with federal support and the building was rededicated this past summer as the Susan O’Donnell Head Start Headquarters to honor the program’s recently retired executive director.

During today’s ceremony, more than a dozen pre-school children presented Grant with a giant letter of thanks, and two of them read the letter aloud: “Dear Mr. Grant, Thank you for helping to build our school. We love Head Start. We play, sing, read, exercise, learn math, create art, eat healthy meals and make many friends. RCG is a great place to be!”

A representative of U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill delivered a congressional certificate to Grant, and incoming Head Start Board President Rebecca Kolpa presented a plaque on behalf of the board and staff. Morris County Administrator Deena Leary, Assistant County Administrator Brian Murray, Human Services Director Kasey Errico and former Head Start Executive Director Susan O’Donnell were among those in attendance.

Grant’s wife, Geordi, and his brother, Dan Grant, were among relatives who attended the ceremony.

Initially established in Morristown in 1965, the Head Start of Morris County now provides free early care and education to 301 children and families throughout Morris County. It is the only Head Start program in New Jersey to achieve 5-STAR status from Grow NJ Kids.

More information about Head Start services in Morris County is available by calling 973-989-5640 or by visiting the organization’s website, headstartmc.org.