William C. Basl, executive director of the Washington Commission for National and Community Service, has been named director of AmeriCorps, the national-service program.

He will succeed John Gomperts, who left to take a job as chief executive of America’s Promise Alliance, a children’s-advocacy network.

Mr. Basl has headed the commission, which manages AmeriCorps programs in the State of Washington, for 18 years. Before that, he founded the Washington Service Corps, a state youth-service program.

Mr. Basl will report to Wendy Spencer, the new head of the Corporation for National and Community Service. He joins AmeriCorps at a time when its future is uncertain because of Congressional budget battles.

See a Chronicle article about those and other challenges facing AmeriCorps.

Send an e-mail to Suzanne Perry.