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Kentucky and Iowa CAA's Milestones Recognized at CCAP Ceremony in Boston

A record number of Community Action leaders were formally enrolled as Certified Community Action Professionals at the Community Action Partnership's 2010 Annual Convention in Boston. Among the group of 49 new Certified Community Action Professionals were nine who came from KCEOC Community Action Partnership in Barbourville, KY. KCEOC joins 14 other agencies nationwide that have at least five CCAPs on their leadership teams.

KCEOC chief executive Paul Dole, CCAP since 1994, said that the commitment to obtaining the designation for the CAA's management team was a part of the agency's response to participating in teh Partnerships Pathways to Excellence program. Dole said that from his experience "the more Certified Community Action Professionals an agency has, the better it performs."

Dole said that he already sees the difference in the level of ownership of the mission of the entire agency among his fellow CCAPs. They have assumed new levels of responsibility for identifying problems that the agency needs to address and are providing solutions for them.

According to Dole "a CEO who wants his agency to really be successful has got to get management staff into the Certified Community Action Professional program." He added, "they need to get on board with programs like Certified Community Action Professional, regional certifications, and Pathways to Excellence and show that they value education for their team."

Also among the new CCAPs acknowledged in Boston were two staff members from Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation in Decorah, IA. Their enrollment as CCAPs means that every member of the agency's leadership team is now a CCAP.

Mary Ann Humpal, Executive Director, is proud of this accomplishment for her agency. When the Region VII CAA Association surveyed the agencies in its states about the impact of having multiple CCAPs on the management team, she said "it broke down the 'silo mentality.' Managers were no longer just focused on their own program. They now saw the common mission and vision of the agency and brought a new level of understanding and commitment to teh work of Community Action." She added, "Now that the entire management team are Certified Community Action Professionals, I no longer have to talk about mission and vision and values. They understand what this agency is trying to accomplish and now just naturally incorporate the Community Action Promise in their everyday activities. We have no turf issues since we all are striving for the greater good of the families we serve."

"We now are looking to the future," said Humpal. "We are working with mid-management staff to become Certified Community Action Professionals so, as retirements occur, we will be in a good position to leave this agency in secure hands that understand that Community Action is more than a set of programs - it is an opportunity to change people's lives."

-Jim Lopresti, Director of the Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP) Program