Reports given during Tuesday night’s Green Hills Community Action Agency meeting shows the agency “to be in a healthy position to move forward,” according to Co-CEO Terri Henderson.
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Mrs. Henderson, who is serving in the Co-CEO position along with Tyson Otto, said the board heard reports from Neil Phillips of the auditing firm Jarred, Gilmore and Phillips CPA, as well as from Chief Financial Officer Janelle Tjarks and consultant Don Warren, who is also a former CEO of the agency. Mrs. Henderson said that based on reports regarding the CAA’s cash flow and financial projections through next February, she feels confident that the agency can continue offering services to its nine-county area and still be on “solid footing.”
“I feel like the information that was shared with us by the auditor, Don Warren and Janelle Tjarks was presented in a much clearer way that was understandable by everyone,” she said. “I think we all have a better explanation of what is happening and that the board and staff are on the same page in regard to getting things turned around.”
There has been concern expressed over the past few months concerning the financial situation with the agency, which announced last month that it was facing a 50 percent cut in money in Community Service Block Grant funding, beginning Oct. 1. Other funding situations have also led to some staff being eliminated while others have been asked to take unpaid furlough time.
She noted that seven of the agency’s nine offices will be closing as of July 22, but that services will still be provided in all of those areas.
“We want clients to be assured that they we will still have services available in all counties even without a physical building,” she said.
As was previously announced, all calls will be forwarded to the central office in Trenton and those matters that can be handled by telephone, fax or mail will be taken care of by local staff. Persons needing other assistance will be handled by staff on a case by case basis.
In addition to the Trenton office, some programs will be handled out of the Chillicothe office, which will be the only other one not closed by the agency.
Meanwhile, the trio of Mrs. Henderson, Otto and Warren will serve as a transition team and continue to oversee operations of the agency. Mrs. Henderson said that no timeframe has been established as to how long the transition team would remain in place. Sandi Williams had been serving as interim CEO of the agency prior to the appointment of the transition team on Tuesday night. The former CEO, Scott Long, resigned last month.