FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WINSTON A. ROSS ELECTED NEW PRESIDENT OF CAPLAW
February 25, 2009
Longtime CAPLAW Board member and former CAPLAW Vice-President Winston A. Ross was recently elected as the new President of Community Action Program Legal Services, Inc. (CAPLAW). Mr. Ross has succeeded Robert M. Coard, the President and CEO of Action for Boston Community Development, who served as the President of CAPLAW since the organization was founded in 1989 and will continue to serve as a CAPLAW Board member. CAPLAW is a nonprofit organization providing legal, financial, and governance advice and best practices to community action agencies nationwide.
“It is due to Mr. Coard’s foresight that CAPLAW was established,” said fellow CAPLAW board member and newly-elected Vice-President Patricia Steiger, commenting on Robert Coard’s tenure as CAPLAW President. “He did that because he understood the diversity and uniqueness of community action. He understood that we needed to have a go-to place for expert legal advice and counsel.”
“It has been an honor to serve as CAPLAW’s President since its founding, and I am confident that CAPLAW will continue to grow in its role as a legal support organization for community action under the leadership of Winston Ross”, said Mr. Coard.
A longtime community action leader and advocate, Winston Ross has served as the Executive Director of the Westchester Community Opportunity Program in Elmsford, New York, since 1984. He has also served as the past President of the Yonkers Branch NAACP, and the past First Vice President of the National Association of Community Action Agencies, among many other high-profile positions in the community action network. “At this time, it’s critical to ensure that our community action agencies function properly and legally and have available the best technical and legal advice to support the community action mission,” said Mr. Ross.
“I think that Winston Ross will bring continuing excellent leadership to CAPLAW, in that Winston has been the director of a community action agency, has had leadership roles in the NAACP in his area, and brings a great deal of strength to the board,” said Ms. Steiger. Anita Lichtblau, CAPLAW Executive Director and General Counsel, said that she looks forward to working with Winston Ross as the new President and thanks Robert Coard for his long-term leadership and support of CAPLAW
Gale Hennessy, Executive Director of Southern New Hampshire Services, will continue to serve as CAPLAW Treasurer and Catherine Hoskins, Executive Director of Salt Lake Community Action Program, will continue to serve as CAPLAW Secretary. In addition to Mr. Coard, Leonard Dawson, Executive Director of Coastal Georgia Area Community Action Authority, David Brightbill, Executive Director of Washington-Morgan Counties Community Action Program in Marietta, Ohio, and Douglas Rauthe, Executive Director of Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana, continue to serve as members of the CAPLAW Board of Directors. David Bradley, Executive Director of the National Community Action Foundation, serves as the CAPLAW Coordinator.
Registration is currently open for CAPLAW’s upcoming 2009 National Training Conference in Seattle, which will feature a series of valuable workshops covering fiscal, governance and human resources issues, among others. CAPLAW’s legal team continues to make possible high-quality audio conferences for community action professionals, we well as delivering workshops at CAA regional and national conferences and operating a vibrant online CAA Financial Network and CAA Attorneys Network. CAPLAW’s website, www.caplaw.org, continues to be updated with timely legal and governance information, including new web pages on Head Start and Financial Stimulus issues.