WESTMINSTER — After more than 17 years as executive director of Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) and four decades of leadership in the Community Action network and the War on Poverty - not only in Vermont but also in New England and nationally - Steve Geller will be retiring at the end of December.
Under Geller's leadership, SEVCA has expanded the reach and impact of its programs serving people with low income and developed a multifaceted approach to meeting the diverse and complex problems facing Vermonters in Windham and Windsor counties, as well as statewide.
“Thanks to Steve and his deep commitment to fighting poverty, SEVCA is there with real and meaningful assistance to Vermonters that not only alleviates the hardships so many face, but offers a way towards a better life,” Tom Dougherty, president of SEVCA's board of directors, said in a news release.
“There has never been a time when the outcomes Community Action helps to produce have been more vital, and I couldn't be prouder about the role I played to enable that to happen,” Geller said.
A search committee of board members and senior staff is leading the search for Geller's successor, assisted by Beth Gilpin Consulting, a Vermont-based executive search and human resources consulting company.
The committee expects to formally launch the search in mid-August and plans to be interviewing candidates this fall.