CCA Presents Awards at Annual Meeting

Over 200 people, including Community Care Alliance (CCA) Board of Directors, staff, Friends of CCA, and invited guests from the community attended CCA’s Annual Meeting and Recognition Event on June 24th at St. Ann’s Arts & Cultural Center in Woonsocket. This was the first annual meeting of CCA, formed on July 1, 2014 with the merger of Family Resources Community Action and NRI Community Services.

Board Chair, William Ryan, led the business meeting in which the election of Judith R. Dance was affirmed as Woonsocket Director and Jill Rasmussen was elected as Director to the Private Sector. The slate of Directors and Officers was approved unanimously effective July 1, 2015. CCA President/CEO Benedict Lessing introduced Maria Montanaro, Director of the RI Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals who gave the keynote address.

The highest commendation, the Paul H. Dempster Award, was presented to Susan Grislis, Executive Director of Project LEARN, for her more than 30 years of service supporting adult literacy in Woonsocket (Pictured above with CCA CEO Ben Lessing.) It was announced that Project LEARN merged with Community Care Alliance on July 1, 2015, adding to the array of services offered through CCA. The Ubuntu award to honor a CCA staff person who embodies the spirit of humanity toward others was presented to Geraldine Floody-Duarte, Housing Director at CCA.