New Haven Independent

“I have cautious optimism about it,” said Smith after the CAA’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to name him as CEO. The last guy lasted six months in the job and was not asked to return. CAA is the region’s largest provider of services like home heating oil for the poor and “meals on wheels” for the elderly.

How will Smith save the agency from a history of corruption, shoddy accounting and political game-playing? His approach will be “To be a good listener. To work collaboratively with the board and the rest of the community.” His priority? “Gaining the trust and confidence of the community, straightening out the finances and being able to deliver quality services to the community.”

He’s got a lot of work to do. Thursday’s meeting revealed the agency had a whopping $662,000 deficit in 2005. That’s a big jump from recent years’ shortfalls: The agency lost $50,000 in 2003 and $340,000 in 2004, reported the agency’s new chief financial officer, Bob Podeswa, who is spending his first few months sorting out years of horrendous accounting. The 2005 figure is preliminary, he said, but he didn’t expect much change.

The top five reasons for the “hemorrhaging”? asked a fired-up Lindy Lee Gold [pictured below]. Podeswa replied:
1. “Uncontrolled spending.”
2. “Non-profitable programs.”
And… “For 3 to 25, you could insert almost anything you want.”

Podeswa also announced the agency had been wasting about $20,000 on cell phone plans by buying individual contracts instead of a group plan. He’s stepping in to renegotiate the contracts. Members, though visibly shocked by the figures, thanked him for ending years of financial oblivion.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for this information,” said Gold.

One fund-abusing puzzle has yet to be solved: Who’s been taking the agency S.U.V. out for joy rides? “The agency vehicle hasn’t only been used for agency use,” reported Michael Smart, an alderman and board member [pictured above]. Board members voted to quarantine the vehicle in the agency’s parking lot until the culprit is caught

Gold protested: What if it needs to be used for an emergency?

Smart put his foot down: “Right now, precaution is what we want to do.” The rest of the board — only about half a dozen were present — agreed.

Meanwhile, other board members have been dropping left and right. President Darrell Brooks announced three board members — Dr. Andres Vega, Alderwoman Jackie James, and Sheneane Ragin — have just resigned.

And the agency’s plan to relocate to a building on the Ella Grasso Boulevard seems to have gone astray. The agency has already hired an architect. Former CEO John E. Richardson, Jr. worked out a deal so that the Boulevard landlord would pay $20,000 of the architect’s fees if the move went through. “Did we hire an architect prematurely?” asked Gold. “Yes,” came the reply. It looks like the CAA will end up eating that cost instead — directors are looking around for other sites, such as one on Shelton Avenue, today.

All this will be on Amos Smith’s plate when he joins the CAA at the end of May. He’s leaving his job at the Community Foundation, where he works as the health disparity director, on May 12. He’s worked there for eight years while occasionally teaching classes in psychiatry at UConn on the side. He’s a fresh face with private sector know-how, having worked for Blue Cross Blue Shield and the Travis Corporation. He knows he’s got a tall task ahead.

“It’s an organization that does a lot of good for a lot of people. It’s had some troubles and the board has been diligent in working with the state.” — the Department of Social Services, that is. The DSS commissioner has been taking charge of the clean-up effort. Smith was one of six candidates selected by DSS to fill Richardson’s shoes. “I’m happy to be part of the effort to turn it around. It’ll take a broad effort in helping to move it forward.”

The meeting ended with one bright piece of news: The CAA’s popular energy assistance program, which has grown by 4.5 percent this year, will be extended by two weeks, from April 17 to May 1.