Leadership Changes Mark 40^th Anniversary of

Long-Term Care Management Nonprofit

 

Bristol, CT— After 40 years with Connecticut Community Care, the State’s leading long-term care management nonprofit organization, Molly Rees Gavin, President, today announced plans to retire.  Concurrently, the CCC Board of Directors announced that, beginning August 3, Julia Evans Starr will succeed Gavin.  As Executive Director of the Connecticut Commission on Aging, Julia and her Commissioners educated the General Assembly on a myriad of policy issues; one of the most recent of which was a nationally recognized “Livable Communities” initiative. Julia also has been instrumental in the development of numerous State Plans, the work of the Coalition for Elder Justice and MyPlaceCT.org.  Gavin retires as CCC looks to the future, celebrating its 40^th Anniversary tomorrow, July 1^st.

 

“I came to CCC’s predecessor, the SAIL (Strengthened Assistance for Independent Living) Project at the North Central Area Agency on Aging in 1976, a 26-year-old “kid” wanting to change the world,” said Gavin. “Thanks to decades of stellar Board, Corporator and staff dedication, we have, in fact, done just that. Every single night over 9,000 clients and their families are resting a little easier because CCC is in their lives. We have worked decisively and collaboratively with public and private stakeholders in the development of the Connecticut Home Care Program, Money Follows the Person and Community First Choice. We have joined forces with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Connecticut Chapter, the Congregation of Notre Dame and countless elder care attorneys and probate judges to provide customized care management to their private clientele. We have spoken in hundreds of classrooms and lecture halls across the country sharing our unique brand of care management; one of the most respected and emulated models in the nation.

 

Over the years I have been blessed with extraordinary teachers; primarily our clients and our staff. Clients share decades of lived experience, from the Depression to World War II, to the joy and suffering of their own lives. Their resilience never ceases to amaze me. They never stop reminding us to always allow them to direct the course of their own lives in any and every way possible. Our staff, on the other hand, share all the challenging lessons of teamwork, negotiation, prioritization and perspective; learnings that have served me well.”

 

Starr Leads CCC into Future

 

News of the leadership change comes as CCC is poised to embrace the future with inspiring new leadership at the helm as the organization moves forward to celebrate “40 Forward! A Tribute Celebration of Life,” a year-long tribute celebration dedicated to the people we have served and their families.

 

“Julia is strategic, creative, energetic and, above all, highly motivated to lead CCC into the future,” said Kim Kalajainen, Chairman, CCC Board of Directors.  “We searched far and wide for a successor and know that Julia’s commitment to and expertise in the long-term healthcare arena will benefit CCC as we plan aggressively for the future.”

 

Julia commented, "I am honored and energized to accept the baton as President of Connecticut Community Care, an agency whose very foundation was built from the heart.  And now on the heels of 40 years of sublime leadership and commitment, I am primed to work with our collective community to innovate and realize our shared vision ~ enhanced quality of life and connectivity for all our clients and beyond.”   

 

At this time of unprecedented challenges, the legacy of CCC continues as an organization that has opened countless doors for thousands of elders and those with disabilities so they could live life on their own terms in the home of their choice. From a handful of provider agencies in 1980, to hundreds of their successors today, from a couple of individuals to three hundred employees, we have participated in, and in many instances lead, the dynamic growth and maturity of our community long term care system. 

 

Connecticut Community Care (CCC) is a private not-for-profit organization driven by the life goals, choices and needs of more than 15,000 individuals.  CCC coordinates information, assessment, referral, care transition and long-term community-based care for individuals of all ages, abilities and incomes, and is guided by the fundamental principle that individuals have the right to live how and where they choose.  For information visit www.ctcommunitycare.org