Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity

From Bhamwiki
Revision as of 13:52, 30 November 2021 by Dystopos (talk | contribs)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
JCCEO logo.png

The Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity (JCCEO) is a non-profit Community Action Agency (CAA) which administrates programs in Jefferson County enabled by Title II of the federal Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. The agency distributes funds awarded through Community Services Block Grants, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance utility grants, Weatherization Assistance Program funds, Head Start pre-school programs, and other federal programs. In 2018 the JCCEO employed around 500 people with an annual budget of about $30 million. By 2021 the annual budget had grown to around $37 million, of which 90% was dedicated to managing Head Start programs. Other grant-funded programs managed by JCCEO include utility and rental assistance, and home weatherization campaigns.

President Lyndon Johnson's "War on Poverty" legislation, as drafted by Sargent Shriver, established separate committees which included residents of impoverished neighborhoods rather than relying on local governments to distribute funding. That intent was undercut by later amendments which added more local officials and business owners to CAA boards. Many more funding cuts and legislative changes came during the Reagan and Bush administrations.

The committee was incorporated on January 21, 1965 as the Birmingham Area Committee for Development of Economic Opportunity. Before it began administering programs in December of that year, it had already expanded its scope as part of an agreement between the City of Birmingham and Jefferson County. A priority of the new organization was the establishment of "Neighborhood Service Centers" with their own Neighborhood Advisory Councils. In addition to its direct impact, the JCCEO's participatory structure provides opportunities for disadvantaged residents to develop leadership and administrative skills.

Since the 1990s the JCCEO has been headquartered in the former Graymont Elementary School at 300 8th Avenue West, which it shares with the Arrington Head Start Center.

In 2006 former Jefferson County Commission member Jeff Germany was convicted of directing nearly $500,000 to allies through the JCCEO, much of which was returned to him and his son in the form of kickbacks. In 2014 former executive director Gayle Cunningham and her daughter, Kelli Caulfield pleaded guilty in federal court of stealing nearly $500,000 in funds intended for distribution through the JCCEO.

Sharon Myles was named director in November 2019. In March 2020 she fired chief financial officer Richard Wells and contracted with Ann Massa of Mississippi Early LLC to provide financial oversight services. Myles appointed Jacqueline Hill to take over as CFO in November of that year, but fired her in February 2021 and resumed contracting with Massa. Other contracts questioned by the board included renting space from Greater Grace Church in Center Point for $10,000 per month and paying its pastor, Lawrence Jackson, another $5,000 a month to work as a behavioral consultant.

A tip from a whistleblower led the board to open an investigation into JCCEO's finances. Board attorney Thomas Scroggins hired accountants Shepard-Harris & Associates to collect and review documents. They found that Massa, listed as "key personnel", had been paid more than $79,800 between August 19 and September 24, 2021. On November 1, 2021 the board fired Myles, Massa and four other contract employees, one of whom, Tommy Nsuk, is believed to have been in a personal relationship with Myles. Chief Human Resources Officer Brenda Singellos was appointed to serve as interim director.

Former board president T. L. Lewis wrote to the Head Start regional office in Atlanta, Georgia to say that Myles had been wrongfully terminated and that 10 members of the JCCEO board needed to be replaced. The dissension led Head Start officials to notify JCCEO that it would have to voluntarily relinquish its role in managing its federally-funded programs, a loss of 90% of JCCEO's annual budget of $37 million, with the next opportunity to re-apply coming no sooner than 2026. Board chair Gary Richardson asked the City of Birmingham and Jefferson County to provide $3 million to keep the agency operating.

On Wednesday November 24, the day before Thanksgiving, the JCCEO notified all 258 employees that they would be laid off. Head Start programs would continue, managed by another agency or directly by the Office of Head Start, and presumably employing many of those former JCCEO workers.

Executive directors

Facilities

Head Start Centers

Senior Nutrition Centers

Other facilities

References

  • Faulk, Kent (March 26, 2014) "Former JCCEO executive director Gayle Cunningham sentenced to 2 years in prison for $500,000 theft from agency." The Birmingham News
  • Rebman, Stephanie (November 15, 2019) "JCCEO names new executive director." Birmingham Business Journal
  • Johnson, Roy S. (November 1, 2021) "Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity fires executive director, 5 others." The Birmingham News
  • Johnson, Roy S. (November 22, 2021) "With $2 million deficit, layoffs imminent at Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity." The Birmingham News
  • Johnson, Roy S. (November 22, 2021) "Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity ‘dead’ without $3 million from city, county: board chair." The Birmingham News
  • Johnson, Roy S. (November 26, 2021) "JCCEO executive’s firing followed financial inconsistences, alleged relationship with contractor." The Birmingham News
  • "Turmoil hits antipoverty group as report questions contracts." (November 29, 2021) Associated Press / WBHM.org

External links

Retrieved from "http://bhamwiki.com/w/index.php?title=Jefferson_County_Committee_for_Economic_Opportunity&oldid=186118"