After a year with Phillip E. Dukes at the helm of the Monticello Area Community Action Agency (MACAA) (www.avenue.org/macaa), the Board of Directors has decided to cut ties. “MACAA needs to move in a different direction and that will require new leadership,” said Robert Smith, president of the Board of Directors.
MACAA is a nonprofit organization that tackles poverty issues in Charlottesville and several surrounding counties; most notably, it administers the regional Head Start program. Dukes took over in January 2006 after five-year Executive Director Noah Schwartz left to lead the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority.
Connie Jorgensen, MACAA spokesperson, would not go into detail about the leadership change. “The staff and the board are going to get together and start discussing exactly where it is we want to go,” said Jorgensen. “It’s time for MACAA to really step up to the plate and be the agency we can be.” Gary Nickelsen, currently chief operating officer, will serve as interim executive director.
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