'In very qualified hands': Josh Kelly wants to learn in his new role as TVCCA CEO

The new CEO of Thames Valley Council for Community Action is coming from a background in municipal government, instead of non-profits.

Josh Kelly, the town manager of Winchester, will start his CEO position at the non-profit community action agency on Oct. 24. He plans to work with retiring CEO Deb Monahan until she steps down on Nov. 10.

Monahan is confident she’s leaving the agency “in very qualified hands.” She will spend the overlapping weeks mentoring Kelly on how the organization is run, she said.

“I hope during those three weeks I get to share as much knowledge as I can,” she said. “Our mutual goal is a smooth transition for the employees of the agency and for the people in the community.”

What is Josh Kelly's background?

Kelly lived in Waterford most of his life since grade school. When he went to college, he initially studied opera, but then decided to switch to political science, and ran for office while he still was in college in 2015.

He served in town government for Waterford and worked for the town governments of Windsor and Bolton. He moved to Winchester in 2021 to serve as the town manager, Kelly said.

Why Josh Kelly is coming to TVCCA

Kelly became familiar with TVCCA during his time in elected office in Waterford. He knew it was well-run and a good place to work. The opportunity to take charge of TVCCA was “a match made in heaven,” he said.

Monahan was certain Kelly would be the best replacement within minutes of meeting him. His skills fit the job, and he has the same interest in building bonds between people, she said.

“He’s very approachable, very easy to speak to,” she said. “His heart is in southeastern Connecticut.”

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Kelly felt the same excitement when first meeting Monahan and other people in TVCCA’s leadership, who he’s also excited to work with, he said.

“The whole room lit up when they started their dialogue,” Kelly said.

Monahan and Kelly both said there’s an overlap between what her work at TVCCA and what Kelly has done in his municipal roles. Elaborating, Kelly said he’s had to deal with similar issues that TVCCA faces, and that he started a Resident Assistance Fund.

There are still differences between working for a municipal government and the nonprofit sector. The scope of TVCCA’s services and administering programs as opposed to the narrower focus of municipal departments is going to be a challenge.

However, he still has a general knowledge of how social service organizations work, having collaborated with Waterbury-based New Opportunities, Kelly said.

“I know what they’re looking for from local governments. I know what local governments are looking for from the organizations,” he said.

What's next for TVCCA under Josh Kelly

During the transition, Kelly said he “needs to be like a sponge” to get all the knowledge he can. Monahan will still consult as needed after, but Kelly said he wants to keep the organization operating in the same way for at least the first six months, if not longer. Future changes will be based on TVCCA’s past practices, he said.

“I won’t be taking things from my past and say, ‘Hey, I’ve seen this work in other places, it’s going to be a cookie-cutter improvement at TVCCA’,” he said. “It’s giving the organization the opportunity to teach me what its needs are.”

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Kelly is coming into TVCCA when there are many programs relying on American Rescue Plan Act funding, which is set to end by 2026. At that time, the organization’s budget is expected to drop from $44 million to $34 million, Monahan said. Kelly’s goal is to maintain as many of these programs as possible, and find the funding to make up for those ARPA funds, he said.

“There are so many programs in TVCCA’s budget that are significant,” he said. “Each program makes a difference in somebody’s life, and we’re trying to keep pushing that number up to offer as many services as possible.”

Issues Kelly wants to put more time and attention into include the housing crisis and childcare, he said.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: TVCCA's new CEO Josh Kelly is leaving role as Winchester town manager