The not-for-profit North East Community Action Corporation (NECAC) held its Annual Meeting and Installation of Officers Dinner Tuesday, Nov. 24 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in St. Clement with over 190 people in attendance.
NECAC is a 12-county area social service, community health and public housing Community Action Agency that administers and operates programs for the low-income, elderly, youth, handicapped and disadvantaged through contracts and grants with local, state and federal  governments, private business and other nonprofit organizations. 
NECAC President and Chief Executive Officer Don Patrick gave his annual report and told the crowd of board members, employees, volunteers and guests of the agency’s past year’s accomplishments and how it expanded services during the recent economic downturn.
Patrick noted that the board of directors had just adopted its 2009-10 budget of $26.7 million, an increase of $2.8 million over the previous year, making it the largest budget in the agency’s 45-year history.  He reported that the agency had added 13 full-time employees to the home weatherization program and 14 new full-time personnel to the community social services program.
NECAC currently employees over 140 full-time and 250 part-time personnel.  The agency operates over 60 social service, community health and public housing programs through partnership contracts with over 30 different funding sources and serves more than 16000 families and 60,000 individuals each year.  NECAC is one of 19 Community Action Agencies in Missouri and part of a national network of over 1000 agencies 
Patrick credited a team effort for the agency’s success and continued growth during the last year but pointed out that many challenges lay ahead for the coming year.
“We will have many challenges and opportunities during the coming year and I am confident in the resources, experience and dedication of our board of directors, employees and volunteers”, said Patrick.  “And, as usual, I expect we will meet these challenges head-on and will prevail.”
Patrick continued on his teamwork theme towards helping others, “Thanks to all of you, NECAC remains the number one Community Action Agency in Missouri and a leading agency on the national Community Action level.  Without all of us working together, moving forward in a positive, supportive, cooperative team effort, all the good works we do to help so many would not be possible”, he concluded.
Lyndon Bode of Palmyra, presiding county commissioner of Marion County, was then installed as chairman of the board of the 36-member volunteer board of directors which is composed of 12 public elected officials, 12 low-income representatives and 12 civic interest representatives.  Each county is represented by one board member from each of the 3 different categories. 
Along with Bode, other officers installed for the 2009-10 year were:  Fred Vahle of Warrenton in Warren County as vice-chairman; the Rev. D Randall Cone of Louisiana in Pike County as secretary; and, Mike Bridgins of St. Peters in St. Charles County, Troy Dawkins of Shelbina in Shelby County and John Bracey of Canton in Lewis County as trustees.
Also sworn in as directors were:
LINCOLN COUNTY: Leroy Brumgardt of Moscow Mills and Fred Layton of Troy.
PIKE COUNTY: Curt Mitchell of Clarksville and Bette Maxwell of Louisiana.
RALLS COUNTY:  George Lane of Center and Dyas Keith of New London.