THE DALLES — After four years serving at the helm of Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC), Kenny LaPoint announced Jan. 21 his intention to resign as the organization’s executive director. MCCAC Deputy Director Kelli Horvath, who has served in several leadership roles at MCCAC since 2021, will continue to guide the agency until an interim executive director is appointed by MCCAC’s Board of Directors.
“Given the strong leadership team and organizational infrastructure Kenny built these past few years, the agency is well-positioned to maintain stability and continuity of operations during this transition,” said Sherman County Commissioner and Board Chair of MCCAC Joan Bird. “MCCAC has tackled countless challenges during Kenny’s tenure as executive director. Now, he’s passing the torch on to a team that is incredibly well-prepared to continue offering critical shelter, housing, utilities, and weatherization programs to our community.”
LaPoint was hired in 2020 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic after leaving his post as public affairs director at Oregon Housing and Community Services. In his resignation letter to MCCAC’s board and staff, he reflected on the agency’s impact on the community.
“The MCCAC team has grown from just eight people in November 2020 to nearly 40 today,” LaPoint said. “We transformed the once-dilapidated Oregon Motor Motel into The Annex — a vibrant community asset serving an average of 70 people daily with shelter, food, and services. We built the beautiful Gloria Center, a collaborative, multi-agency service hub designed to foster relationships and streamline access to vital services. We have also taken up the baton from Hood River Shelter Services, becoming the shelter operator in Hood River. Today, MCCAC is stronger and more equipped to serve the community than at any other time in its nearly 60-year history.”
The MCCAC Board of Directors will soon convene to appoint an interim executive director and begin searching for a permanent executive director.
“The entire board and I are so grateful for Kenny’s visionary leadership, fundraising prowess, and courage as MCCAC’s Executive Director these past few years,” said Wasco County Commissioner and MCCAC Board Secretary Phil Brady. “We will miss him, but we are also excited to keep building on the remarkable energy and momentum he brought to our community. He recruited and trained an incredible team and built a very strong foundation that will serve the people of Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman counties for years to come.”
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