Login | March 29, 2024

Ohio, Indiana Volunteers of America groups merge into one organization

BRANDON KLEIN
Special to the Legal News

Published: September 20, 2018

The Ohio and Indiana affiliates of Volunteers of America have merged into a new organization.

The new Volunteers of America Ohio & Indiana will serve more than 23,000 people from 65 program locations in 16 communities across the region, according to the organization.

"The merger of neighboring affiliates leverages our strong financial positions, outstanding legacies, and programmatic diversification opportunities. As a stronger organization, we'll be able to accelerate program growth quickly in Ohio and Indiana to help more people in need of housing, employment, and addiction treatment," said John R. von Arx III, who was appointed president and CEO of the merged organization, effective Aug 21.

Before joining Volunteers of America of Indiana as president and CEO in 2016, von Arx served as a policy director for Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and a consultant on government operations for KPMG LLP and Crowe LLP.

He will manage the new organization with an annual budget of $74 million and 950 employees.

Agency administrative offices will also be maintained in Columbus and Indianapolis with program offices Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, Mansfield, Sandusky, and Toledo as well as Indiana locations in Columbus, Evansville, Ft. Wayne, Gary, Marion, Terre Haute, and Winchester.

The organization said there will be no employee layoffs but some department reorganization.

The merger was approved by the national Volunteers of America office and the combined affiliates' board of directors.

Kyle Hanson, the chairman of board of directors for the new organization, said the organization discovered the two affiliates' programs were complementary and provides opportunity to expand in both states.

Hanson cited Indiana affiliates addiction recovery services and Ohio's services in veteran services, retail and housing for disabled and homeless individuals as areas to expand upon.

"By merging our organizations, we will reduce administrative costs, and invest greater resources toward VOA's mission," said Dennis Kresak in a statement and who has stepped into a new role as CEO emeritus.

As the former VOA Ohio president and CEO and a veteran of four VOA mergers in Ohio, Kresak will assist the leadership team with the transition over the next year.

Three months after Ballington and Maud Booth founded Volunteers of America in 1896, three posts for the organizations were established in Cleveland and by the late 1920s posts were established in Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Mansfield, Sandusky, Toledo and Youngstown.

Volunteers of America has about 30 affiliates with some having jurisdictions in multiple states.

Copyright © 2018 The Daily Reporter - All Rights Reserved


[Back]