Scott Long Completes National Certification Program for Community Action Leaders

Scott Long has received the Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP) designation from the Community Action Partnership, recognizing him as one of the nation’s most accomplished and motivated Community Action leaders who are helping low-income people change their lives.

Long is the executive director of Green Hills Community Action Agency, which serves low-income families and individuals in nine northwestern Missouri counties. The designation was presented last month at the Community Action Partnership National Conference in Chicago, Ill.

"The process of becoming a CCAP has led me to a rededication and commitment to moving people out of poverty," Long said. "The program has enhanced my ability to really connect my community to the history and mission of Community Action—what we do and why we do it—and to show them that we can work together to help working families."

Long serves on many statewide and local boards, including the Missouri Association for Community Action, the Northwest Missouri Workforce Investment Board, the Northwest Youth Council and the Grundy County Supportive Housing Corp. He holds various degrees, including a master’s in business administration, a bachelor’s of science in political science and a certificate in fund-raising management.

"Scott is a perfect example of our CCAPs— a talented individual with a broad range of skills and expertise who is energized about helping low-income families," said Don Mathis, President and CEO of the Community Action Partnership. "He is the type of leader that can rally the entire community around the common goal of fighting poverty and promoting economic security in America. This positive, can-do attitude is especially critical as more and more families are looking to Community Action for guidance as they face foreclosures and economic hardships."

Green Hills Community Action Agency works through partnerships to make self-sufficiency a reality for individuals and families, by empowering them to achieve the knowledge, skills and motivations needed to build strong families and communities. The agency serves the residents of Caldwell, Daviess, Grundy, Harrison, Linn, Livingston, Mercer, Putnam and Sullivan counties, and provides limited services to Carroll, Chariton and Ray counties.

His ability to guide and motivate low-income families; involvement in anti-poverty efforts on the local, state, and national levels; understanding of the history and mission of Community Action; and leadership capacity were evaluated through his candidate data form, executive skills portfolio and written examination — all of which he successfully completed to become a CCAP. The CCAP program provides candidates with a structured, focused procedure for evaluating and reflecting on how they are helping low-income families achieve economic independence by requiring them to provide comprehensive, documented examples of their accomplishments.