Coons Leaves Job At CCS

Jim Coons left his position as Combined Community Services Inc.'s executive director Dec. 30, after four years on the job.

Dan Clay, director of client assistance since July 1999, was named interim director.

Bob Vitoux, CCS' board of directors president, said Monday programs will run as usual and a new director will probably be on board by March.

The staff and board of directors of CCS serve low-income households in Kosciusko County by implementing programs such as the food pantry, Project Independence, Wheels to Work and Adopt-A-Family during the winter holidays. The faith-based charitable organization also administers an Individual Development Accounts program and provides office space for La Casa.

"We have so many good programs," Clay said, "and we'll continue to focus on the programs we do have, make sure they are operating at capacity, above par."

In September, CCS withdrew from the state-funded child care voucher program. The program paid for a portion of the CCS' executive director salary along with the salaries of three other people, Clay said.

In 1998, CCS' total revenue was approximately $475,000. The child care voucher program set revenues at almost $2 million, with most of those funds being paid out to people in the child care programs.

Vitoux said the 2003 budget will be about $750,000.

All current staff members will retain their positions.

"With the loss of the child care program, funding is a lot tighter. We'll be looking at ways to cut costs while maintaining services," Clay said.

Clay, who lives in Winona Lake with his wife, Christi, is a Kosciusko County native. He graduated from Warsaw Community High School and attended Indiana Wesleyan University. He is a 2002 Kosciusko Leadership Academy graduate. The Clays have four children.

CCS business hours are 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. For more information, call 269-6019.