DAYTON – The Miami Valley Community Action Partnership (MVCAP) Board of Trustees has announced that after a national search, it has named Lisa Stempler as the organization’s president and chief executive officer, effective Feb. 24.

Stempler has been the agency’s interim president and CEO since September 2019. “Lisa’s in-depth knowledge of the Agency’s programs, her confidence in the Agency’s staff, and her compassion for the community we serve make her a wonderful choice to lead us forward,” said Deborah Donnelly, vice president and CFO.

Stempler has served as Miami Valley CAP’s vice president and chief operating officer since April 2017. Prior to returning to the nonprofit sector, she spent more than 35 years in academia, the private practice of law where she represented parents of disabled children seeking special education services, and in leadership roles in the public sector.

She holds a Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to lead MVCAP as we continue our critical work of eliminating and preventing the causes of poverty promoting self-sufficiency, and ensuring that families receive the necessary resources to thrive,” Stempler said. “During these uncertain times, MVCAP has been a leading force in eradicating poverty in the Miami Valley and I look forward to building on our past success and helping to write the next chapter.”

Since 1964, MVCAP has provided an array of services to low-income residents in Montgomery, Darke, Greene, and Preble counties. The scope of those services has changed over the years to meet the emerging needs of low-income people in our community, and today includes Utility Assistance, the largest Weatherization program in Ohio, Emergency Services, Micro-Enterprise, homeless shelters, transitional housing, programs supporting self-sufficiency, Housing Counseling, Income Tax Preparation, Financial Literacy, foreclosure assistance, and the first of its kind Legal Clinic specializing in removing barriers to employment.

“Our newest venture is a partnership with Gem City Market, where we will build, own, and lease the facility back to the Co-Op to help alleviate food insecurity in West Dayton,” Stempler said. “Last year, MVCAP served more than 25,000 individuals and households.”