History

The 1964 Economic Opportunity Act, or EOA, was enacted by President Lyndon B. Johnson and US Congress. This Act started the War on Poverty. From there, the Office of Economic Opportunity was established. The OEO reported directly to the president as part of the executive branch.

One thousand six hundred community action organizations opened their doors to begin the long battle against an unfair socio-economic system within the following two years. Of those, about 900 are left fighting. Sadly, although we’ve made huge strides, poverty is still pervasive in our country.

The State of New York used these new laws and established its own organizations to serve and assist its low-income population with their unmet needs. In May of 1965, the Community Action Organization of Erie County, or CAO, came into being to serve that purpose within Erie County. Over the years, CAO has been recognized as a vital operation by the Community Action Movement. 

We’ve been leaders on a national level throughout the years, and we can thank the agency's three primary leaders for that. First, the late Ambrose Lane helped establish the CAO in 1965. Julian B. Dargan took charge in 1970 and steered us in the right direction all the way up to 2001, at which point L. Nathan Hare became the President and CEO. In 2017, he officially changed the agency’s name to Community Action Organization of Western New York, Inc.

Following Hare’s retirement in early 2021, Thomas Kim was appointed as President and CEO. Kim served from 2021 to January 2024, when he stepped down from his position. The Board of Directors appointed Marie Cannon, DSW, as the President and CEO of CAO of WNY in June 2024. Dr. Cannon came to the CAO with a wealth of experience in the field of social services. She served as Commissioner for the Erie County Department of Social Services overseeing 1,600 employees, with a $618 million budget, and serving 27,000 people per month. Dr. Cannon became the first women to lead the organization since its establishment in 1965.