It is with great pleasure that the Woodlawn CDC Board of Directors announces the decision to hire Mr. Dennis Tabella as the new Executive Director of the Woodlawn CDC and the Woodlawn Community Center. The Woodlawn CDC's Search Committee carefully selected Mr. Tabella out of several candidates who applied for the position. He will begin his new position on Monday, November 19, 2012.
Dennis comes to the Woodlawn CDC with over thirty years of professional experience serving diverse communities similar to the Woodlawn community. His experience includes eleven years as Executive Director of the Elmwood Community Center in Providence where he developed and implemented youth and adult programs, as well as created social and economic services to address the multi-faceted issues in Elmwood. Prior to this position, he worked as Associate Director for Education, Training, and Employment at the Urban League of RI, and held several positions at the former Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) including Director for Vocational and Educational Services, Assistant Director of Adult Services, and Coordinator and Instructor of Vocational Education Training.
Dennis is a U.S. Army Veteran where he received the Vietnam Service Medal with bronze star, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, and Military Justice Training. Proud of his Cape Verdean heritage, he has worked successfully with various cultures and socio-economic populations prioritizing diversity and utilizing outreach strategies to achieve positive relationships and partnerships. He spends much of his free time volunteering for Defenders of Animals, a volunteer agency he and his wife created. In addition, he has several years of grant writing and fundraising experience and service as a volunteer on various community boards and committees including the RI Victims' Advocacy and Support Initiative; the IBM Business Advisory Council; URI Talent Development Program; and a member of the Governor's Committee on Employment for the Disabled.
We ask that you please introduce yourselves to Dennis who will work collaboratively with you to continue operating and supporting your programs and services at the Woodlawn Community Center. We look forward to working with Dennis and have confidence that he will represent the Woodlawn community professionally and proudly for many years