In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Beck Moore and Heather Holloway welcome Brandi Fleming, Executive Director of Indiana County Community Action Program, for a conversation about leadership, service, responsibility, and what it means to keep holding hope for a community.

Brandi shares what has kept her rooted in Indiana County and how Community Action helps create pathways to stability and opportunity for individuals and families. She reflects on the increasingly complex challenges people are facing, from housing and food insecurity to employment, rising costs, and the many connected barriers that can make it difficult for families to move forward.

The conversation also explores Brandi's journey from accounting and finance into Community Action leadership. She talks about the shift from CFO to executive director, the challenge of balancing strategy, outcomes, and dollars, and the leadership value she calls "strong kindness," pairing compassion with accountability, boundaries, and strength.

Throughout the episode, Brandi offers an honest look at the weight and beauty of Community Action work. She shares what gives her hope, including programs that feed children and seniors, the power of helping someone take the next step toward stability, and the strength of a statewide network that continues to gather, collaborate, and push for change.

From client stories and leadership lessons to finding balance during heavy days, this episode is a reminder that Community Action is built by people who keep showing up, keep caring, and keep working toward a better future for the communities they call home.

Connect with Brandi Fleming on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandi-fleming-a7866b359/

Follow Indiana County Community Action Program, Inc on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/IccapofIndianapa or on their website here: https://iccap.net/

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Beck Moore welcomes Bree Groff back to the podcast for a conversation about work, joy, humanity, leadership, and what it means to create organizations where people can feel more like themselves.

Bree, author of Today Was Fun, shares the core idea behind her book: work does not have to be something we simply endure. Instead, work can be understood as something that creates value for others and for the world, with joy and humanity built into the way we lead, communicate, and show up together.

Beck and Bree discuss one of Bree's favorite team exercises: the user manual. By answering simple questions about how people work, what they value, how they process stress, and how they prefer to be supported, teams can build trust, reduce assumptions, and create stronger working relationships. The conversation also explores how leaders can adapt their communication, understand different support styles, and make work feel more human without forcing people to disclose more than they are comfortable sharing.

The episode also digs into fun, vulnerability, gratitude, and the small moments that can shift workplace culture. Bree encourages leaders to be "10 to 20% more human" than they think is safe, while Beck reflects on how CAAP's team has built a culture of care through thoughtful gestures, humor, and showing up for each other during difficult moments.

From pajama meetings and turkey suits to micro-confessions and gratitude messages, this conversation is a reminder that workplace culture is not only shaped by policies and surveys. It is also shaped by the small, repeated moments where people feel seen, cared for, and allowed to be human.

Discover more about Bree Groff:Website: https://www.breegroff.com/home Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bree_groff/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bree-groff/

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Heather Holloway flips the script and interviews host Beck Moore, CEO of the Community Action Association of Pennsylvania, for a behind-the-scenes conversation about what CAAP does, how membership works, and what it means to support a statewide network of Community Action Agencies.

Beck shares how CAAP supports Pennsylvania's 42 Community Action Agencies through training, technical assistance, professional development, advocacy, enterprise solutions, conferences, partnerships, and responsive member support. He reflects on the importance of building real value for members, creating a stronger sense of community, and making sure agencies feel seen, heard, supported, and connected.

The conversation also explores CAAP's growth, including revenue diversification, CAAP Learn, partnerships with other state associations, project administration, team expansion, and the challenge of staying relevant in a changing nonprofit and human services landscape. Beck discusses how CAAP balances data, instinct, mission alignment, and member feedback while continuing to build infrastructure that supports both current and future needs.

From adaptive budgeting and AI to disaster case management, PA Navigate, leadership development, and the evolving role of associations, this episode offers a thoughtful look at the strategy behind CAAP's work and the promise the organization makes to its members: that they can be vulnerable, share what they are struggling with, and know CAAP will be there to support, connect, protect, and celebrate them.

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Heather Holloway flips the script and interviews host Beck Moore, CEO of the Community Action Association of Pennsylvania, for a behind-the-scenes conversation about what CAAP does, how membership works, and what it means to support a statewide network of Community Action Agencies.

Beck shares how CAAP supports Pennsylvania's 42 Community Action Agencies through training, technical assistance, professional development, advocacy, enterprise solutions, conferences, partnerships, and responsive member support. He reflects on the importance of building real value for members, creating a stronger sense of community, and making sure agencies feel seen, heard, supported, and connected.

The conversation also explores CAAP's growth, including revenue diversification, CAAP Learn, partnerships with other state associations, project administration, team expansion, and the challenge of staying relevant in a changing nonprofit and human services landscape. Beck discusses how CAAP balances data, instinct, mission alignment, and member feedback while continuing to build infrastructure that supports both current and future needs.

From adaptive budgeting and AI to disaster case management, PA Navigate, leadership development, and the evolving role of associations, this episode offers a thoughtful look at the strategy behind CAAP's work and the promise the organization makes to its members: that they can be vulnerable, share what they are struggling with, and know CAAP will be there to support, connect, protect, and celebrate them.

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Beck Moore and Heather Holloway welcome Amanda Shelton, CEO and Executive Director of the Texas Association of Community Action Agencies (TACAA), for a conversation about Community Action, state association leadership, storytelling, advocacy, and the evolving needs of local agencies.

Amanda shares her journey from working at a local Community Action Agency in Harris County, Texas, to leading the statewide association that supports agencies across all 254 Texas counties. Together, Beck and Amanda compare the Community Action landscape in Texas and Pennsylvania, including differences in geography, public and private agencies, disaster response, funding, and how local needs shape local solutions.

The conversation also explores how Community Action tells its story, why economic impact matters, and how agencies can better communicate the realities of poverty, affordability, and the Benefits Cliff. Amanda emphasizes the importance of knowing the audience, choosing the right messenger, and helping people understand that most families are much closer to instability than they may realize.

Beck, Heather, and Amanda also discuss the changing role of state associations, the pressure of advocacy, the importance of data, the relationship between state offices and local agencies, and the growing need to think differently about AI, intake systems, administrative burden, and human-centered service. The episode closes with a reminder that Community Action is stronger when networks move together, learn from each other, and continue telling the story of why this work is important.

For more about Texas Association of Community Action Agencies: https://www.tacaa.org

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Beck Moore and Heather Holloway welcome Marie Connelly for a conversation about leadership, workplace culture, empathy, health advocacy, and what it means to live a "point-worthy" life.

Marie shares how her nonlinear career path shaped her work as an HR anthropologist, giving her the opportunity to observe workplace dynamics across campaigns, nonprofits, higher education, healthcare, hospitality, and leadership development. She reflects on what strong leaders do well, why administrative support and onboarding are often undervalued, and how small intentional actions can create meaningful engagement across an organization.

Marie also opens up about her rare disease diagnosis, her experience with Cushing's disease and adrenal insufficiency, and the way that journey changed how she understands energy, boundaries, purpose, and empathy. Her "point-worthy life" framework offers a powerful reminder for leaders, caregivers, and human service professionals: every decision, relationship, and responsibility uses energy, and we have to be intentional about where our points go.

The conversation closes with practical insight on workplace kindness, medical advocacy, onboarding, generational communication, and how leaders can create cultures where people feel seen, supported, and valued. For more from Marie Conley: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mconleyconsulting/ Website: https://www.mconleyconsulting.com/ Conley Cushing's Disease Fund: https://kickcushings.com/

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, host Beck Moore is joined by Hattie McCarter and Ellen Min for a deeply honest conversation about friendship, leadership, boundaries, celebration, insecurity, and what it means to grow without comparison.

Together, they reflect on how their relationship began through CAAP spaces, speaking opportunities, shared values, and honest check-ins that became something much deeper than professional connection. The conversation explores what leaders can learn from healthy friendships: how to recognize what people carry, how to build trust through consistency, how to celebrate others genuinely, and how to name insecurities without shame.

Ellen, Hattie, and Beck also discuss the vulnerability of leadership, the exhaustion of being seen through only one part of your identity, and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who can tell the truth, hold your humanity, and remind you who you are.

This episode is a powerful reminder that leadership is not just about what happens on stage, in meetings, or in public roles. It is also shaped by the relationships that help us stay grounded, honest, joyful, and human.

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the workplace, one question remains at the center of it all: how do we stay human?

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Beck Moore sits down with keynote speaker Smiley Poswolsky to explore the intersection of technology, culture, and connection and why human relationships are more important now than ever.

Smiley shares insights from over a decade of work in workplace culture, diving into:

• Why connection (not AI) is the real differentiator in the future of work

• The growing loneliness epidemic and its impact on teams

• Practical tools leaders can use to build trust and belonging

• How to move from inspiration to real, lasting action

Whether you're leading a team, navigating change, or trying to create a stronger workplace culture, this conversation is a reminder that efficiency means nothing without empathy.

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Beck Moore is joined by Tanoa Fagan of FindHelp and Maria Welch of Geisinger for a deeper look at the systems, partnerships, and people behind PA Navigate.

Tanoa shares how FindHelp's technology is designed to connect people to free and reduced-cost services with dignity and ease, and explains why social care must be treated as part of holistic care. Maria offers the healthcare perspective, highlighting how trust, connectivity, and strong community partnerships help make social care integration possible in practice.

Together, they unpack what closed-loop referral really means, why this work takes time, how healthcare and community-based organizations can better support one another, and what success could look like as PA Navigate continues to grow across Pennsylvania.

This episode is a behind-the-scenes conversation about systems change, relationship-building, and what it takes to make community support easier to access.

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog

What does it really mean to serve on a Community Action board?

In this episode of Thinking CAAP, Beck Moore explores that question through two separate conversations with board members who bring very different experiences and a shared commitment to community.

In the first half of the episode, Beck talks with Aron Carter, who reflects on his journey from being a Head Start graduate to serving on the board of STEP, Inc. Aron shares why vulnerability matters in board service, why nonprofit work is often far more complex than people realize, and why meaningful board recruitment starts with relationship and trust.

In the second half, Beck is joined by Tara Davis, who brings more than 20 years of nonprofit experience to the conversation. Tara discusses what makes Community Action unique, the importance of including lived experience in leadership spaces in authentic ways, and why breaking stigma around poverty starts with telling the real stories of the people Community Action serves.

Together, these conversations offer a thoughtful look at what strong board service can look like — from governance and accountability to empathy, lived experience, and the responsibility to listen well.

If you've ever wondered how Community Action boards function, why their structure matters, or what real leadership looks like in service to a community, this episode is for you.

Discover more about the Thinking CAAP podcast: https://www.thecaap.org/the-thinkingcaap-podcast-blog