A MESSAGE FROM
MARJORIE VANESKAHIAN BURR, ACO CEO
Special Announcement!
Effective March 16, 2021 the newly created position of Chief Missions Officer will be filled by Michelle Clough. Chief Missions Officer is a new and vital position to the organization. ACO’s mission of preventing hunger and homelessness, while providing a path to financial stability is the sole reason the organization exists. The focus of the client services team has always been to support this mission. This new role will be the guiding force for the department, which includes emergency assistance, income support, hunger programs, education and employment services, and special programs such as school supplies and backpacks, and holiday toys, gifts and food. The team includes professional case managers and counselors, the food pantry team and volunteer management.
“This has been a long-time vision of mine to move our mission leaders to the forefront. ACO’s mission is our purpose, and to have a professional role to focus all possible resources to the mission’s team is vital.” said ACO CEO, Marjorie Burr.
“ACO has built a strong foundation to support this department and I feel this is the next step in our growth to support the increasing needs of Collin County families and of our WORKING FAMILIES SUCCESS model.”
Michelle brings years of experience to the position. She began her career with ACO in 2012 as the manager of the ACO Food Pantry, working directly with families facing hunger. She was an integral part of the ACO Community Development team for 4 years. She returned to ACO in 2019 as the Director of Volunteer Services. “Michelle is the obvious choice for the job, bringing her years of experience in client service and a huge heart for ACO’s mission,” said Burr.
ACO welcomes new Volunteer Services Manager, Teri Carlo who will begin her position on April 1, 2021. Teri is no stranger to ACO or Collin County, having served as a volunteer with the agency for years. She is active in her church, volunteering with the Allen ISD, and is a well-known heart of compassion and support in our community. She will work under Michelle Clough and directly recruit and schedule volunteers for the organization.
Aaron Vaughn, ACO’s Chief Operating Officer will add the finance team and human resources responsibilities to his duties. With the recent hire in February 2021 of Julie Brown, CPA as ACO’s new Controller, Aaron will support Julie and the finance department. Julie brings years of accounting knowledge to the organization and is a long time Collin County resident, active in her church and the chamber of commerce.
Also stepping into a new role in March 2021 is ACO’s newest Director of Resale, Dana Allison. With the reopening of the Resale Shop coming soon, and the growth of the ACO Boutique in Watters Creek as well as the ecommerce department, Dana will be instrumental in creating a unified team to work across stores and with our warehouse team. Dana is no stranger to ACO, having been both a volunteer and employee, and knows all areas of resale operations, having worked in every department.
In a statement, ACO CEO Marjorie Burr said, “I joined the ACO staff twenty years ago, in February of 2001. Including taking a year off when my son was born, I’ve served in many roles on staff and as a volunteer while I had a baby in a car seat delivering meals to seniors and helping with special events. Needless to say I have done and seen so much! When I took the CEO position in 2019, I had a vision of what I hoped the staff could grow and reshape to become.
It’s taken a few years but we now have the foundation that we need and all of the pieces are coming together to create one amazing force in Collin County to care of our neighbors. From every department, we have an amazing, united and mission-minded team. With the talented staff and supportive and giving community, we can do anything! I am thrilled for our agency and even more so for the future of ACO and the families who need us.”