Scott Pridgen, chairman of the Board of Directors of Monroe County Homeless Services Continuum of Care, Inc. (CoC), has announced the appointment of L. John Van Norden as the organization’s next Executive Director.

Pridgen, who also serves as Executive Director of AIDS Help, noted that “Mr. Van Norden’s unique combination of communication skills, education, and government and nonprofit experience will advance the CoC’s collaboration with participating agencies, nonprofit, local government and civic leaders to promote county-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness in the Florida Keys”.

The Monroe County CoC is one of 28 agencies designated by the State of Florida to coordinate the delivery of housing and services to homeless individuals and families. The CoC provides leadership, support and structure necessary to develop and sustain a comprehensive system of housing and services for persons experiencing homelessness.

Van Norden, a retired local government official and trial and appellate attorney from New York and Connecticut, was selected from a field of highly qualified candidates to collaborate with the Board and CoC participating members and agencies in leading the CoC’s efforts to raise public awareness and formulate positive and effective county-wide solutions to homelessness.

Van Norden holds a BA degree in Political Science from the State University of New York at Potsdam, a Juris Doctor from Albany Law School, and an Executive Certificate in Transformational Nonprofit Administration from the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.

Before retirement to Key West in January 2014, Van Norden served as executive legal counsel and head of the City law departments in Hartford, Connecticut and Schenectady, New York during periods of transition, where his work focused on mediating community and partisan political conflict, combatting urban blight, building community coalitions and consensus, and restoring public confidence in government through increased transparency and open dialogue.

Monroe County CoC works to unite housing and service providers, funders, business and nonprofit leaders, government agencies, elected leaders, law enforcement, faith communities, health care providers and other concerned groups and individuals countywide to break the cycle of homelessness and help homeless individuals and families access emergency shelter, supportive transitional and permanent housing, and specialized services.

Monthly Board and Member meetings are open to the public and are held the 2nd Thursday of every month – 10:00 am at Wesley House.