Roger Pavey
President & CEO
Roger started his Community Action career in 1998 at East Central Illinois Community Action Agency (ECICAA) in Danville, Illinois, where he coordinated the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), LIHEAP, and Weatherization programs before becoming the Director of Business and Community Services.
In 2002, Roger was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of Community Action of Eastern Iowa (CAEI) in Davenport, Iowa, a position he held for nearly twenty years. While at CAEI he developed innovative programs such as a 24/7 food pantry, asynchronous and online LIHEAP applications, bilingual early childhood programs, and a school-based teen parenting Early Head Start program. Roger advocated and lobbied for statewide improvements in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that improved agency efficiency and made the services more accessible for Iowans.
I’m honored to work with IACAA’s Member Agencies and partners to further the promise of Community Action, as we change people’s lives and improve communities, said Pavey.
Roger became the Executive Director of Western Illinois Regional Council (WIRC) in Macomb, Illinois, in 2022, leading WIRC’s Economic Development District and Community Action initiatives. During his tenure WIRC added Knox County LIHEAP services and Fulton County Weatherization. WIRC purchased its downtown office building in 2023 through a USDA community facilities loan. Roger worked with a group of volunteers to open an innovative choice-based food pantry in that location, formatted as a small grocery store.
Throughout his career Roger has stressed fiscal accountability alongside innovation. During his twenty-five years of Community Action leadership, the organizations he has led have not had any financial audit findings or questioned costs thanks to robust internal controls and application of the ROMA cycle to fiscal processes.
Roger is a Head Start graduate and spent his teenage years in foster care. His lived experiences provide an understanding of the value of the crucial services provided by the Community Action Network.
IACAA is proud to welcome Roger to the association side of the Illinois Poverty Fighting Network.
“I look forward to working with our Member Agencies as we build on our collective strengths.”
Roger Pavey
President & CEO, IACAA