Liberty, NY – Sullivan County Division of Health & Family Services Commissioner Joseph Todora is pleased to announce the appointment of Melissa Stickle as Director of the Sullivan County Department of Community Services.
Effective June 1, 2018, the appointment was confirmed Thursday, June 14, by the Sullivan County Legislature, and Stickle takes over the role from Todora himself.
“I am pleased and honored to appoint Melissa as Director, a title I’ve been privileged to have for over 17 years,” he remarked. “I look forward to working with her in her new role.”
Todora continues to serve as Commissioner of the Division of Health & Family Services, overseeing the Office for the Aging, the Youth Bureau, Public Health Services, the Care Center at Sunset Lake, the Department of Community Services, as well as Health & Family Services, which includes Child Protective Services, Medicare, Food Stamps & Public Assistance, the Fraud Unit, Child Support, and SNAP.
“The Legislature endorses Melissa’s appointment to this role, as she has consistently demonstrated her competence and capabilities for nearly two decades with the County,” noted District 2 Legislator Nadia Rajsz, chair of the Legislature’s Health & Family Services Committee, to which Stickle reports monthly. “Her knowledge of the needs of our most vulnerable constituents – and her compassion for them – makes her an ideal Director of Community Services, and we are proud to have her in that important position.”
“I am excited about the professionalism and drive Melissa brings to this job, and I look forward to working with her and Joe in delivering the right services at the right time to those who need them,” remarked County Manager Josh Potosek.
A County employee for 18 years, Stickle has been the Deputy Director of the Department of Community Services and has worked with Todora for over 15 years. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor. She started in August 2000 as a Staff Social Worker in the Chemical Dependency Unit, then was promoted in 2006 as a Community Services Coordinator and in January of 2011 advanced to the Deputy Director position.
“I am grateful to Joe, Josh and the Legislature for their faith and trust in me, and for giving me this opportunity to expand my service to the County I call home,” Stickle said. “I consider it an exciting privilege to serve fellow residents, and working with a stellar staff, my primary goal is to connect people with the services they need, when they need them.”