Joanne M. Oplustil
Former President & CEO
CAMBA, Inc. and CAMBA Housing Ventures, Inc.

Ms. Oplustil built CAMBA from a small local block development association with a $50,000 annual budget in 1977 into a large and successful multi-service community-based agencies.  When Joanne retired last year, CAMBA had an approximate $250million budget to provide services  with more than 1,900 staff . During her 45 years at CAMBA she raised over $2.3 billion to provide a myriad of services in the areas of Economic Development, Education & Youth Development, Family Support, Health, Housing, and Legal Services.

 During her tenure CAMBA operated 12 emergency shelters for homeless individuals and families, more than 40 congregate housing developments for formerly homeless individuals and families with special needs, transitional housing for persons living with HIV/AIDS, and nearly 900 scattered site apartments. CAMBA also provides business and entrepreneurial assistance along with micro-loans, domestic violence and crime victims’ assistance, refugee resettlement and services, adult education classes, and youth, and after-school programs. In addition, CAMBA is a member of the governing board of Brooklyn Health Homes.

Prior to joining CAMBA, Ms. Oplustil was Director of Educational and Health Development for the Katumba Refugee Camp in Tanzania, East Africa. Under the auspices of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and Lutheran World Federation, she conducted research and analysis on the needs of 20,000 children; created day care centers for 10,000 4–6-year-olds and libraries in these refugee camps; developed children’s workbooks in Swahili and recruited and trained staff. She also taught biology, English and health topics at Peramiho Mission school.