To Whom it May Concern,
I am very happy to present this letter of recommendation on behalf of Joseph Andreo, who is a candidate for the Scout Executive position. I met Joe eight years ago when I first joined the executive committee at Connecticut Yankee Council, and I have enjoyed a close relationship with him ever since. I was immediately taken by his excellent manner, positive attitude, and strong work ethic. As VP, Properties, I worked closely with Joe on a variety of property initiatives, including a major renovation of our Scout Resource Center in 2017-18 that he oversaw. As a professional staff advisor, he really helped me learn and gain experience as a volunteer board member. I worked closely with Joe on many initiatives, especially after I became Council President in 2019.
I am confident Joe will make an excellent scout executive. He has the ability and broad experience necessary for this demanding position. As our director of development, Joe did an exceptional job and initiated many successful fundraising events for our council. He has the skill to source and recruit high-quality honorees and featured speakers, craft engaging agendas, and attract large attendance to make these events programmatically and financially successful. An example is the Good Scout Construction industry luncheon we held in June 2019. Joe recruited two strong honorees, one of which was a national leader of the Laborer’s Union. Joe attracted a very large number of industry guests and the event generated over $130,000 in net revenues. We even had our Governor, Ned Lamont, visit the event and introduced him to Scouting! This was a home run event for us. Another example was our Friends of Scouting breakfast event held in February 2020. We were very lucky to hold this event just prior to the COVID shutdown. Joe recruited Daryl Strawberry; a high-profile major league baseball star turned preacher to headline our event. He also arranged for a slate of our Scouts from cub to explorer to tell their engaging Scouting stories. Again, another incredibly successful event that raised over $120,000 with 250 attendees. He has done a terrific job initiating and executing several similar fund-raising events every year. Joe has also successfully solicited many major gift donations for our council.
As our CFO, Joe provided a strong grasp of all financial matters at the council. He is well-versed in the budget process, expenditures of all types, capital improvements, etc. He is also a good project manager and can handle challenging initiatives. Joe’s prior experience in private industry is an asset that I feel gives him an advantage over other SE candidates. He has also directed many marketing efforts as well.
During the very challenging period in 2020 when we simultaneously experienced the COVID shutdown, the BSA bankruptcy, and a six-month Scout Executive vacancy/selection process, Joe really stepped up to guide the council (and me as Council President) to successfully move forward during this incredibly difficult time.
Most recently, as our Assistant Scout Executive, Joe has been instrumental in the recent success and high performance of Connecticut Yankee Council. Our membership has increased by 7% in 2022 and by an outstanding 10% in 2023, thus making us one of the top performing councils in the country. Joe had a significant impact on much-improved camping performance as our overall camping revenue increased by 15% during the past two years. Joe has been instrumental in managing significant improvements to our camp infrastructure. At our Camp Sequassen we built internal roads, and a $500,000 shower/bathroom house in south camp. Joe is leading the development of another shower/bathroom house in north camp which has been permitted and excavation started. We also built the Farley Pavilion which added a whole new dimension to our half-mile of lakefront. A lean-to replacement plan is almost completed as is the Order of the Arrow pavilions in our Handicraft area.
As the staff advisor for the Council Property Committee, Joe has provided great advisement in creating our strategic plan for future camp improvements.
Joe continues to focus on fund development initiatives. This past year, Joe raised over $100,000 from events, grants, and individual donor solicitations.
Joe is an excellent communicator whether close-up or in front of a large audience. He has excellent people skills and is a good manager and has worked well with his teams in fund development, marketing and the field service staff. He holds his staff accountable for their responsibilities and goals.
I highly recommend Joe Andreo for the Scout Executive position. We will certainly miss Joe as a valuable member of our professional staff, but I feel he is more than ready and worthy for the Scout Executive position and will be an asset to your organization. As a scout who earned the Eagle rank, and as a dedicated professional, Joe has shown a passion for Scouting that will benefit any council. I am happy to speak with anyone further about Joe.