Operation ABLE

Operation ABLE is supported by United States Department of Labor grants, state funding from Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and several left-of-center organizations including United Way (Massachusetts), the AARP, the Boston Foundation, and the Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund. ³

Background

Operation ABLE was initially founded by Ezra Merrill as Careers for Later Years to recruit retired executives to help non-profits improve the management of their organizations. Merrill had recently retired as president of H.P. Hood and Company. Careers for Later Years was renamed to Operation ABLE and its purpose changed to providing training programs and employment services to job seekers “from economically, racially, and occupationally diverse backgrounds.” ¹

Massachusetts State Representative Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston) is a strong supporter of Operation ABLE and was honored at ABLE’s Annual Breakfast event held in June 2024. Former Massachusetts State Rep. Josh Cutler (D-Duxbury), later appointed to the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development in the administration of Gov. Maura Healey (D), was the main speaker at the event. ⁴

Programs

Operation ABLE provides a variety of occupational and computer skills training, workshops and work/study programs, and job search counseling and support. ABLE Skills2Work is a 12-week training program in Microsoft Office and Windows and in job search support. The course can be extended to include a six-week internship. ⁵ ABLE Beginnings is a six-week training program in job search and application techniques in the current digital and social media environment. ⁵

Operation ABLE is an administrator of the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. ² SCSEP is a federally-funded program for those 55 and over who meet federal low-income guidelines. The program provides job search support and places them in temporary part-time paid work-training positions at host agencies to gain work experience as they search for employment. ⁵ Host organizations are typically nonprofit or public agencies. ⁶ SCSEP is funded by the United States Department of Labor (DOL) through the Older Americans Act. In 2024, the DOL provided over $3 million to Operation ABLE. Other organizations that received SCSEP funding include the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, the AARP Foundation, Goodwill Industries International, the Center for Workforce Inclusion, and the National Urban League. ⁷

Partnerships

The Rian Immigrant Center partners with Operation ABLE as a host organization for ABLE’s federally subsidized workers. ⁸  The Rian Immigrant Center provides support services and advocates for immigrants and refugees. ⁹ It is funded by several immigration advocacy organizations including the Massachusetts Immigrants and Refugees Advocacy Coalition and the Massachusetts Immigrant Collaborative. ¹⁰

Operation ABLE’s Employer Advisory Committee (EAC) is comprised of members from local companies that provide financial and business support. Members include Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Unitarian Universalist Association. ¹¹

Operation ABLE is a member of the American Workforce Coalition (AWC), along with the Center for Workforce Inclusion and the National Urban League. AWC is focused on workforce development programs for African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asian Pacific and Pacific Islanders as well as older adults. ¹²

Funding

Operation ABLE 2023 tax returns reported $6,970,422 in revenues and $6,848,287 in expenses. ¹³

In 2024 the United States Department of Labor granted over $3 million to the SCSEP program administered by Operation ABLE. ⁷

In addition to the members of the Operation ABLE Employer Advisory Committee, funders include United Way (Massachusetts), the AARP, the Boston Foundation, and Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund. ³

Leadership

Marian Walsh joined Operation ABLE as president and chief executive officer in 2019. Walsh earned a law degree from Suffolk University Law School in 1986. She practiced as an attorney and then became involved in politics. She was a Democratic member of the Massachusetts State House of Representatives for four years and the Massachusetts State Senator for 18 years. In 2013, she founded the American Campaign School and Leadership Camp to train individuals interested in running for office on how to have a winning campaign and provided coaching and consulting on public affairs and political candidate development. ¹⁴ Walsh is a donor to several 2024 Massachusetts Democratic candidates including State Senators Sal DiDomenico (D), Karen Spilka (D), and Michael Rodrigues (D), and State Representatives Michael Moran (D) and Aaron Michlewitz (D). She also donated to the Committee for a Democratic Senate of Massachusetts. ¹⁵

Lydia Greene was selected as board chair of Operation ABLE from 2016 to 2026. ⁵ She is a former senior vice president and chief human resources officer of the Tufts Health Plan. ¹⁶ Greene graduated from the University of Massachusetts in Boston and served in senior human resources positions at several companies before joining the Tufts Health Plan. ¹⁷ Green is on the board of the Tufts Health Plan Foundation and the board of the Boston Y Achievers program, ¹⁸ which is part of a national YMCA program for young people. ¹⁹