Ralph Gregory, who has been president and chief executive officer of United Way of Westchester and Putnam for 26 years, said today that he plans to retire at the end of this year.

The 68-year-old Gregory, a resident of Katonah, is known for his efforts to build consensus and seek out diverse opinions to shape his leadership.

“His door or his telephone line is always open. His level of accessibility is critical for a person in his type of position who’s working collaboratively with a number of agencies,� said Robert W. Lapp, the president of the YMCA of Central and Northern Westchester.

Gregory introduced a research effort in the 1980s to identify the most pressing problems from the perspective of area residents and community leaders. The research is now conducted every three to four years, and has led directly to the formation of the Child Care Council, the Westchester Housing Fund, the Community Housing Resource Center, an intergenerational initiative and the 211 HelpLine in the Hudson Valley region, among other services.

Gregory said the 211 help line is his proudest achievement. The service is a one-stop resource for health and human services information and referrals in Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and other counties in the region.

Community leaders inspired 211 when they were asked what barriers there are to residents getting the services they need.

“Every time we asked that question, the No. 1 answer was people don’t know a service is in place that may be able to help them,� Gregory said.

Residents can dial 211 24 hours a day, seven days a week to learn how they can get help with everything from rent assistance to health care to food to employment.

The 211 service was introduced about a year and a half ago after a five-year effort, Gregory said, and has an annual budget of $2 million. The money comes in part from the state and county government. Also $200,000 is provided by United Way.

Gregory said he’s also made it a personal mission to spread the word to the area’s affluent community that there are people in desperate need of aid.

“When people think of Westchester or Putnam, they think of the beautiful parkways and the many golf courses and all the other good things we all enjoy. We really don’t think enough — and I’m sure we have not been as successful as we would like to be — about the fact that there are many who are hurting, living on the edge and in need of our help,� Gregory said.

Before coming to Westchester County, Gregory worked for the United Way in Dayton, Ohio, and also was the executive director of a residential treatment center for troubled children and a senior center operation in the Midwest.

He has a master’s degree in social science administration from Case Western Reserve University and a bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College in Illinois.
Gregory, who has an adult son and two grandchildren, said he will stay active in the United Way as a volunteer.

Gregory is the third CEO in the United Way of Westchester and Putnam’s 45-year history. The agency said it will create a committee by the middle of July to search for a successor.