Expanding services, improving technology and remembering to take time to dance: My plan as the new Welcome House CEO
You know the phrase, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” If that’s true, I’ve been lucky to be one of the few who gets to live it. And now, as I step into the role of CEO at Welcome House, I’m confident this passion and sense of purpose will only continue to grow.
I am honored to succeed Tony Thomas, who laid a solid foundation as the Welcome House Executive Director for the last 26 years. His leadership was truly admirable, and allowed the organization to grow, thrive and break down barriers.
As one does when making professional changes, I’ve found myself reflecting on my beginnings with the organization. In 1994, Life Member Bill McFadden introduced me to Welcome House as a member of the new board of trustees. From day one, I was invested: invested in the organization’s mission, invested in the individuals who call Welcome House home and invested in the opportunity to make the industry more inclusive. Every single day, since that first meeting, I’ve lived with a passion to serve this organization. And as the newly appointed CEO, I plan to keep this going with an ignited passion and purpose.
With that, it’s time to get down to business.
What does the future look like for Welcome House? For me, the vision is rooted in the principles of inclusivity, innovation and empowerment. But what does that really mean?
We’ll start by enhancing our services. We will continue to expand and refine our programs to better meet the diverse needs of those we serve and those we employ, ensuring all receive the highest quality care and opportunities for growth.
We’re also looking outside our walls to collaborate with local organizations, businesses and community leaders. We’ll create a network of support to empower individuals and enrich our community. Additionally, we hope these partnerships will protect us against any looming cuts to Medicaid (more on this topic later).
Another key initiative will be investing in new technologies to enhance our systems and further personalize care plans that resonate with the individuals we serve.
Finally, we’ll continue to build on our culture – one of inclusion, pride in our work and support for all who walk through our doors – staff, families and the individuals we serve. Our team is the heart and soul of this organization, and without them we could not achieve the mission before us.
From a business perspective, we are excited to hit the ground running. But from a human perspective, we’ll keep doing what we do to make Welcome House, Welcome House. That means birthday bashes will remain a TOP priority (looking at you, Joe😉). It means it’s always the right time for a dance party, that breakfast for dinner is always a good idea, and that yes, of course we can take another group outing to the Zoo (we really love feeding the giraffes, staff included). It means we’ll never stop making memories and we’ll always prioritize the happiness and health of everyone at Welcome House. Because at the end of the day, we’re all just humans experiencing life for the first time. And as long as I am around, we’re going to keep doing a whole lot of living.
So here’s to living, learning and getting better. Together.