Fall_Winter_2017_Newsletter

15 Life without Limits The longer you’ve been involved with UCP, the more committed you’ve become. Is there a particular moment or event that holds special meaning for you? I think the first time the impact of serving on UCP’s board really hit home was when we (members of the UCP Foundation Board) voted to fund the purchase of a residential home to provide indepen- dent community living for several UCP consumers. A couple days later, I learned from my mom that our friend Kayce was going to be moving out on her own into a new community home. When I put two and two together, I saw for the first time how something that I was doing on the Board had a very real impact on the lives of individuals, and in this case, of someone close to me. You served as UCP Board Chair during a time of significant change for the agency, both in leadership style and ultimately in organizational structure. Were you anxious at all about taking on the challenge of leading the Executive Search Committee for a new President and CEO? Very much so. Before becoming Board chair, I never was even in a position of hiring someone... so the idea of searching for and finding a new CEO for the organization was a daunting task. But through Lisabeth’s guidance (former UCP Director of Human Resources Lisabeth Capozzi) with the interview process, and the overwhelming support of several past board chairs--Jim Shellenberger, Joe Entenman, John Coles, John Zonarich, and then Chair-elect Bob Wallace--I believe we formed a really strong team that worked well together through the process. Their firsthand experience and past involvement with UCP, along with their different backgrounds and areas of expertise, gave me confidence. So while I was nervous, I was excited about the opportunity at the same time. We held several special Board meetings to discuss various topics and concerns, and to solicit Board approval as needed. The more we dug into the process, the more we began to learn where our focus needed to be. Ours was a delicate situation, balancing the need for a new vision and leadership style with the fact that we had a qualified internal candidate who we admired and respected. As stressful as it was at the time, I wouldn’t trade it for the world because of all that I learned, both about the organization and the staff. What was it about Judith that made her stand out as the best choice for UCP at this moment in time? Several things: obviously her past experience in similar types of organizations was a key component. Her personality and caring were evident and extraordinary. I remember we had a management team member in one of our early meetings with Judith and the way she interacted with that team member was so real... and so rewarding. Another quality that made her stand out was her spirituality. We knew we would have some challenges in finding someone who was highly qualified, energized, and motivated... and still willing to work within our budgetary constraints. So it had to be someone completely committed to the mission. When it came to Judith, it was clear this was a mission of her heart. There was definitely a lot of praying going on, on both sides of the equation. Well said, Lindsay. Thank you for your diligence, hard work and especially your leadership in moving the agency forward to a brighter future. - The Editor We have a transition team that continues to meet every two to four weeks. That includes the CEO Search team plus Marisa Tokarsky as current Board Chair, and Dr. Stephanie Bowen, Board Programs and Services Committee Chair. Our role is to be a continuous source of support for Judith as she takes on the critical task of setting UCP on a course toward a brighter future. Do you have any “pearls of widsom” for Judith going forward? Oh man,I look up to her as being so wise and smart, I can’t imagine giving her advice. I guess I would just say that I hope she can always do what we brought her here to do: follow the mission with her whole heart. Never lose that focus during any of the hardships that may arise. What do you see as UCP’s biggest benefit to the community? It will probably sound cheesy because it plays off our mission statement, but it’s true: We offer life without limits to so many. We have so many life-altering programs and services. We reach out to so many individuals and families, giving them outlets and opportunities for independence they may not have had otherwise. I love to see the progress that has been made as a result of the work done by the staff, but also through the efforts of volunteers. We have a great mission. That’s what we do and that’s the most important role that we play. What do you see as UCP’s greatest challenge in the period ahead? I think it still comes to things outside of our control, like government funding. We need to find other ways to fund and operate the organization and continue to provide services at an exceptional level. That’s a big reason we were so excited about finding Judith and having her accept the position. She’s someone who we believe has the capacity to find alternate revenue streams for the organization so we don’t continue to rely so heavily on government funding. Lindsay presided over UCP’s 2016 Annual Meeting at The Country Club of Harrisburg and was recognized with a Service Award Lindsay and Anna Spiess at Underdogs in May 2017