Fall_Winter_2017_Newsletter

Violet has over 15 years experience in the field and was most recently a Regional Director at Keystone Human Services in the Downingtown area. • Julie Beroukas Snyder was appointed UCP’s Director of Development. Her primary responsibilities include planning, developing, and maintaining a comprehensive fund development program on behalf of the Foundation to support the mission and vision of UCP. She has been tasked with jump- starting UCP’s planned giving and major gifts solicitation and breathing new life into UCP’s special events. She heads up the Community Relations and Development team and also carries the title of Executive Director of the UCP Foundation. Julie was most recently Senior Director of Development for the University of California, Santa Cruz Genomics Institute. Prior to that, she was Director of Development for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Global Health Institute. • Deirdre Frey was promoted to Director of Adult Day Programs. In her new role, she oversees program compliance and growth, quality improvement, and continuous staff development. Deirdre is a strong advocate of the philosophy that individual growth and development is a lifelong opportunity. She develops innovative and forward-thinking program strategies, particularly in the areas of communication, choice and control, and community involvement. Deirdre was previously a UCP program supervisor, responsible for opening and managing an adult day program site in Middletown, including hiring and onboarding a staff of six. Deirdre has over 13 years of experience in human services. Prior to UCP, Deirdre was the Coordinator of Day Services for the New York City Region of Human First, Inc. Judith has named several other directors to round out her team of subject matter experts, including: • Kelly Derr, Director of Agency with Choice • Angela Griffith, promoted to Director of Capital Home Care • Marci Walborn, promoted to Director of Childhood Programs and Ancillary Services There remains one key service area for which Judith is seeking the perfect fit: supported employment. “UCP is interested in expanding our employment services division in order to help MANY MORE consumers realize their dream of being meaningfully employed,” Judith shared recently. “We are looking for someone with subject matter expertise, employment supports experience, creativity without limits, and an entrepreneurial business mind to lead this important initiative,” Judith said. 3 Life without Limits Priorities in Action As a result of Judith’s traversing the midstate, she developed a keen understanding of the day-to-day challenges and obstacles faced by our operations’ teams. She soon realized that she needed to tackle those challenges head on if she were to best position UCP for the future. First up was addressing the issue of high staff vacancy rates across the organization, in large measure due to non- competitive wages. Priority Number One was to increase Direct Support Professional base wages which had remained stagnant for years. After extensive evaluation of UCP’s fiscal results, Judith devised a strategy of re-allocating existing resources to fund an across-the-board DSP entry wage adjustment. Judith presented--and the Board approved--the plan which allowed for immediate increases in the wage scale for UCP’s direct care workers. A close second on Judith’s “to do” list was an in-depth examination of UCP’s organizational structure. Her findings convinced her that a restructuring was in order. Rather than having a handful of leaders with a generalist’s knowledge of broad swaths of UCP’s operations, Judith has moved to an organizational structure led by subject matter experts in each operational line of business. Toward that end, Judith made several top appointments, as well as key new hires: • Long-time UCP management team member Janeen Latin was promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer . With this appointment, Judith hopes to deliver the best of both worlds… a new vision for UCP, along with the continuity of a leader who brings extensive historical knowledge of UCP operations and PA services. • Bridget Pugh was named to the newly-created position of Senior Director of Operations. She provides leadership for all UCP program and service teams, with an eye toward long- term financial health, sustainability, and regulatory compliance. Bridget has 30 years experience managing a variety of supports for individuals with intellectual disabilities, serving the last 17 years as Division Director at Keystone Human Services. • Violet Mwangi was named to the newly-created position of Director of Residential Services . Violet is responsible for developing and maintaining effective operational systems, ensuring that all residential programs adhere to government regulations, standards, and best practices. Janeen at the 2016 UCP staff retreat Violet Mwangi Julie Beroukas Snyder Bridget Pugh (continued on page 14) Deirdre Frey