The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has announced a new staff member for their fiscal department. Joseph Shala will be working in the ICF/ID Rate Setting Unit. Joe has an excellent accounting background, including a BS in Accounting from Susquehanna University, and has worked in accounting for a number of companies, including working with Cost Reports for a rehabilitation facility.
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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has announced that on September 30 Lynn Pascoa will join ODP as the Director of the Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations (BSASP). Lynn is a dedicated professional with over 20 years of experience in human services, specializing in mental health and community support. Lynn comes to ODP from Dauphin County, where she has served as the Children’s Mental Health Program Specialist playing a pivotal role in leading system planning for mental health services for children and adolescents, particularly children with autism. Read more here.
With close to 400 members, the priorities of RCPA leadership are to maintain the quality standards of membership communication, along with advocacy at the state and federal levels. To continue to serve our members effectively and efficiently, it has become imperative that RCPA leadership include a Chief Operating Officer (COO) position. We are pleased to announce that RCPA policy staff member Jim Sharp will start as the COO — and remain Director of Mental Health — effective Monday, April 8, 2024.
Jim has been with RCPA for five years. He has more than 35 years of cross-systems advocacy with organizational and strategic planning experience. He previously worked for RCPA member Merakey, and has served in several key positions, including Chief Juvenile Probation Officer at the Philadelphia Family Court, Admissions Director at George Junior Republic, and he began his career at Montgomery County Juvenile Probation. He holds a Master of Administration, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Shippensburg University.
This COO role will provide management, leadership, and vision to ensure that RCPA continues to meet its short-term and long-term goals and objectives, by creating policies and a company culture that strengthens operational efficiency and quality of services. Jim Sharp demonstrates a depth of knowledge regarding RCPA’s mission, vision, and values. Please join me in congratulating Jim in his new role.
KING OF PRUSSIA, PA – Chief Executive Officer of Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF) Ben Laudermilch has announced his resignation, effective February 2, 2024.
Laudermilch succeeded founder Susan Tachau as PATF’s CEO. He continued PATF’s mission of supporting and advocating for people with disabilities. In his role as CEO, Laudermilch continued to grow PATF’s mission across Pennsylvania, and into new states, working with public and private stakeholders and partners.
PATF Senior Lending and Operations Director Tracy Beck and Board Member Evan Davis have been named as interim co-CEOs of the organization while a search is conducted to select a permanent CEO who will sustain PATF’s mission and leadership.
Tracy Beck is the long-term PATF Senior Lending and Operations Director who has been vital to PATF’s growth and a consistent leader in PATF’s mission. Evan Davis is an executive with a proven successful track record as a COO and CFO for multiple organizations. Evan assisted PATF as a board member and led the recent PATF strategic planning process.
“We are grateful to Ben for continuing to promote assistive technology through meaningful programs for members of the disability community. We are confident in Tracy and Evan’s leadership and their excellent working relationships to sustain PATF through the transition. We look forward to successfully identifying and onboarding a new CEO and to continue making an impact in the disability community,” says Nancy Murray, President of PATF Board of Directors.
PATF remains dedicated and passionate about growing its mission to help older Pennsylvanians and people with disabilities by providing valuable services that allow everyone to have more independent and equitable lives.
December 18, 2023 (PITTSBURGH, PA) – Mainstay Life Services, a nonprofit organization that provides life-long, high-quality support services for people with intellectual disabilities and autism (ID/A), welcomes new Chief Program Officer (CPO) Christina Graves.
“Christina’s data-driven planning and implementation expertise, along with her proven organizational leadership skills, make her a great addition to the Mainstay team,” said Kim Sonafelt, Mainstay Life Services Chief Executive Officer. “Her ability to bring a vision to life will play a key role in Mainstay’s growth as we continue to develop expanded programming in 2024, and beyond.”
As CPO, Graves serves as a critical member of the Executive Leadership Team, cultivating a future of innovation in programs and services offered by Mainstay. Graves is responsible for the continuous development and management of Mainstay’s program efficiency, top-tier quality service delivery, and fiscal accountability, including establishing and enhancing systems and processes for data management, reporting, program outcomes, utilization, and case management. In this role, Graves will oversee the evaluation plan for all programs and services, ensuring Mainstay anticipates and effectively responds to changing needs of persons served, families, payors, and other stakeholders. Graves will also provide executive leadership for legal, compliance and regulatory matters.
“I’m thrilled to join an organization that places such value on inclusion and empowerment,” said Graves. “I’m eager to bring my skill set to ensure that each day at Mainstay we contribute meaningfully to our community. Together, we will help people build their best lives.”
Graves comes to Mainstay with an extensive career in public sector and non-profit program improvement and policy management. Most recently, she served at Allegheny County Department of Human Services’ Office of Analytics, Technology and Planning as the Senior Manager of Behavioral Health Planning. Utilizing leadership skills with strong grounding in evidence-based decision making, her efforts helped to enact a large-scale change initiative, restructuring Allegheny County’s operating model and allocating millions of dollars to Medicaid-funded behavioral health programs.
When living in New York, Christina worked for the NYC Department of Education in a number of roles including Supervising Attorney, Senior Advisor, Strategy & Policy, and Executive Director, Strategic Planning & Transition Management. As Executive Director, she managed a change initiative that merged the overlapping functions of two city agencies into a single unified organization providing program and social services for families with children up to age five, including Head Start, federal childcare, and state-funded pre-kindergarten.
Graves earned her Juris Doctor from Northeastern University. Additionally, she has a Bachelor of Arts from Oberlin College.
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About Mainstay Life Services
Mainstay Life Services is a nonprofit organization providing residential services, community services, clinical and behavioral supports, and employment services for people with intellectual disabilities and autism (ID/A) and their families. We are committed to assisting the people we support to reach their fullest potential within their community.
