Journey Found 3.16

From our CEO, Tracey Walker:

We are leading a culture change that firmly places the people we work for and their families first in organizational priorities.

In retrospect, the transition from a large, multi-state parent organization to Journey Found was the best thing that could have happened to us. Overnight we went from being part of a hierarchical, top-down organization to a family-founded, person-centered organization. This culture shift is of paramount importance to the agency’s ability to serve the people we work for in quality ways and to remain vital as an organization.
For those of you who are learning about us, I am the proud, first CEO of Journey Found. I worked with the founding board to establish this new nonprofit in 2013. Our story is truly inspiring – but we’re just getting started. I encourage you to learn about our amazing Leadership Team and Board, who have committed to creating an environment where people are served with genuine caring, everyone at all levels is valued, families are involved and standards are high.
All of my experience is with nonprofit organizations and has spanned both very local agencies and statewide services. My 35-year career in Connecticut has included advocacy and statewide work on behalf of nonprofit service agencies at the CT Council of Family Service Agencies, CT Association of Nonprofits, and the CT Youth Services Association. I have worked for two other developmental disabilities organizations as senior leadership and/or Executive Director: the Institute for Professional Practice and Hockanum Industries. For 14 years I was at Quinebaug Valley Youth & Family Services and held increasing leadership positions, including my final position there as Assistant Executive Director. I began my career in youth services as direct care staff in a group home for adolescent girls and as an instructional assistant with first grade students.
As CEO of Journey Found, I have the good fortune to have established strong relationships with my Board, DDS, staff, the people we work for and families. It is my honor to lead Journey Found through the profound changes that will be occurring over the next several years. Working together, we can create a system and culture where people with disabilities and their families will truly be in charge of their own lives and experience the same potential quality of life as those who are without disabilities.