Ep. 10: Champion Leaders Address Justice, Innovation, and Mentorship
High-impact leaders get real In the Ring with Héctor Colón
Marian Baldini
Marian Baldini is the CEO and President of KenCrest, a human services and early learning provider throughout Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Delaware; that serves over 12,500 people annually. She is an unwavering advocate for the equality and inclusion of people with disabilities, as well as access to early education for all. Marian has over 40 years of leadership in executive planning, administration, academia, and operational oversight; and began her career as a Direct Support Professional in the 1970s, at the same Agency where she now serves as CEO. Throughout her journey she has never lost sight of her “WHY,” and has inspired a shared vision amongst many in the IDD industry for what true inclusion looks like for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Marian has testified at legislative hearings on the closures of institutions; rallied for the certification of direct care workers; and published numerous op-eds on innovative service models to offset the nation-wide DSP crisis.
Kelli Dobner
Kelli Dobner joined Samaritas’ leadership staff in 2017 as Chief Advancement Officer. Her accomplishments include the creation and chairmanship of the IDEA committee (inclusion, diversity, equality, action) including crafting the tier 1 policy, establishing annual goals in this body of work and spearheading organization-wide inclusive culture training, and board development and diversification.
In collaboration with community, corporate and congregational partners, Dobner helped direct a $100M statewide capital campaign, and launched new Substance Use Disorder services across Southeast and Mid Michigan. More recently, she co-founded the Afghan Refugee Network to support the influx of new arrivals. She also has doubled fundraising, and expanded development programming by adding foundation relations, corporate and community engagement, and major events programs to Samaritas. Bringing prior experience as Chief Development Officer of the Judson Center, where she was most proud of creating “a culture of ambassadorship,” Ms. Dobner has built a career on the principles of communication, community-building and concern for the greater good. She also held development positions in the Southfield, Michigan offices of the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association.
Kristyn Peck
Kristyn is Chief Executive Officer of Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA), which was the 2022 recipient of Lutheran Services in America’s Micah award for its work advancing equity and justice. Prior to joining LSSNCA, Kristyn served as the founding CEO of West Michigan Partnership for Children, a nonprofit piloting an innovative performance-based child welfare model. Here, she was named the Michigan Federation of Children and Families Advocate of the Year. Kristyn also served as the associate director of children’s services at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) overseeing national family reunification and foster care programs for unaccompanied children and as chair of the Vulnerable Minors Working Group of Refugee Council USA. Kristyn has also testified before Congress on protection needs for unaccompanied children, and represented USCCB as a subject matter expert on unaccompanied children at the UN Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) Annual Consultation meetings in Geneva.
Ep. 9: Knocking Out the Real Social Issues in Wisconsin with Governor Evers
Episode 9 of In the Ring with Héctor Colón with guest Governor Tony Evers airs Wednesday October 19, at 12 noon.
High-impact leaders get real In the Ring with Héctor Colón
Podcast guests talk about their challenges with systemic barriers that perpetuate stigma, devalue social programs, and ultimately prevent community-based organizations and the people we serve from thriving.
More on Tony Evers
On November 6, 2018, the people of Wisconsin voted Tony Evers (Ē-vers) the 46th governor of Wisconsin. Prior to his election, he served as the Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction winning statewide elections in 2009, 2013, and 2017. With over three decades of public education experience, Governor Evers has dedicated his life to fighting for Wisconsin’s kids and serving the people of Wisconsin.
As a life-long educator, the governor believes in bringing people together to solve the problems facing our state and putting the people of Wisconsin first.
He began his career in 1976 and has served Wisconsin students, parents, and citizens all over Wisconsin in Tomah, Oakfield, Verona, and Oshkosh.
Born and raised in Plymouth, Wisconsin, Governor Evers graduated from Plymouth High School and earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree in educational administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Kathy, an educator. They are parents of three adult children, all public school graduates, and have nine grandchildren.
Episode 8: Mike Victorson & Chris Kenyon – Not All Employees Are Treated Equal
Chris Kenyon is a partner and the managing director of senior living & social services practice atM3 Insurance. She serves as a subject matter expert, strategist, and thought leader for M3’s senior living and social services practice and is responsible for sharing information on trends and issues that specifically impact this industry.
Kenyon was instrumental in developing M3’s workers’ compensation Risk Analysis Report, a tool that helps businesses assess and benchmark their safety performance. She also conducts workshops for clients on topics such as safety and return-to-work programs.
Mike Victorson is the chief executive officer (CEO) of M3 Insurance, responsible for the strategic direction and vision of the agency, identifying opportunities for growth and innovation, cultivating organizational culture, and serving the community. Victorson serves on the M3Insurance Board of Directors and is a member of M3’s Executive Operating Committee.
Episode 7: Jose Olivieri – Living the Duties of Care, Loyalty and Obedience Over Self
José A. Olivieri is LSS’ current President of our Operating Board of Directors. He is a partner with Michael Best & Friedrich LLP Milwaukee office. He is Chair of the Labor and Employment Relations Practice Group and Co-Chair of the Government and Public Policy Group.
Mr. Olivieri also counsels in other aspects of employment law such as matters of federal and state discrimination law; NLRB and WERC law; the Fair Labor Standards Act; employee termination and discipline; unemployment compensation; and labor contract administration. He has frequently provided training to managers, supervisors and employees regarding employment law issues.
Additionally, Mr. Olivieri leads Michael Best’s Higher Education Special Practice Group, where he counsels colleges and universities on the broad spectrum of issues including governance matters, privacy issues, employment issues, student discipline issues, immigration law; labor contract administration; and other general matters.
He has taught the Advanced Employment Law Seminar at Marquette University Law School and is a frequent speaker on an array of employment and immigration-related topics.
Ep. 5 – David Duea – Mental Health Crisis Demands Intervention. Bold Asks.
LSS President and CEO, Héctor Colón, sits down with David Duea, President and CEO of Lutheran Community Services Northwest, to discuss how bold, aggressive advocacy and unashamed appeals for funding is vital for success. David describes how his organization’s push for big gifts and proactive partnerships with other agencies have taken Lutheran Community Services Northwest to the next level and helped countless more in need.
David also stresses how early intervention programs are vital to the health and well-being of everyone, including those working in social services agencies. This work is transformational, and it is important to have specific professionals to focus on each type of situation. Concentrated, direct devotion to each individual and family gives agencies the best opportunity to make an impact.
David Duea is the President & CEO of Lutheran Community Services Northwest. LCSNW provides services to people in Oregon, Washington and Idaho with support to meet life’s most difficult challenges and thrive in communities that are healthy, just and hopeful. David led significant growth for the organization in the past 7 years including bringing Compass Housing under the Lutheran Community Services umbrella, expanding their services to include emergency services and affordable housing. He holds a BA from Pacific Lutheran University in Social Work and an MBA, with a focus on Total Quality Management, from City University. David and his wife Jane live in Tacoma, Washington. They have two adult children that live in Seattle and San Diego.
Watch Mental Health Crisis Demands Intervention. Bold Asks. Now!
Ep. 4, May 17, 2022: Tracy Wareing-Evans, Accelerating Public Trust Through Sector Alignment, Investment.
Tracy Wareing-Evans, President and CEO, American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
Tracy Wareing Evans is the President and CEO of the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), a bi-partisan national membership organization representing the cabinet level leadership of state and local health and human services agencies, and the subject matter experts that help execute their mission to improve outcomes for people nationwide. In coordination with its governing board of directors, Wareing Evans sets the strategic direction for the Association and spearheads delivery on its mission “to advance the well-being of all people by influencing modern approaches to sound policy, building the capacity of public agencies to enable healthy families and communities, and connecting leaders to accelerate learning and generate practical solutions together.” In support of APHSA’s bold strategic plan, Wareing Evans is mobilizing strategic partnerships with connected sectors integral to thriving communities, including education, justice, housing, and health as well as community-based organizations.
Wareing Evans has a long history in high-level policy development and public administration. She served as a senior advisor to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and, before moving to Washington D.C. in 2009, as the Director of the Arizona Department of Economic Security, an integrated human services agency. She has also served as policy adviser for human services under then Arizona Gov. Napolitano and as director of the state’s child welfare division. Wareing Evans began her career as a litigator. Wareing Evans has served on more than 25 boards and advisory committees over the course of her career, including several national appointments. Her current board service includes Social Current (focused on activating the power of the social sector) and WorkRise (a research-to-action network on jobs, workers, and mobility). In 2019, she was selected as a fellow to the National Academy of Public Administration.
Watch Accelerating Public Trust Through Sector Alignment, Investment Now
Ep. 3, April 20, 2022: Charlotte Haberaecker – If not us, who? Human services shift social challenges
Charlotte Haberaecker, President and CEO, Lutheran Services in America
Too much emphasis for funding in the social sector has focused on providing services after problems have occurred. A lack of innovation and prevention dollars create larger gaps among certain demographics and fail to correct long-term problems for individuals and communities. Developing healthy, productive children and adults who live with purpose and meaning is critical to solving societies largest problems – and the social services sector can lead the charge.
LSS President and CEO Héctor Colón chats with Charlotte Haberaecker, President and CEO of Lutheran Services in America, as she talks about creating a disruption, not waiting for one to happen. Charlotte and Héctor also discuss the workforce shortage in the sector and how it impacts its members, the services they provide, and the ability to meet the whole needs of people. They also break down the need for upstream funding through innovation and prevention, and how strategic partnerships and stakeholders can help fuel philanthropy that provides flexible spending to fulfill essential needs.
Bio
Charlotte Haberaecker is the President and CEO of Lutheran Services in America, one of the largest and most respected health and human services networks in the United States. Lutheran Services in America empowers one in 50 people in America to lead their best lives so all communities can thrive. Under Charlotte’s leadership, Lutheran Services in America has consistently been recognized by the Chronicle of Philanthropy and Forbes as one of the nation’s top nonprofit organizations. She is at the forefront of developing and implementing groundbreaking initiatives and collaborative learning models to drive systemic change.
Prior to joining Lutheran Services in America in 2012, Charlotte was the #2 Executive at Global Impact, a $110 million nonprofit that provides funding for critical humanitarian needs around the world. Previously she held senior leadership positions in management consulting at Price Waterhouse where she strengthened nonprofit, for-profit and government organizations. Charlotte also served as a senior leader at Fannie Mae where she led an industry transformation initiative and was the co-inventor on five patents awarded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Charlotte was the recipient of the 2018 Rebrand 100 Global Award for one of the top 100 brand transformations in the world, the 2017 Humanitarian award from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and the 2015 NonProfit Times Magazine’s “Power & Influence Top 50.”
Charlotte holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration in management science from the University of Illinois.
Watch If not us, who? Human services shift social challenges Now
Causing Disruptions: Upping the Social Services Game Across the Sector
Susan Dreyfus, Health and Human Services Thought Leader
If the social services sector is going to make a greater impact, then leaders must work together to elevate preventative services to the level of healthcare. Sector leaders need to help advocates who are not typically involved in direct client care (e.g., policy makers, philanthropists, etc.) proximate to our work in order to experience what it takes to holistically and sustainably improve lives. To reach this level, it will take a collective disruption by sector leaders to push towards increased partnerships including mergers and acquisitions, data and information sharing and more robust funding across the board.
More about Susan
After 9 years, Susan Dreyfus stepped down in 2021 as CEO of the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities after leading the organization forward through a historic and strategic merger with the Council on Accreditation. She is now working as an executive coach, retreat facilitator for teams and boards and consultant in adaptive change and planning in both the public and social sectors to advance enduring change to ensure all people can achieve their fullest potential.
During Susan’s tenure as CEO of the Alliance, the organization went through both organizational and adaptive change to accelerate its theory of change and position America’s community-based human serving organizations for excellence, distinction, and influence through the vision of creating a healthy and equitable society so all our neighbors can thrive. Prior to joining the Alliance in 2012, Dreyfus was secretary for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. She was appointed by Gov. Chris Gregoire in 2009 and approved by the Senate. She had responsibility for Medicaid, aging and long-term care, child welfare, behavioral health care, juvenile justice, economic assistance, and other human services. Before her work in Washington state, Dreyfus served as senior vice president and chief operating officer for the Alliance.
In 1996 she was appointed by the Gov. Tommy G. Thompson Administration in Wisconsin to be the first administrator of the Division of Children and Family Services. Her responsibilities included child welfare, childcare quality and licensing, youth development, and an array of emergency assistance, and other programs.
Dreyfus is past chair of Leadership 18, a coalition of CEOs from the largest and most respected nonprofit organizations in America and was previously the chair. She served on the governing boards of the American Public Human Services Association and Generations United. Dreyfus serves as chair of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Systems for Action (S4A) national advisory committee. She was appointed through the Speaker’s office in the U.S. House of Representatives to serve on the National Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities from 2013-2015.
In 2019, Dreyfus was named to The NonProfit Times’ Power and Influence Top 50 list of nonprofit leaders who have “distinguished themselves as initiators of concepts that will have legs and are already having impact.” She also was included in the Power and Influence Top 50 list in 2018, 2017, and 2015. The American Public Human Services Association awarded Dreyfus its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 for her contributions to the field of health and human services in both the public and private sectors. In 2018, Dreyfus was recognized with a Women of Influence Award by the Milwaukee Business Journal.
Watch Now. Upping the Social Services Game Across the Sector
Demystifying Social Services: Pathways Beyond Healthcare That Lead to Sustainable Well-Being for All
Kathy Markeland, Executive Director, Wisconsin Association of Family & Children’s Agencies (WAFCA)
Kathy joined the WAFCA staff in January 2007 bringing a diverse public policy and member services background. In 2019, she was selected to serve as Executive Director to guide the continued growth of the Association and increase member capacity to deliver outstanding human services that help Wisconsin’s children and families to achieve their full human potential.
Prior to joining WAFCA, Kathy served as an associate director for the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, the public policy voice for Wisconsin’s Roman Catholic bishops. In her eight years with the Conference, Kathy advocated on a wide range of issues from environmental matters to human concerns and health care policy. In addition, she followed state developments related to welfare reform, services for the vulnerable and state and local finance.
In her early career, Kathy spent seven years serving the Wisconsin Counties Association, providing both member support and public policy advocacy services to elected representatives on Wisconsin’s 72 county boards. Her experience with the counties introduced her to a wide range of county services and programs and advanced her knowledge of state and local funding relationships. Her policy focus included human services, nursing homes, county organization and environment and land use management.
She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Behavioral Science and Law in 1992 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Watch Demystifying Social Services: Pathways Beyond Healthcare That Lead to Sustainable Well-Being for All
Reflection on Derek Chauvin Verdict
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