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By Teresa Anderson, Public Policy Director, Arc/UCP California Collaboration
THANK YOU FOR AN AMAZING 18 YEARS!
I think I have started writing this a hundred times because it is so hard to find the words to express my love for and appreciation for my Arc family. My family joined The Arc family about 18 years ago when Shirley Dove and The Arc of California Board (including our current President Pat Hornbecker) decided to hire my husband, Tony Anderson, as their Executive Director.
We jumped in head first, with three young children, and began this amazing journey with The Arc. Over the years I (actually the kids, Uncle, and I) volunteered at nearly every event The Arc held; we put board packets together in the good old days when it took two reams of paper and two days to print and assemble the folders. We helped with mailings, took photos, worked registration desks, and well…you name it, we did it!
Needless to say, Tony was very good at getting free work from his family (I guess free is a relative term because he often paid the kids with French fries, and Uncle with dinner at Jamie’s – ha!) I was fortunate to learn, very early on, the great skill of persuasion, from none other than the GREAT Shirley Dove. She was Chair of the Prevention Committee (yes, we had a Prevention Committee back then too) and I don’t recall ANYONE ever telling her no when she asked them to contribute.
On December 1, 2017, after many years of volunteering and doing project work for The Arc, I started in-house, full-time as The Arc/UCP California Collaboration’s Public Policy Director. I can’t remember exactly when the Monday Morning Memo began, but I know I have been writing articles and updates for at least 15 years and have appreciated all the nice responses over the years as well as the continued support from all the readers.
It is probably obvious by now, but this will be my last MMM update as I have, after A LOT of consideration, accepted a new position as Executive Director for the California Policy Center for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (CPCIDD). Don’t worry if that does not sound familiar because it is a brand-new policy center being created to focus specifically on policy issues related to Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
I have learned so much from so many wonderful people at The Arc and I am grateful every day that my life – my family’s life has been so enriched because of all the amazing people we
have met along the way. THANK YOU to all of you…too many to name… but to everyone who shared their lives and love with us. To those of you – and you know who you are – that my kids grew up calling “Auntie”, or that they ran to hug at every event, or ate with at unforgettable restaurants, or traveled with across the county to different conferences (and probably did naughty things like stay out very late and engage in Shenanigans with…shhh… don’t tell, but The HORNBECKERS) you are forever a part of our family and we LOVE you!
As I begin this new adventure I take with me all that I have learned from being part of this AMAZING organization (truly a family) and promise to continue to work hard to advance and protect the civil and human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
This is definitely not goodbye or farewell but rather it is SEE YOU SOON! THANK YOU AGAIN FOR AN AMAZING 18 YEARS!