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By Pat Hornbecker, Chair, The Arc of California Board of Directors
The Arc of the United States held its national convention in New Orleans this year for three days of learning and living and sharing with advocates, self-advocates, and staff alongside local, state and national leaders of our disability rights movement across the country. With over 835 registered attendees, California logged 50 attendees in our contingent alone. The Arc of California hosted a reception while there to gather the California team and welcome our two national board members. Numerous chapter executive directors, state office staff, board members, self-advocates and family members attended from everywhere in California.
I attended a board leadership training, discussing board governance and non-profit management, coming away with great concepts for sustainability and chapter success. The National Conference of Executive Directors (NCE) held its annual award luncheon where our own Patty Schulz, CEO of The Arc Ventura County, received The Exemplary Career Leadership Award in ahead of her retirement on November 30, 2023. The daily breakfast buffets encouraged networking and provided opportunities to meet the national leaders and speakers at the convention. The Arc as a “FAMILY” appeared to be a theme that materialized at these breakfasts as people met and shared so many stories of victory and survival, of defeat and recovery, innovation and success. I could truly feel the sense of “FAMILY” within the crowd.
The sessions offered many opportunities to learn about advancing diversity, access, equity and inclusion in the truest form. Tokenism was addressed head on. The LGBTQIA+ community was featured as both state and federal public policies address the discrimination in accessing healthcare, education, and other services across the country. The intersection of people with disabilities and the criminal justice system, its abuses and support for survivors were on topic for many in the audience. The update from Washington gave us the federal perspective on policy issues being addressed by our national organization that supports our own state work: Medicaid, welfare, Social Security, employment and more. Everyone’s favorite moment had to be “An Irish Goodbye” an Oscar-winning short film (20 mins) about two estranged brothers (one with Down syndrome) forced to reunite after the untimely death of their mother. This film is a realistic and moving portrayal of the issues facing aging caregivers.
Every year I attend, my favorite takeaway from the convention was (as always) the people, the stories, the passion and drive to survive.
I met two people from The Arc of Oahu and learned so much from them about how they operate in their state and how The Arc of Maui is recovering from the devastating fire. The education I discovered in the halls, over lunch, talking to people from other states, sharing chapter problems and solutions is worth the price of attendance. This year we had many of our new state office staff in attendance learning alongside us and it was great getting to know them and share our personal histories as they came to know The Arc at a new level. California’s strong showing made us all feel confident in all we are doing, united in our plans for and with The Arc California and believing we are moving in the right direction, perhaps even ahead of the crowd! Go Team!
Next year’s convention will combine the NCE Summer Leadership Institute with the national convention in Columbus, Ohio! October 30-31 will be the NCE Fall Leadership Institute followed immediately by the national convention November 1-3, 2024 – just in front of the U.S. Presidential election!
Finally, we also learned who the new CEO for The Arc of the United States is but were sworn to secrecy! The new CEO will be announced nationally on November 20. Stay tuned.