Tracy Herron, HR Business Partner, recently joined our team at Dungarvin bringing more than six years’ experience with her. Tracy grew up in a family who believed in, and were committed to, helping and serving others. As she has said herself, “It’s in my blood.” Get to know this compassionate new team member through ‘5 questions with…Tracy Herron:’

1. What is your most treasured possession?

I really don’t care too much about things. However, I will say that I have a diamond ring that my sister gave to me because she said I was her diamond.

2. What do you most value in a friend or a co-worker?

Honesty and integrity.

3. What characteristic – or adjective – would people use to describe you?

I had to ask my former HR Specialist this question. Her response was: “Supportive with excellent leadership skills. You created a very safe and inclusive HR Team, reliable and my favorite thing is that you are empathetic. That was important to me because I felt like you cared on a personal level and not just from the business aspect.”

4. What would you most like to see happen in your state to better serve people with disabilities?

Better wages for those who care for them.

5. Who are your heroes in life and why?

My son, Tod, is my hero. He is a great person. He’s kind, generous, funny, a hard worker and very loyal to everyone he loves. He loves his family and is an amazing cook!  (I should have led with that…LOL)

Believe it or not, Kelly Baldwin, Content Development and LMS (Learning Management System) Manager, has been with Dungarvin for almost 30 years! Her first position was as an Administrative Assistant for Dungarvin Ohio, during which time she realized she “had an aptitude for teaching people how to use a computer, as well as understanding evolving technology itself.” Over the course of her career, Kelly has moved into several different roles, yet always focusing on training development, website management, even social media strategy. Get to know our beloved “always finds a way” technology wizard through ‘5 Questions with…Kelly Baldwin:’

1. Why do you have a passion for this work?

I obviously don’t provide direct services for those individuals Dungarvin supports. But what I really have loved doing is helping people use the ever-changing technology that has come into the company. When I first started here, computers were shared among Program Directors (two computers for six PDs)! Technology will never replace what our front-line direct support team does, but it can help that team do a better job which, in turn, helps the persons we serve.

2. What is your most treasured possession?

My mental health. And all my art supplies, which benefits my mental health. 😊

3. What do you most value in a friend or a co-worker?

Their willingness to meet a person (myself or others) where they are at. Everyone struggles, has stress, has outside influences on their mental health or mood, which can change daily, or by a moment. The best friends and co-workers are cognizant of that and have worked to meet others on the “turf” they are able to manage.

4. Who are your heroes in life and why?

My mom, who died of ovarian cancer after battling it for three and a half years. My dad, who died from complications of dementia. And my stepmom, who married my dad after my mom died, and who was my dad’s primary and only caregiver during his decline. She is a rock!

5. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I have survived every single thing I thought I wouldn’t.

For the past three years, Compass Career Solutions, a Dungarvin Company, has been led by Senior Director Brandy Gerdes-Schutz. After trying a few different career paths, Brandy says she almost “stumbled into this industry beginning as a job coach.” She has since spent the last 21 years building her expertise in this industry. Read more about how her love of helping others took her places more than she ever imagined in ‘5 Questions with…Brandy Gerdes-Schutz:’

1. Why do you have a passion for this work – how so?

I got a BS in math and thought I wanted to be a math teacher until I tried it out and discovered that was not the job for me! After exploring different jobs, I stumbled into this industry beginning as a job coach 21 years ago. I have always loved helping people and as soon as I started doing this work, I knew it was something that I always wanted to do. Helping people overcome barriers to achieving employment or housing can seem so trivial to an outsider, but seeing and experiencing the life-changing difference it can make for an individual is incredible, and worth all the hard work. As I have developed my career in this field, I’ve discovered the passion for mentoring and developing leaders in this field. It takes heart and perseverance and tenacity to do the work our employees do every day, and it takes the same heart, perseverance, and tenacity to manage the work as well. Finding the balance between motivating employees to provide excellent service and running a successful program can be challenging and I love that I get to support leaders in doing this each day. Collectively we help individuals achieve their goals and I personally have the privilege to help develop leaders in this field to achieve their own goals.

2. What would you most like to see happen in your state to better serve people with disabilities?

I would like more businesses in Washington to see the incredible value that workers with disabilities bring to the workforce.

3. Who are your heroes in life and why?

My mom. My mom has been through so much more in her life than one person should ever experience. She turned trauma into resilience and suffering into learning in a way that amazes me. She is my hero and my example. I’ve learned from her to gracefully face life head-on. Through practicing grace and tenacity, we become better versions of ourselves. Through humility and resilience, we can achieve more than we could have imagined. I’ve learned from her that grace and strength live in imperfection and that it might not be comfortable at times, but it is always worth the effort.

4. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Becoming who I am now. 🙂 It took me time and exploration to figure out what I wanted to do in a career and what would be the best path for me as an adult. I have a career I love, working in a field with passionate people doing great things for people; I have a wonderful family; and in the last few years my husband and I moved to a place where we can do some minor farming – we have goats and chickens and a huge garden. I’ve learned to garden, can food, and take care of farm animals. My husband and I enjoy working on our property and taking care of our little farm. I love the life I’m living, and I’ve worked hard to get here!

5. What do you most value about the Dungarvin/Compass team with whom you work?

Their love for their work and dedication to the success of the people we serve. Our Compass employees work tirelessly to make sure that we are doing everything we can to support people in employment and housing. I’m very lucky to be a part of this passionate and dedicated group of people!

2023 Oklahoma DSP of the Year William (Bill) Koscher has a unique story to tell. His wife, Donna, was already a Dungarvin “agency companion” when Bill made the decision to retire from his lifelong profession as a police officer and sheriff to become an agency companion himself. (Agency Companion Services are host home providers in the state of Oklahoma. They provide services similar to that of a Direct Support Professional.) In 2018, Bill and Donna welcomed into their home a young boy with significant intellectual and physical challenges caring for him full-time. As you might imagine, Bill and Donna have developed a caring, parental relationship with the child, proud to provide the supports he needs that allow him to succeed. Get to know more about Bill and his commitment to his second career in 5 Questions with…Bill Koscher:

1. Why do you have a passion for this work – how so – please briefly explain.

This is a hard question, because I really didn’t have a passion to do this work. I was in law enforcement for 18 years, when my wife took an AC into our home, and I was just being supportive of my wife. “BUT GOD”! Them two words seem to change the direction of my life. I was sitting in my office doing evaluations on my officers, plus budgets, and calls for service, when my wife called and told me that Priscilla was playing with her toys and cooing, just having a good time, and it hit me. 21 years in the military and 18 years in law enforcement, and I’m still missing things that happen in my own home. GOD instilled in me that a change was coming, and that HE assured me, or gave me peace that it was going to be a change for the best. HE revealed that after 39 years of service to everyone else, it was time to learn about me and my home.

2. What is your most treasured possession?

This is a trick question! But I would have to say my RV. My wife and I LOVE the outdoors and the RV gives us the space and ability to take our Agency Companions with us wherever we decide to go.

3. What characteristic – or adjective – would people use to describe you?

Fun-loving, weird, and compassionate for my kids!!

4. What would you most like to see happen in your state to better serve people with disabilities?

Oh my, it would be a great thing to have more ACs in Oklahoma! It breaks my heart to see places filled with kids who need support. Giving them a quality of life that they most likely will NEVER see in these institutions would be a huge blessing for them. They deserve to have a great life!

5. What do you most value about the Dungarvin team with whom you work?

For the last 12 years, Oregon State Director, Brenda Linden, has made Dungarvin her work home. Born and raised in Portland, Linden is a first-generation college student, and proudly manages a team of four Area Directors and an Office Manager that she “doesn’t know what she would do without.” Get to know more about this outgoing and supportive individual through 5 Questions with…Brenda Linden.

1. How long have you worked at Dungarvin; in the IDD industry?

I have been with Dungarvin for 12 years. I started as a DSP in 2011 and have worked my way up from there spending the last 2 years as the State Director. Dungarvin is actually my first experience in this field besides helping out in special education classrooms when I was in elementary school. I immediately fell in love with this work and cannot imagine doing anything else.

2. Why do you have a passion for this work – how so – please briefly explain.

I believe that everyone deserves to live a life that they choose, and everyone deserves to have a voice when decisions are made about that life. If I can help be that voice for someone to get what they need and deserve, I am there for it. I love being able to help others have a greater understanding of the unique needs and challenges of the population of people we support, so that we can work towards a more inclusive and accepting world for everyone. I have found this to be a deeply fulfilling career choice because I get to help make a difference in the lives of others every day.

3. What is your most treasured possession?

My family is absolutely my most treasured possession. My husband, William, and I have been together for 17 years and married for 15 years. We have three amazing children, Wesley, Emma, and Lilyana, and of course our fur baby, Aspen. They make my life complete and bring me sunshine on even the darkest days.

4. What would you most like to see happen in your state to better serve people with disabilities?

I would love to see better access to care and supports. It is a battle at times to get the items that our individuals need to live their lives. Additionally, I would like to see the state approve better funding for our services so we can in turn pay our staff better, more sustainable wage. This would allow for better retention rates and most importantly greater consistency in the lives of those we support.

5. What do you most value about the Dungarvin team with whom you work?

My team is everything. Without a strong, dependable team working with you, it is impossible to accomplish your goals. I value the time we have together to work through current issues and plan for the future. We can have amazing collaborative conversations and they are not afraid to challenge a decision that I am making to make sure it is the right decision for everyone involved. We learn and grow together each and every day.