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Complete the form below to sign up for a complimentary brunch! Sign up by March 7th.
Sisterhood Brunch with Jo Ann Simons
Sunday, March 14th, at 10:30am
Pick up your complimentary brunch to-go on Saturday, March 13th between 1pm and 2pm, or on the 14th from 9am to 10am at the rear of the Temple by the kitchen door. Then, join us for a Zoom brunch with our speaker Jo Ann Simons, CEO of Northeast Arc!
About Northeast Arc
Northeast Arc is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people of all abilities to reach their full potential. The company was founded in 1954 by parents of children with developmental disabilities who wanted to raise their sons and daughters as full members of the community. By having the courage to challenge professionals who told them their children could not be educated and would not live to become adults, these parents created the systems that enabled them to attend public schools, develop friendships, reside in the neighborhoods of their choice and to earn a paycheck.
About our presenter
Jo Ann Simons is a health and human services executive with 30+ years of experience transforming organizations. Her progressive initiatives have included the creation of The ArcTank; which changes lives through positive disruption, transitioning outdated program models, developing innovative programs, diversifying funding sources, and increasing donations by 150%. She was named the CEO of the Northeast Arc in January 2016. The agency has an operating budget of $300 million and supports over 15,000 individuals through a team of over 1100 staff. The team delivers high quality services in 280 cities and towns in Massachusetts with revenue coming from state, federal and third-party sources. She has led financial and program turnarounds in two previous CEO roles and increased revenues in each position she has held. Jo Ann has been recognized by the Commonwealth Institute and the Boston Globe Magazine as #2 in its Top 100 Women Led Business rankings in Massachusetts. She was named, in 2016, as one of Boston’s Power 50 by the Boston Business Journal. The author of a book, several book chapters and numerous publications, she is an industry leader.
She currently serves on the Board of Century Bank (and its Audit and Asset Liability Committees) and on the Board of the Tufts Health Plan Foundation. Tapped by Governor Charlie Baker to be on his Transition Committee on Health Care, she serves on the Governors Commission on Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and on his Autism Commission. Known for her innovation in the disability, health and human services sectors, she created the national competition, The ArcTank, and raised and awarded $650,000 dollars to positive and disruptive ideas in disability around the country. Under her leadership, the Northeast Arc was a driving force in the revitalization of downtown Peabody by opening a coffee shop and raising $500,000 to build a city requested Black Box Theater. Her latest innovation is transforming 26,000 sq. ft. of retail space in an 850,000 sq. ft. mall into a vibrant office and program space. This transformational and regional project is replicable and will demonstrate how to preserve our vital retail industry, support greener communities and be a model for disability services.
Jo Ann has been recognized for her leadership during the COVID19 pandemic by foreseeing the PPE shortage and organizing her industry to bulk purchase millions of dollars of supplies to protect employees and their high-risk clients.
She also identified the need for low wage workers who were tested positive to have a safe quarantine environment and converted space into a temporary “hotel.” She is the author of the Down Syndrome Transition Handbook (Woodbine House, 2010). She is also the chapter author of “Legal Issues” in Babies with Down Syndrome, an essay in You Will Dream New Dreams and the author of the chapter on “Long Term Impact” in a textbook for dental students, Treating the Dental Patient with a Developmental Disorder. In addition, she created “Footprints for the Future”, a personal planning tool that provides a place for families and professionals to record specific and personal information as part of their future and estate planning.
Jo Ann has a Master’s Degree in Social Work in Policy from the University of Connecticut and a B.A. from Wheaton College of Massachusetts. She lives in Swampscott, Massachusetts with her husband, Chet Derr. They have two children. Emily is an attorney and Jonathan is a man with Down syndrome who lives independently. They are the inspiration for her life’s work.