Rich Kimball poses with the gift he received in thanks for his tenure on The Resource Center’s board. With him are Dick Erickson, board chair, and Executive Director Denise Jones.

Richard Erickson was re-elected the chair of The Resource Center’s board of directors during the agency’s general membership meeting, held at TRC’s Michael J. Raymond Center on Jones and Gifford Avenue in Jamestown.

Also elected as officers for the board’s 2024-25 term were Dr. Dawn Columbare, vice chair; Lisa Goodell, secretary; and Marie Carrubba, treasurer.

Elected to two-year board terms were Timothy Adam, Doug Anderson, John Felton, Robert Goold, Donna Haenggi, Dr. Todd Jacobson, and Barbara Stewart. Adam, Anderson, Goold, Haenggi, Jacobson, and Stewart were re-elected to the board. Felton, the executive director of Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union, is joining TRC’s board for the first time.

Stepping down from the board after years of volunteer service in support of TRC’s mission were Richard Kimball and Patricia Perlee. Perlee, who had served on the board since 2013 and was board chair from 2019-22, received a monogrammed jacket in appreciation of her board tenure. Kimball, who joined the board in 2019 and had served as vice chair the past two years, received a painting created by a TRC self-advocate whom Kimball has known for many years.

Elected to the nominating committee for The Resource Center’s 2025 election were Kathy Field, Laurie Goold, Mary Jo Hamilton, Carole Johnson, and Gregory Krauza.

In his report to the membership, Erickson thanked The Resource Center’s employees for their dedication; Executive Director Denise Jones and her leadership team for the way they oversee the agency’s operations; and his fellow board members for their service.

He noted that the advocacy priority for disability service providers in New York State for the coming year is to convince the Legislature and Governor Kathy Hochul to provide funding that will both improve supports for people with disabilities and enable providers to raise the wages of direct support professionals. To give The Resource Center a stronger voice when advocating, Erickson issued a challenge encouraging each of TRC’s 1,800 members to recruit one new member.

Jacobson gave the financial report, in which he noted The Resource Center finished the year with a positive net operating result for the ninth straight year.

In her report, Jones touched on some of TRC’s accomplishments from the past year, including increases in employee retention rates and job applicants; the opening of the agency’s KeyBank Art House at Edgewater; reaccreditation from The Council on Quality and Leadership; the efforts of the agency’s Allied Industries manufacturing division, which performs subcontracting work for local industry and the federal government, to expand its customer base and acquire government contracts; and the success of TRC’s employment services program, which works with area businesses to provide competitive employment to more than 200 people with disabilities.

Looking to the future, Jones noted the operation of some of The Resource Center’s health services soon will transition to a new provider. The business will continue to operate as TRC Community Health Center, with the existing staff becoming employees of the new entity so that the transition will be seamless. Jones said a goal of the new corporation is to become a center of excellence for providing oral health care to people with developmental disabilities.

The meeting included a presentation about some of the activities that take place in TRC’s day habilitation programs. First, members of the agency’s handbell choir performed two songs, and then people with special needs who participate in martial arts classes displayed some of the skills they have acquired.

The Resource Center is a not-for-profit organization that has been supporting people with disabilities in Chautauqua County since 1958. For more information, phone 716-483-2344 or visit resourcecenter.org.