June 30 , 2007

Wendy Waldner Appointed to Board
By Bruce Nelson, ARRM Executive Director

Wendy Waldner’s (Opportunity Partners) appointment to the ARRM Board of Directors by President Rhonda King was approved by the Board last week. Wendy has been active for several years on a number of ARRM committees and task forces, notably the Service Innovations Task force and Public Affairs Committee. She will take over as Vice Chair of the Public Relations Committee.

Wendy replaces Rosemary Geist (Fraser), who resigned from the Board. Rosemary had chaired the Public Relations and also was active on several committees and task forces. Her leadership of the P.R. Committee has been stunning with Community Enrichment Week, strong and compelling themes for our Day at the Capitol and a number of initiatives to strengthen the importance of members’ services in the community and ARRM as your trade association.

ARRM Elects Officers, Thanks Outgoing Board Directors

The ARRM Board of Directors reelected its slate of officers to second one-year terms. Officers typically run for two consecutive terms.

Reelected were:
• Rhonda King, President, from Creative Care for Reaching Independence
• Don Priebe, Vice President, from Homeward Bound
• Devin Nelson, Treasurer, from Habilitative Services
• Connie Menne, Secretary, from REM Minnesota

The June Board meeting was the last for three outgoing directors. Each was honored for their many hours of services on the Board, in committees and sage advice as we wrestle with a list of critical issues that seems to grow logarithmically. Each Director received many deservedly kind and laudatory – and sometimes funny – comments with a plaque from Rhonda.

The outgoing Directors are:

Jeri Schoonover, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (Board years: 2001 – 2007). Jeri sat on several ad hoc issue groups over the years and co-chaired the Conference Committee for the last several years.

Bruce Torgerson, Mount Olivet Rolling Acres (Board years: 2001 – 2007). Bruce chaired our Public Relations Committee and then moved over to chair the Financial Resources Committee.

Kathy Shroyer, STAR Services (Board years: 2006-2007). Kathy has been active on many committees and task forces. She was appointed to the Board last year and served as vice chair of the Education Committee.

New Committee Chairs Named

With a new ARRM Board and officers in place, ARRM President Rhonda King has named committee and task force chairs and vice chairs. The new chairs take over this month. They are, by committee or task force:

Finance Committee
Treasurer Devin Nelson (HSI) -- Chair

Conference Committee
Claudia Cravens (Prairie Community Services) -- Chair
Kristi Olzeske (Mains’l Services) – Vice Chair
Laurie Tazelaar Williams – Auction Chair
Jackie Meier (LRN Associates Management Services)– Vice Chair

Education
Michelle Hooey (Duluth Regional Care Center) -- Chair
Susann Zeug-Hoese (Mount Olivet Rolling Acres) -- Vice Chair

Financial Resources
Don Priebe (Homeward Bound) -- Chair
David Kendrick (Integrity Living Options) – Vice Chair

Member Services
Paula Hart (Dakota Communities) -- Chair
Terry Morrison (New Dawn)– Vice chair

Service Design and Delivery
Lisbeth Armstrong (Hammer) -- Chair
Barb Jacobson (Dungarvin) – Vice Chair

Public Affairs
David Doth (REM Minnesota) -- Chair
Denny Theede (Home and Community Options) – Vice Chair

Public Relations
Carol Lee (Harry Meyering) – Chair
Wendy Waldner (Opportunity Partners) – Vice Chair

Service Innovations / DRA Task Force
Karin Stockwell (Dungarvin) – Chair
Jon Nelson (Residential Service of NE Minnesota) – Chair

The Allocation Methodology Task Force will no longer meet as a task force with its duties and oversight taken over by the Financial Resources Committee.

Leaving the Board and thus their chairs are: Jeri Schoonover (Lutheran Social Service as Vice Chair of Conference), Kathy Shroyer (STAR Services as Vice Chair of Education), Bruce Torgerson (Mount Olivet Rolling Acres as Chair of Financial Resources) and Rosemary Geist (Fraser as Chair of Public Relations. Sandy Kasprzak (PICS) is staying on the Board but decided to step down as Vice Chair of Service Design and Delivery.

These volunteers contributed mightily to the advancement of our mission. We thank them for their long hours, wisdom and leadership!