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Westchester Arc
The Gleeson-Israel Gateway Center
265 Saw Mill River Road
Hawthorne, NY 10532
914.949.9300
info@westchesterarc.org
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Ric Swierat Receives National Top Honor
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The National Conference of Executives (NCE) of the Arc of the United States has bestowed its highest honor—the 2008 Executive Excellence Award—to Westchester Arc Executive Director Ric Swierat. The national award, was presented at the November 5 NCE Awards Dinner in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was given to an individual whose career exemplifies the fulfillment of the mission, core values and position statements of The Arc: To advocate for the rights and full participation of all children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
During his 25 years at Westchester Arc Ric’s innovative leadership has redefined the way in which services are provided to people with developmental disabilities. Ric has long advocated for their right to live, work and socialize in the community. In recent years, he has taken an active role in the state self-advocacy movement aiding and encouraging these individuals to voice their own wants, needs and desires.
With Ric’s encouragement, Westchester Arc became one of the first NYSARC chapters to include self-advocates— individuals with developmental disabilities who voice their own wants, needs and desires—in its Board of Directors. Two self-advocates have served on the agency’s board since 1996, assuming all of the responsibilities and making the same contributions as their fellow board members. In 2005, Ric helped launch the first agency-wide Customer Service Council, ensuring that individuals with developmental disabilities provide input on the agency’s plans and operations. Ric devotes much time to meeting with the group on a monthly basis, often after work hours. Upon his request, the council was recently made a board-level group. Ric helps the council hold elections for officers, so they can express their right to vote. He also facilitates meetings with special guests including representatives from the county’s Paratransit system and former Senator Nick Spano—giving the council the opportunity to voice their thoughts to officials and other members of the community.
Ric and self-advocates share ideas and concerns in the board room.
“Ric is always there for us self-advocates. He gives us good advice, answers our questions. Whenever I tell him things, I know he is really listening, and he does his best to make sure others, like staff and people in the community, listen to us, too.” comments Patsy Ginese, president of the Customer Service Council.
Ric’s involvement with the self-advocacy movement stretches beyond Westchester. He often travels with self-advocates to Albany and Washington D.C., where they meet with public officials and lobby for laws protecting individuals with disabilities. They also attend state conferences sponsored by NYSARC and other organizations, where they exchange ideas with self-advocates from all over New York State. Recently, Ric hosted two regional self-advocacy conferences in Hyde Park, New York, to develop a platform for social issues, rights and responsibilities that were presented to representatives of presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama.
Teaching the proper way to fold the American Flag is just another example of his hands-on leadership to staff and self-advocates.
In addition to upholding the traditions of Westchester Arc, Ric’s leadership enabled the agency to move toward the future. In the fall of 2008, the agency closed its door to its longtime headquarters at 121 Westmoreland Avenue in White Plains and moved to its new Gleeson-Israel Gateway Center in Hawthorne. With the move came a dramatic shift in the way the agency provides services to individuals with developmental disabilities. Rather than focusing on center-based services and offering sheltered workshops, as it did in White Plains, Westchester Arc would now provide more opportunities for community inclusion. The Gleeson-Israel Gateway Center houses art galleries that showcase the creative accomplishments of people with disabilities, provides enhanced person-centered and offers state-of-the-art meeting spaces utilized by families, staff and fellow community organizations—all of which inspire the community to value the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities.
Whether it is working on quilt design ideas or board resolutions, Ric always finds the time for the individuals we serve.
“There aren’t enough words in the dictionary to describe the compassion, dedication and knowledge of Ric Swierat,” remarks Anne Majsak, Westchester Arc president. “He exemplifies what a leader should be—focused, driven and always willing to hear what others have to say. His tireless efforts have opened many doors for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. On behalf of the entire Westchester Arc community, I congratulate Ric on this well-deserved honor.”