Council for Extended Care (CEC) envisions the best possible organization to support their mission and strategically build the foundation on which to reach their goals.

Client Organization

The Council for Extended Care (CEC) is a non-profit organization that gives hope to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families by offering a variety of services that provide support, independence and respite.  Founded in 1977 by a group of family members whose children attended St. Mary’s Special School in St. Louis, the CEC now supports 200 individuals in residential programs and 470 adults and children in recreational programs in the St. Louis area.

From supported living services to recreational programs (including Sunnyhill Adventures www.sunnyhilladventures.org) , the goal for the CEC is to help individuals with developmental disabilities take pride in their achievements, make choices that lead them to the greatest independence and live lives of quality and dignity.  CEC is changing the world for hundreds of children and adults in the St. Louis area by offering hope, companionship and support for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.  For more information, visit their website: www.cecstl.org.

Client Objective
To fully engage board members and staff members in envisioning the best possible future for CEC while strategically building the foundation on which to achieve these goals.

Unique Challenge
As a new Executive Director, Vicky Presnell, wanted to create a leadership team that shared a cohesive vision while energizing both the board and staff in the process. For the first time in the organization’s history, board members gathered with staff to envision the best possible future for the organization and to identify the steps needed to strategically reach this vision.  The gathering produced a “blueprint for the future,” according to Executive Director Vicky Presnell, and built important relationships between board members and staff personnel

What We Did
Using the SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations (Visioning) and Results) Strategic Planning model, colleagues began working together to create a cohesive vision and then moved into the "nuts and bolts" of what needed to be accomplished for each goal to be realized as well as a measurable outcome to ensure success.

Outcomes
As a result of the Paradigm Shift Studio program:

• Board and Staff members became a "team" working together to strengthen CEC.  Deeper relationships were developed quickly throughout the process.
• Leadership team identified goals related to:  greater community recognition and networking, building strategic partnerships for fundraising efforts and completing a detailed plan and timeline for accomplishing their goals.
• Board and Staff became more aware of the importance of their role with organizational fundraising and began to identify their spheres of influence that can benefit CEC.
• Board and Staff became energized to continue working together to put next steps in place.