Pam Flynt Tambo Announces Her Retirement    

After nearly eleven years of devoted service, Hillside House Executive Director Pam Flynt Tambo has announced she will be retiring this year. She will continue in her role until the Executive Search Committee has hired her replacement and a smooth transition has been ensured. Even after that, she plans to continue to serve Hillside House as a consultant on our Community Plan, to which she has devoted so many hours in recent years.

Pam says, "Although I am leaving my position as Executive Director of Hillside House, I am looking forward to staying involved in the future of this amazing organization and keeping in touch with the residents and staff. I am also excited to explore the next chapter of my life, have more time to be with my family and pursue other interests."

The Executive Search Committee is chaired by board member Susan Chapman, who is joined by four other members of the board, Don Becker, Norris Goss, Lynn Jones and board president Jim Wolfe. The Committee has been conducting a regional search for "a visionary leader who has the capacity and interest to lead Hillside House through the building, development and program management of an integrated community," as called for in our Community Plan. The Committee already has a number of worthy applicants. Applications will be accepted until March 30.

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Hillside House Adopts the Incident Command System            

In 2004, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a new National Incident Management System, which includes the Incident Command System (ICS). The ICS was already in use by firefighters, hazardous materials teams, rescuers and emergency medical teams in many parts of the country. By nationalizing the system, the ICS now provides a standardized, coordinated response to emergency situations to be used by all types of organizations and all levels of government to ensure the most efficient and effective response.

Five of Hillside House's administrative department heads have now been trained in the Incident Command System and a team of four staff members, including Craig Olson, Ricardo Martinez, Dan Flores and Martin Jimenez, have created an ICS committee at Hillside House to oversee implementing this emergency response system at Hillside House.

Five major roles are assigned through the ICS, including Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration, with a chain of command being assigned as backup for each role. This makes it easier and safer not only for Hillside House to respond to emergency situations within our own staff but also to coordinate with firefighters, police officers or other civil authorities, since they are trained to use the same system.

The ICS committee at Hillside House is re-organizing and updating our existing emergency supplies, creating policies, assigning roles and will be conducting regular staff trainings to ensure that Hillside House is fully prepared for any type of emergency from a simple power outage to a large earthquake or full-scale evacuation.

Nancy Read Fund Brings Residents to Disneyland             

Thanks to donations to the Nancy Read Life Enrichment Fund staff members Nikki and Kealoha brought Emily, Yvette, Jimmie R. and Jeff H. to Disneyland last Friday. The Nancy Read Fund provides opportunities for Hillside House residents who might otherwise not be able to afford to do so, to expand their interests and life experience through a variety of recreational, cultural and travel experiences.

This was a big trip for the residents, some of whom have never been to Disneyland. As case manager Nikki Davis says, "Everyone needs a little vacation once in a while," and this day trip provided a lot of new stimulation and fun.

The group set out in the morning, using one of Hillside House's newer vans. It was a gorgeous, bright day of perfect weather. When they arrived at Disneyland two and half hours later, everyone was hungry, so first stop was a good snack.

Because two of the residents use wheelchairs, the group was given a free Fast Pass to go to the front of the line for rides. They played the Buzz Lightyear game, where everyone thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of shooting at targets. Then they rode on Space Mountain, It's a Small World, which was a favorite of the whole group, and Pirates of the Caribbean. All of the rides were wheelchair-accessible and the staff of Disneyland was friendly and helpful.

The group were enchanted by a beautiful parade with dancing and music and then had a lovely dinner in a restaurant in the New Orleans section of Disneyland. Residents enjoyed French onion soup, Monte Cristos or chicken sandwiches, and lemonade. Each one got a pair of Mickey Mouse ears.

After such a big day, the residents slept most of the way home, arriving close to 11:00 p.m. They all seemed very happy to have a fun adventure.

Chuck Klein Brings Project Management Expertise to Hillside House Board   

For 12 years, Chuck Klein served as National Director of Project Management for Devereux's numerous campuses in 21 states. He developed master plans for the expanded use of these 30-40 acre campuses in order to provide optimal services to the developmentally disabled, then hired architects and engineers and managed the construction projects. While at Devereux he came to know Pam Flynt Tambo (Executive Director of Hillside House), Curt Lauber (Development Director), Craig Olson (Financial Director), and Lynn Jones (Board Member), all of whom were working at Devereux at the time.

After a number of years managing construction projects for major corporations, Chuck was looking for a way to use his skills to make a difference for people in need. He found that non-profits generally did not have staff members with his skill set and experience, and he became a consultant, specializing in non-profits that help children with disabilities. He has just completed a 40,000 square foot school for autistic children on the East Coast.

A few weeks ago he joined the board of Hillside House, where his project management skills and enthusiasm for non-profits will be a huge boon as we move into the construction phase of our ambitious Community Plan to develop the 23-acres on which Hillside House sits into a thriving mixed-use, mixed-abilities neighborhood that will provide more integrated living and independence for our residents while providing financially for the longevity of Hillside House. Chuck says he was drawn to volunteer for the board because of Hillside House's "terrific mission" and the "incredible opportunity" that the Community Plan presents us to broaden our services, become a model for other non-profits in the disabilities field, and expand our visibility in the community.

Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Chuck and his wife are outdoor enthusiasts, enjoying hiking, biking and kayaking. They also enjoy collecting Japanese antiques and travel. In addition to his work as a project manager and contractor, he has taught graduate level courses at Antioch University in organizational theory, team development and project management. We are thrilled to have Chuck join the board.

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