2019 PAR Solutions Conference | MINDFULNESS 
October 21 & 22 & 23

The 2019 PAR Solutions Conference saw almost 650 attendees from all over the state gather in Harrisburg, PA! Check out some highlights from the conference below.

Conference Brochure

Click here to view the 2019 Solutions Conference brochure. The brochure contains all of the session and activity information from the conference! 

Speaker Presentations

Speaker presentations are available for you to view/download here. If you have any questions or can't find your presentation, please email [email protected].

Conference Pictures

Check out PAR's Facebook page for pictures from the conference. Be sure to tag yourself, your organization and your coworkers!

Annual Meeting

At the 2019 PAR Annual Meeting, held on Monday, October 21 of the 2019 Solutions Conference, Nominating Committee Chair Rob Reid announced the nominations of Alan Benson, Chief Executive Officer, Lakeshore Community Services, Inc.; Sr. Maryalice Jacquinot, President and CEO, St. Joseph's Center; G. N. Janes, Executive Director, Valley Community Services; Sue Soderberg, Senior Vice President, Mission Services, Goodwill Keystone Area; Tim Sohosky, Chief Operating Officer, The ReDCo Group, Inc. and Raystown Developmental Services, Inc.; and Scott Spreat, Vice President of Evaluation and Research, Woods Services to the PAR Board of Directors. The membership seconded the motion to approve the new Board of Directors and the motion carried.

This year's annual meeting featured committee reports from chairs, co-chairs and members of PAR's workgroups and committees. PAR also honored Jay Layman, PAR's lobbyist who has entered retirement and Shirley Walker, PAR's President Emeritus.

Keynote Speaker Recap

Michael Gamel-McCormick, Senior Policy Advisor for the Special Committee on Aging in Senator Bob Casey’s Office, shared updates on employment and other legislative initiatives from Senator Bob Casey’s office and thanked PAR members for their advocacy and encouraged them to keep up the fight for intellectual disability/autism services.

Brian Wagner helped the audience embrace their own personal blindness to achieve a greater vision for their lives. Sharing his personal story with the audience, he embodied the conference theme "MINDFULNESS" to energize the audience and connect with them.

Office of Developmental Programs Deputy Secretary Kristin Ahrens joined PAR members as a keynoter on Tuesday morning, noting the importance of listening and communication for individuals with intellectual disability or autism as well as key ODP updates.

Serena Lowe, Senior Policy Adviser in the Center for Policy & Evaluation under the Administration for Community Living, US Department of Health and Human Services, shared how shifting from ambiguity to intentionality and compliance to quality can help drive positive systems change as we shift to Home and Community Based Services and Community Inclusion. 

PA House Majority Leader Representative Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) shared a personal story regarding the importance of community. He affirmed his support of Intellectual Disability and Autism services and thanked attendees for the work that they do, noting the importance of advocacy and employment for people with disabilities.

First Annual PAR-ty

PAR's first annual PAR-ty was a hit! The PAR-ty featured guitarist Zayne Harshaw, DJ Kyle, karaoke, a caricature artist, games, food and more! The event was held at the Whitaker Center and was attended by almost 200 people. You won't want to miss next year's PAR-ty!

 

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