BOARD NEWS  

Spectrum Support, Inc., is pleased to announce new board members and the elected officers for FY2009.

The FY09 officers are:  President Robert Holt, President of Baltimore Credit and Collection Services, Inc.; Vice President: John Shoemaker of the FDA; Treasurer Marla Johnson; and Secretary Kelli Nelson.

New Board Member Larry Helminiak

We welcome Larry Helminiak to the Spectrum Support, Inc. Board of Directors. Larry is also a member of the board of the South Carroll Business Association and the South Carroll Sykesville Rotary, not to mention many other affiliations. As the former owner of Carroll Insulation, he brings business savvy to the agency. While he doesn’t have direct experience with nonprofit agencies, he respects that Spectrum Support does good works which he believes the government should not be asked to do completely. As an employer, he had employees with disabilities working for him. He has been and is active in politics, running for the House of Delegates in ’02 and ’06, and continuing to testify at various legislative hearings. He also has friends and connections throughout the State.

New Board Member Kelli Piscano Nelson

We welcome Kelli Nelson to the Spectrum Support, Inc. Board of Directors. Kelli hopes to share her strengths with the Board, including “legislative advocacy and strategic planning around issues impacting people with developmental disabilities and their families.” She was on the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council of Baltimore, MD, for six years, where she was Co-Director, Public Policy Initiatives, and also Co-Director, Special Education Leadership Project. Kelli has worked in the developmental disabilities field as a public policy director and as an advocate.

Most recently, she has been tapped by MSDE (Maryland State Department of Education) and the Governor's office to actively participate in advocating for special ed. funding increases in the federal American Recovery & Reinvestment Bill of 2009 http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/PressSummary01-15-09.pdf

She is most familiar with children and family issues. She is the parent of a young adult with developmental disabilities

Robert Holt, President of Baltimore Credit and Collection Services, Inc., has been elected President of the Board of Directors of Spectrum Support, Inc. Holt is also past president and current partnerships committee chair of the South Carroll Business Association. He is active in other disability activities as a member of the Carroll County Public Schools Special Educuation Citizens Advisory Council, the SCBA Partnerships Coordinator to Carroll County Public Schools and a Board member of Caring Communities.

Debra Langseth, former Executive Director of Spectrum Support, says: "Robert participated in in-depth strategic planning, training and implementation meetings throughout the year and provided a face which the employees recognize as a board member who understands their challenges. Spectrum Support, Inc., provides an array of residential and day support services, individual and family supports, and transitional services for individuals placed in the state psychiatric centers. Peruse our website for additional company information.

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Spectrum Support, Inc., is a non-profit agency supporting people with developmental and psychiatric disabilities in Central and Western Maryland.

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Spectrum Support, Inc. is a 501 (3) (3) organization that provides a wide array of support services to people with developmental, emotional, and psychiatric disabilities, and helps them live, work, learn and play in supportive communities. Spectrum Support, Inc. subscribes to the belief that people can achieve their life goals. Spectrum Support, Inc. also recognizes, respects and celebrates each person’s contribution to his/her community, and maintains that each person has unexplored talents that when discovered lead to amazing outcomes!

Our mission is to form relationships which support individuals with disabilities to achieve their life goals.