Big week for The Arc as we head to Lisle for The Arc’s Annual Convention. Acting Director
Fenton will join us this week as well. Join me in welcoming Director Fenton to the Convention.
Tony
Subject: Organizational Announcement
All, I am pleased to announce that Mary Spriggs-Ploessl has agreed to take on new
responsibilities within the Division of Developmental Disabilities. Effective April 20, 2015
Mary will assume leadership of the Life Choices Project. As many of you know, one
objective of this initiative was to streamline practices and create consistency in the
developmental disability system processes across the state. To that end, division staff
have regularly met with PAS/ISC agencies and other stakeholders both in six separate
workgroup or team settings and in large group settings. Through this process, each of
the workgroups has developed recommendations in the areas of Support Coordination
Enhancement, Intake and Eligibility, PUNS and HCBS Enrollment, Profile and Provider
Selection, Service Monitoring and Quality Collaboration, and Business Process.
We have made tremendous strides in the Life Choices Project over the last year or so. As
such, at this point in time, the Life Choices Project requires the full-time focus of an
experienced and knowledgeable administrator. Mary is the ideal person to guide the Life
Choices Project during this critical juncture, as she brings to this important role thirty-plus
years of invaluable experience and expertise in the field of developmental disabilities. Mary
began her social services career some 34 years ago as a Mental Health Specialist at the
Meyer Mental Health Center. Over the ensuing years, she has served our Division in a
variety of different roles most recently as the head of Community Services. Her knowledge
of the service coordination system in Illinois will prove invaluable as she takes on her new
role.
Mary and I will be working together over the next few days to develop a transition plan
for Community Services. I expect to have more information for you soon. Giving her
enthusiasm about this new and important role, you can expect to hear from Mary shortly
about her ideas on how to build on the gains the Life Choices Project has made to date to
create a more responsive service delivery system.
I know I can count on your full support as Mary transitions into this new role.
Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions. Thank you.
Greg Fenton
Acting Director
Tony Paulauski Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
815-464-1832 (CELL)
Tony@thearcofil.org
