 Congratulations to Kelly Castagnola!
Many of you know Kelly. Kelly has worked for UCP Oregon for almost 23 years, most recently as UCP’s “Training and Supports Manager.” In that position, she supervised UCP’s employee training program and UCP’s pool of Substitute Support Specialists. But we’re pleased to report that Kelly recently accepted a new position at UCP—that of “Employee Engagement and Organizational Development Coordinator.” In her new position, Kelly will be able to focus 100% on employee learning, as well as employee development, retention and engagement activities. Woo hoo! Kelly says, “I’m looking forward to making a positive impact on all UCP teams by enhancing our onboarding and ongoing learning opportunities, as well as enriching the overall employee experience and improving retention.” PS: For those of you who are wondering, today we began to recruit internally for a "Direct Support and Quality Assurance Manager"--a new position that includes many of Kelly's old duties.  Did you know that UCP Oregon has an online support group, open to all Oregon & SW Washington families who are raising a child with cerebral palsy or a closely related disability?
It's called "Gimme A Break" (GAB). The meetings are held monthly via Zoom. During the meeting, families get the chance to connect with other families in a safe and non-judgmental space. They share ideas and resources, cheer for each other, vent, and just talk.
 Have you met UCP’s new Talent Acquisitions Lead, Katelyn Obregon? She recently replaced Kristin Heying, who had been with UCP since 2017.
Katelyn has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Linfield College, and began her career in talent acquisition soon after receiving her degree. Before starting at UCP, she did recruiting in the healthcare and engineering fields. Katelyn is from McMinnville, Oregon, and has lived in Portland since 2019. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, visiting to the Oregon Coast, going to concerts, wine tasting, and traveling to new places. The next time you’re at the UCP Office, feel free to stop by Katelyn’s office to say hello!  Happy April! Along with some well-deserved sunshine, April 1st brings us the start of “Autism Acceptance Month.” Autism is near and dear to our hearts. 1 out of every 36 children in the United States has autism, as do more than 5.4 million adults in the United States. Thank you for joining UCP as we celebrate neurodiversity, and continue in our fight to create an inclusive environment for everyone! One of our employees, who is parenting a child with autism, has the following links to share:
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