TDC News Flash

 Please see a word from our Executive Director:

Dear Team,

Well we have come to an end of an era under the current leadership of Mr. Ralph Courtney. As you know, he has been the Executive Director of Tri-Development Center of Aiken County, Inc. for the past thirty years. Throughout his leadership and tenure this agency has seen many changes and seen much growth. The world of human services changes constantly because we are supporting individuals whose needs change quite fluidly. We want to take a moment and thank Ralph for all that he has done for this agency and for the vision he had which led us to develop many community group homes and day programs to help meet not only the needs of our individuals but services they asked for and were seeking.

As an agency we want to actively listen to our individuals so we can continue to not only meet their needs but address their concerns and provide excellent services. Throughout this recent nationwide staff shortage, it has become challenging for us to go to restaurants, stores, etc. because as you know, everywhere you go you see “Now Hiring” signs and signs that say “Please be kind to the people who showed up for work today as we have limited staff.” You have seen some companies shorten their business hours or close on certain days due to not having enough staff to keep their doors open for business. We don’t have the luxury of closing our doors or limiting our hours because the people who depend on us the very most, need us. They need us to assist them in living the most productive lives that they can and need our assistance. I am a firm believer in providing quality customer service and I have found that I don’t go out to restaurants because I find myself becoming frustrated due to the lack of quality customer service. I continue to be amazed at the resilience of the individuals whom we support throughout this pandemic.

It is truly my honor and privilege to lead this agency into a new chapter of service delivery. To say that we have challenges would be an understatement but our agency has always excelled to ensure that we are providing quality services to our individuals. We must understand that there are other providers providing similar services in our local community as well. We must continue to focus on how to excel in this industry in not only meeting but exceeding our individual’s needs. We must never lose sight of our agency’s mission, vision, and philosophy and continue to examine those attributes as our agency moves forward. We have serious hurdles ahead of us related to agency funding, funding structure changes, fundraising efforts, staff recruitment and retainment, providing innovative day and residential services to our individuals amongst an on-going nationwide pandemic. However, I am convinced that we will not only continue to build upon the foundation in which Mr. Courtney has built but continue to lay strong building blocks to provide excellence in our community.

Remember things will get better, we will get through these tough times and come out even stronger in the end but we need you to make that happen. Take care and remember you matter, you are important, and you are one of a kind. I am excited to begin this new chapter in our agency’s history and I am grateful for being a part of such an amazing, talented, and motivated team.

Sincerely,

Heather Waddell