Tomorrow, Founder’s Day, is Miss Devereux’s 123rd birthday. Every year, as we celebrate this important day, I am reminded of how the organization has changed and evolved in its ninety-six year history. I wonder, too, what Miss Devereux would think of the organization today and some of the current milestones, as well as challenges, we face.
As the nation’s largest, non-profit provider of behavioral health services, our success arises from the individualized, strength-based services we provide, services that she pioneered. As Miss Devereux said, “Every child is a program.” Her philosophy of care was identifying each individual’s strengths and building a program from that foundation. I think she would be gratified to see that our industry is finally understanding the wisdom of her insight into how to make a difference with each and every individual.
Today our organization is financially strong, in part because of the value of beautiful real estate Miss Devereux purchased across the country. I think Miss Devereux would be pleased by the funding we receive today from the government, support that she lacked in the early years. However, with government funding comes regulatory uncertainty, a concern that will continue to occupy us over the coming years. The generosity of Devereux families, community leaders, and foundations continues to support Devereux today as it did when Miss Devereux ran the organization. We must remain attentive to our mission to insure the continued good will of our supporters.
When looking back nearly 100 years at the contributions Miss Devereux made, it is significant to remember that she did this at a time when women were not afforded the right to vote. Critics went so far as to call her “a starry-eyed female, who has neither a husband nor a graduate degree; and who thus flouts the qualifications demanded by both Nature’s law and her academic betters for the role to which she has presumed.” Miss Devereux led the organization for forty years, surrounded by men in key leadership roles.
Today’s senior management team includes many outstanding men and women. Maggie McGill, a 30-year veteran at Devereux, last month assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer. Women also fill the strategic positions of Chief Clinical Officer, Senior Vice President of External Affairs, General Counsel, Vice President of Organizational Development, two operational Vice Presidents, Vice President of Product Development, and Executive Directors of eight of our fourteen centers. No doubt Miss Devereux would be very pleased that her organization is developing so many outstanding women leaders.
Miss Devereux would also be proud of our front-line staff who are, and always will be, the backbone of the organization. Their commitment to the individuals we serve, and to our mission, gives me confidence in Devereux’s future.
On this day before Founder’s Day, I am reminded of how far we have come and how successful we have been, in large part, thanks to the vision of Miss Devereux and the excellent work of our dedicated employees. I thank all of the Devereux stakeholders: employees; trustees; donors; and community leaders who support our mission each and every day. To Miss Devereux, I bid you a very Happy Birthday.
Bob Kreider
