17 Jun Everas Observes Annual Retreat

Executive leadership, Board Members, and employees from throughout our organization gathered at the Everas Annual Retreat to reflect on the past fiscal year and make plans for the year ahead. Vicky Calabro, our President, began with an address detailing the rich history of our organization beginning back in 1978 when a dream became a mission for a group of New Jersey parents. In the nearly 40 years since then Everas has expanded beyond its original niche into an agency that supports individuals across a broad spectrum of specialized needs, doubling in size in the last three years alone.

After the address, retreat attendees participated in a group activity to identify the accomplishments and the setbacks associated with each department’s operational goals from the previous year. Engaging in discussions and a creative exercise, employees established areas for improvement and possible goals for the future. The Executive Director of the Arc of Camden County, Peggy Englebert, led an enlightening discussion on the never ending pursuit of quality in services and programming. Employees broke out into groups to discuss each of the 14 Principles of Total Quality Management developed by W. Edwards Deming. These principles were devised by Deming to advise management on how to improve the effectiveness of an organization. Many of the principles are philosophical while others  can be readily acted upon. All the principles if followed with careful attention are sure to transform an organization. We at Everas Community Services were refreshed by this information and look forward to the pursuit of continuous quality improvement.

After a brief lunch, groups met again to complete their analysis of department goals and prepare for respective presentations. The group presentations were insightful and stimulated important dialogue among the attendees. As Everas continues to expand, we remain committed to ensuring that the individuals we support experience full lives as integrated members of society.  The Annual Retreat was a great success and we are eager to embark on the next year with clarity of purpose and renewed energy.