The term “interim,” as in “interim executive director” has been known to handcuff some people, limiting their ability to make changes in an organization. But Katrinka Dunnick-Morgan, M.Ed., interim associate director/director of professional services for the Society for Rehabilitation, seems to have put on the mantle of “interim” like a calling of sorts. She has used her provisional position to make substantive changes at the Society for Rehabilitation – changes that have increased morale and streamlined processes. The quality of her interim leadership managed to inspire one Society staff member to write Balanced Living about Dunnick-Morgan's “undying dedication and enthusiasm toward her job, the staff, the Board of Directors, the community and the individuals and families.”

   The term “interim” doesn't seem to phase the 51-year-old, high-energy director of a 56-year-old agency that provides outpatient speech, physical and occupational rehabilitation services to children and adults with disabilities ranging from cerebral palsy to autism and developmental delays. At the Society, no one is denied medical rehabilitation services based on lack of income, and approximately 65% of the families served by them are low income.

   The Society, located in Mentor, Ohio, is funded by the United Way agencies of Lake and Geauga counties. Their 20 employees include 12 professional, licensed therapists.

   “The staff is like one big family,” Dunnick-Morgan says. “We have a strong belief in what we are doing, and we all think of it as more than a job. We derive our satisfaction from knowing we helped someone become more than what they were when they walked through our doors.”

   Through the adult recreation program, clients schedule their own transportation and meet socially in the community for lunch, to see a play, to bowl or to take a ceramics class. In 2004, 85% of the 1,700 clients were children. It is the children who capture the hearts of the staff – children like Jeremy, who was born with a rare genetic syndrome. He was 2-years-old when he learned sign language at the Society while his speech developed. Sign language helped those around him understand Jeremy's wants and needs, thereby easing his frustration and improving his behavior. Another child, Chloe, had a brain tumor that affected her entire left side. After going to the Society for therapies between the ages of 8 months and 3 years, Chloe sustained a head injury at age 6 while playing basketball. The injury left her in a coma for 10 days and her parents brought her back to the Society for Rehabilitation for additional services.

   “I love the fact that I can be sitting in my office hearing a little one waiting for therapy out in the lobby giggling and laughing,” Dunnick-Morgan says. “I love seeing how they change and grow and how the services we provide help them do things they were unable to do before, like the 4-year-old girl who couldn't begin sentences with “why,” “where” or “what.” One day her therapist dressed in a Cleveland Indian's baseball shirt, and the little girl for the first time asked, “Why?”

   Dunnick-Morgan became interim executive director at the Society in March 2005 after being with the agency for five years as director of professional services. She kicked off her tenure by beginning to praise everyone on the staff. “I wanted them to know they are making a difference. And I think it's important to empower their choices,” she says.

   Dunnick-Morgan gave the staff permission to be proactive in their individual jobs. “Rather than ask me if they could do something new and then both of us try to figure out if the idea was going to work, I told them to try something new if they thought it would make their particular job more efficient or effective. Once they put their ideas to the test, they could report the results to me.”

   The results have pleased not only Dunnick-Morgan but also the whole staff and the Board of Directors. “We have streamlined internal processes, things are running more smoothly, and people are happier because they have more control over their own work positions,” she says. “And that benefits our clients.”

   Dunnick-Morgan has also re-instated staff/board retreats that have resulted in improved communication. “I think the Board members have developed a better understanding of the staff's jobs and needs and know how they can help us do our jobs better.”

   It was not Dunnick-Morgan's intention to make a career of working with people with disabilities. “In high school, I was going to open a store and get into retailing,” she laughs. But a college practicum involving children with disabilities changed her course. “I had so much fun working with these children that I was hooked.” She received her Master in Education degree from Kent State University and never looked back.

   “We all have limitations,” she says. “My mother taught me, 'There but for the grace of God go I.' It is a really small difference between a person with a disability and me. I have come to realize that my purpose in life is to help those who are less fortunate than me.”

If you know someone who loves their job, e-mail us at info@balancedlivingmag.com.

Photos by Bob Perkoski, www.Perkoski.com.