Blog
Community Crossroads is governed by an all volunteer Board of Directors. By law, at least a third of the members must be someone with a developmental disability or a family member of someone with a developmental disability. There are currently 15 members of the Board of Directors. Some have been on the Board for several years and have helped make crucial decisions for the organization while others are brand new members looking forward to being involved.
Barbara Strzykalski has been a member of the Board of Directors since her 21 year old son Andrew was a young child. She joined to better understand issues that those in the community face, educate others on issues, and use her voice to make a positive change.
A facet of being on the Board that Barbara said she feels proud of is partaking in important conversations such as opposing managed care. She also feels that it is important that Community Crossroads avoid becoming a provider agency. She thinks the strength we have in case management is a model that is central to who we are.
Another topic that means a lot to Barbara is advocating for gainful employment for the individuals we serve. She describes gainful employment as working somewhere in which the employee is making money and gaining skills from the job. Her advocacy on this issue has not only been on the Board but also at the state level. As a member of the Employment Initiatives, an NH committee that meets several times a year to discuss employment for those who have a disability, Barbara has used her voice to discuss a topic that is important to her. A goal of hers is to see the employment numbers rise for those who have a disability.
Outside of the Board, Barbara is an Occupational Therapist. She said her career and her service on the Board have complemented one another. As an OT, she is aware of needs that those in the community face and keeps those needs in mind when sitting on the Board both to educate others and to help make sure those needs are met. On the other hand, participating on the Board has also helped her become aware of the needs that individuals in our community face and resources that are available for families.
Barbara also believes the combination of backgrounds had by members on the Board is a driving force to their success. She notes that as a family member of someone with a disability, you live it and see what it is like each day. As a banker, lawyer, educator or in many other careers, you come across people of all abilities each day and it is important to be educated about issues those with disabilities face.
As a Board member, Barbara said she is fortunate to be in a position where she can use her voice in a positive way to help make a change and better the lives for people in the community.
