Thought Leaders—the ones who look to challenge the status quo, who influence others with their new ideas, who shift our perspectives with their creativity—are subject matter experts who engage an audience and convince them that there might be a better way of doing things.
At KenCrest, we have several key staff members, including our President and CEO Marian Baldini, who have decades’ worth of experience in the health and human services field, particularly in the areas of early childhood education and intellectual and developmental disabilities. This page shares the knowledge, insight, and vision that KenCrest leadership has for shaping the future of our industry. That vision includes cultivating innovative ways of working together, truly mobilizing every resource, and exploring every possibility to inspire and enable dreams.
We are organizing for outcomes and expanding the scope of what is plausible like never before. We are redefining what a meaningful life looks like to include all that is conceivable; to present new options that aren’t limited to what we believe our individuals are capable of and to expand them to what the people we support want to achieve.
Our goal in sharing this page is to instill a sense of trust in KenCrest as a recognized thought leader in our field that is ready to make and affect real change. We’re ready to get creative about our vision of inclusion and equality for all. We are setting the pace and empowering staff to take on challenges and discover solutions that bring out the best in our clients and the best in ourselves.
KenCrest Thought Leadership Beliefs
With more than 115 years of history backing KenCrest in the human services field, KenCrest maintains four overarching beliefs. These beliefs will often be the topics of thought leadership blogs, articles, interviews, and presentations. Those beliefs include:
- Employment: Everyone who wants a job has one.
- Home: Everyone lives in their own home or with someone they love.
- Education/Preparation: Children are ready to be successful as they enter kindergarten.
- Inclusion/Participation: Adults are invited to be active members of society and community gatherings and activities.
Advocating for the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities goes hand-in-hand with our Thought Leadership beliefs. Our advocacy efforts will shine through in many of these pieces.
Thought Leadership Blog Posts
Each quarter, we will be posting to the Blog section of our website with topics related to our beliefs. Look for posts in the Thought Leadership section of our blog, “Each Step Moves Us Forward,” for the latest thoughts from Marian and some of our other esteemed leaders at KenCrest. These posts will inspire, spur creativity, and move readers to act and speak up in their local communities.
- July 16, 2021: Each Step Moves Us Forward: It’s Time to Better Train, Credential, and Support DSPs
- April 23, 2021: Each Step Moves Us Forward: There’s a Workforce Crisis in Human Services That Government Funding Alone Can’t Fix
Publicity & Conference Presentations
Look here for published articles, op-ed pieces, and videos, as well as when KenCrest leadership presents at industry conferences.
Published Articles
- Sean Healy, Benjamin Brewer, Paige Laxton, Brittany Powers, Julie Daly, Joseph McGuire. (2021) Brief Report: Perceived Barriers to Physical Activity Among a National Sample of Autistic Adults. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Brief Report, 10/8/2021
- Workforce in Crisis: Chronic Underfunding Puts Disability Services at a Tipping Point by Melinda South, DE Executive Director (Delaware Online, 5/27/ 2021)
- There’s a Workforce Crisis in Human Services that Funding Alone Can’t Fix by Marian Baldini (Capital Star, 5/11/2021)
- Baldini, M. (2021). How to Establish a Data Management Baseline within the Human Services Industry. Social Innovations Journal, Vol. 6, 4/28/2021
- KenCrest’s Journey into Something New: Improving Social Innovation through Our ‘WHY’ by Marian Baldini, CEO (Social Innovations Journal, Issue 60, 4/9/2020)
- Pandemic Problems: Remaining Positive and Finding Creative Solutions During Crisis by Joe Mancini, PA Executive Director (Region 2) (Social Innovations Journal, Issue 60, 4/9/2020)
Conference Presentations
- Pennsylvania Early Childhood Virtual Education Summit (Community of Practice)
Presented by Pam Schaefer and Christina Stiles
– October 19, 2921 - Supporting Sexuality with Solomon’s Sense
Presented by Dr. Autumn Dae Miller
– 2021 Pennsylvania Autism Training Conference – October 7, 2012 - Time Banking: A Grassroots Resource for Increased Personal Outcomes and Community Development
Presented by Alli Smale
– 2021 RCPA Annual Conference – September 30, 2021 - Without a Playbook: Navigating the Pandemic While Still Moving Forward
Presented by Marian Baldini
– 2021 RCPA Annual Conference – September 28, 2021 - Architecture: Aligning All Forces to the Vision
Presented by Marian Baldini, Aurora Kripa, and Pam Schuessler
-2021 RCPA Annual Conference – September 28-30, 2021 - Community Participation During COVID: Maximizing Technology
Presented by Gina Cincotta and Loyce Brown
– 2021 PA Community Alliance Summit – August 16, 2021 - Navigating the Pandemic to a Better Place
Virtual poster session with chat discussion – Marian Baldini
– American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) 145th Annual Conference – June 22, 2021 - Leading During a Pandemic: Lessons Learned
Panel discussion leader – Marian Baldini
– 2021 ANCOR Annual Conference – June 14, 2021 - Infusing Trauma Informed Care Across Multiple Early Learning Programs
Presented by Pam Schaefer, Christina Stiles, Beverly Barber, and Megan Nachod
– The 4th Annual Philadelphia Trauma Training Conference by Jefferson University – June 16, 2021
– 2021 Pennsylvania Head Start Association Conference – April 13, 2021
– 2020 Pennsylvania Early Childhood Summit – October 20, 2020
Moving Forward
Visit this page often as we update it with new thought leadership pieces. We’re excited to share our thoughts about where we want to see our industry go and grow. It’s time to move forward. Join us as we take the steps to blaze new trails for the people we support!
