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to the home of the Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas!

The Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas provides accurate and current information, resources and support for people with Down syndrome, their families and the community.

Vision: People with Down Syndrome - valued and included.

The Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas Board of Directors

Board Share

Fellow Members:

I hope the summer is treating you well as you survive these hot, hot days.  I wanted to give you a quick Board and staffing update for the Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas.

The Board is pleased to announce the promotion of Neely Holland to the role of Executive Director.  Neely has previously served our membership in the role of Operations Manager.  As Neely describes this as her “dream job,” we know that she’s anxious to continue and enhance member programs.  I hope you’ll make a point to introduce yourself to Neely and her husband, Justin, as you see them at our events.

The Board is also pleased to report that Becky Slakman will assume the role of the DSG’s Community Relations Specialist.  As many of you know, Becky’s son was wounded in Afghanistan.  As he recovers, Becky will continue to serve the DSG membership by supporting several of our key relationships and activities. 

The Operations Manager position will be filled by Jennifer Ford, who many of you know from her previous experience as the DSG’s Administrative Assistant a few years ago.  Cara Prentice continues in her support of the Adult and Teen Programs.  The Board believes that we are staffing to serve the growing needs of our members with an experienced, caring team.

The Board met recently to review the current programs of the DSG.  We’re working to tackle the initiatives identified in our recent Membership Survey.  We participated in the NDSS Government Affairs Leadership Conference to coordinate with our peer groups across Texas to inform and advocate for our members.  Many of us will attend NDSC’s Annual Convention in San Antonio.  The sessions are varied and we look forward to bringing some of these speakers and resources to Dallas in the future.  We’re also excited about the upcoming SPRING educational series and Fall Conference.  Be sure to check the website, Facebook page and newsletter for ongoing activities. 

We look forward to seeing you in the coming months.  As always, do not hesitate to call our office to learn more about DSG events.

Kindest regards,
Terri McKinney
President, Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas

 

Members at Work Update

The Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas (“DSG”) Board of Directors meets regularly to carry out the initiatives of the organization. The Board is very excited about implementing our updated Strategic Plan with new events and programming to serve our member families. Our Board is composed of a variety of individuals with varied backgrounds and points of view. These include therapists, business owners, medical professionals, educators, lawyers, marketing professionals, human resource professionals, mothers and fathers. As ever we remain committed to creating a community where people with Down syndrome are valued and included.

Additionally, the DSG is pleased to continue to highlight our channels of communication for our membership. We’re working to create a balance as we learn that our members each have a preferred method of communication to seek out information that is most interesting and relevant to them. To learn more about upcoming DSG activities and Board updates, please access any of the following:

• In print - DSG News, the monthly newsletter mailed to member homes and posted on the DSG website
• Online - www.downsyndromedallas.org
• Facebook - From your home page just type "Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas" into the search bar and join our group.
• Email - Special announcements and activities are distributed via email when you submit your email address with your membership update.
• DSG Personnel – please contact the DSG office at (214) 267-1374 or dsged@sbcglobal.net

As a reminder, we welcome the attendance of any DSG member to Board meetings. The first 15 minutes of each Board meeting is reserved for presentations by members. Should you wish to make a presentation to the Board, please call the DSG office in advance of the meeting with your proposed topic of discussion.

2011-2012 Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas Board of Directors
Executive Committee

Directors

Mark Barry
Lynn Campbell
Wes Chaar
Debbie Clark
Stephanie Crow
Alana Drablos
Kim Roosevelt
Jessica Smith
Kevin Smith
Paul Wachsman
Shanda Walker
Kari Zerbe