Month: May 2017

APRIL 24, 2017:  Nancy Crandall has been CFO for LIFEDesigns for the past 19 years. Her leadership has been invaluable to the organization’s success in achieving their mission of partnering with people of all ages and abilities to lead meaningful and active lives. Since she joined (then Options for Better Living) in October 1998, she has been responsible for guiding LIFEDesigns to a Four-fold increase in revenues, positive net incomes for all but 3 of those years, a 50% increase in salary per employee, and 19 years of positive audit results. She has retired and will definitely be missed. Her legacy, however, leaves LIFEDesigns with a solid foundation and some truly great staff.

LIFEDesigns welcomed Cathy Martin, CPA on April 24, 2017 to fill the role of Chief Financial Officer at LIFEDesigns. Cathy comes to us with 12 years of nonprofit accounting and more than that operating her own accounting business. She is adjunct faculty at Ivy Tech teaching nonprofit accounting. She has been a lifelong resident of the Bloomington area, and a graduate of Indiana University.

A quote from Cathy about joining LIFEDesigns, “I am very excited to become a part of the LIFEDesigns team!  I hope that my non-profit and accounting experience will help me to continue the outstanding fiscal leadership and further support the mission of the organization.”

Susan Rinne, LIFEDesigns CEO states, “Thank you to Nancy for all her work over the past 19 years. We are so pleased to build a strong financial foundation for the agency. As we move forward, we are certain Cathy will continue her tradition of excellence and help us as we tackle the tough issues that will face us in the future.”

About LIFEDesigns: LIFEDesigns believes that everyone deserves a home, job among their peers, and access to the community they live in. Everyone has abilities and deserves the opportunity to be valued for their contributions. Everyone deserves the opportunity to meet and make friends and to live in a divers and welcoming community. The agency exists to provide the support and opportunities that people with disabilities need to achieve their goals. LIFEDesigns is a United Way Member Agency in Bartholomew, Lawrence, and Monroe Counties.

Contact: Susan Rinne, CEO 800-875-9615 | srinne@lifedesignsinc.org

For Immediate Release:

Recently, LIFEDesigns hosted their annual awards program recognizing employees, customers, volunteers, and donors for their accomplishments throughout the past year. The event was held at the KRC Banquet Hall in the beautiful town of Ellettsville, Indiana.

LIFEDesigns is a non-profit organization providing services across South Central Indiana. The organization provides supporting services to people with disabilities so they can live their lives as independently as possible. Some of the services include continuing education, affordable housing, supported employment, community living, and support services.

In 2016, we were able to start two new housing projects, each of which received full funding…over $8,000,000! Throughout the year, we were able to provide homes for 66 people in affordable housing. The new projects are both expected to be completed in 2017, and will provide homes for over 45 more people.

2016 was a CARF survey year for LIFE Designs, the process is very intense and looks very closely at the quality of programs and policies at LIFE Designs. LIFE Designs is very proud to be awarded a 3 year accreditation by the CARF international accrediting organization of health and human services organizations.

Award winners announced at the event included five Stewardship Awards for community organizations who had generously shared their time and resources with LIFEDesigns. They included Milestone Ventures, CFC Properties, The Shalom Center, Smithville, and the Bloomington Sunrise Rotary. Five staff members also received awards for their dedication, teamwork, and community involvement. They included Lori Schopmeyer (LIFE Designs Employee Leadership Award), Trevor Self (LIFE Designs Employee Innovations Award), Misty Joy Hudson (Foundation Award), Ellen Roth (Employee Excellence Award), Mary Brown (L.I.F.E. Award), and Danny Thomas for the Volunteer L.I.F.E. Award. Customers receiving awards were recognized for their amazing accomplishments throughout the year, their efforts in giving back to the community through volunteering, and their positivity. There were 6 customers recognized.

To learn more about what LIFEDesigns does, and how you can be involved with the organization, visit them online at lifedesignsinc.org, on Facebook, or Twitter.

CONTACT: Susan Rinne, srinne@lifedesignsinc.org or 800-875-9615 for more information or to schedule interviews.