From: MERCI

Message from: Jillian Van Leuven, MPA,

Executive Director

Dear MERCI participants, staff, care-providers and community stakeholders,

For the last five and a half years, it has been an absolute honor and privilege to partner with you in serving our mission to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in maximizing their independence and in becoming productive, contributing members within the community. My love of our work and impassioned drive to enhance the lives of those we support has never wavered. Rather, it has grown as we have pushed the envelope on what is possible for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

We’ve created thoughtful person-centered services where the individuals we serve have meaningful experiences and develop lasting relationships with members of their communities. We’ve evolved our programs and services to meet the requirements of Home and Community Based Services regulations. We’ve grown from a struggling grassroots non-profit to an industry leader providing services using the most up-to-date methodologies.

And while I’m proud of these accomplishments. They aren’t about me. They’re about you. They are the result of your heartfelt contributions to serving the people we support. You should all be so proud of yourselves for embracing all the changes we have faced over these last five years with grace and remained steadfast in serving our mission.

MERCI has never been just a job for me, but a large part of who I am and a great source of pride. That’s why it is so difficult to share some big personal news with you. After almost 6 years as Executive Director of MERCI and nearly 22 years serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, I announced to the MERCI Board of Directors that I will be leaving the organization in September. I am not going far, as I will be assuming a Board of Director position with MERCI and have supported the Board of Directors in finding new leadership and will continue on to ensure a smooth transition. With our dedicated team in place, MERCI will continue to provide exceptional services to the people we support.

Thank you for your partnership in creating the MERCI that we all know and love, a place that I will always consider home. I look forward to our continued work together as volunteers and can’t wait to see what the future holds.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at (626) 289-8817 or at merci@merci.org.

From: MERCI

Message from: MERCI Board of Directors

On behalf of the MERCI Board of Directors, we would like to introduce MERCI’s new Executive Director, Angela Pao-Johnson. “Angela’s extensive experience working with people with developmental disabilities and her proven track record in program development and organizational expansion will serve MERCI and the individuals we support for many years to come.”

Angela Pao-Johnson has been a dedicated healthcare professional serving individuals with developmental disabilities for almost 20 years. She has worked in and alongside many different systems including regional centers, health care insurance companies, and school districts. In her last role, Angela was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Autism Learning Collaborative, overseeing multi-state expansion and team growth from 13 to 130 employees in 2 years.

Angela holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California-San Diego and a Master’s degree from Pepperdine University. She is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst, a Project Management Professional, and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, two young children and a house full of critters.

“MERCI has built an incredible legacy empowering adults with developmental disabilities to be more independent and be meaningful contributors in their community. I feel privileged to be a part of this phenomenal team and to contribute to this important mission”.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at (626) 289-8817 or at merci@merci.org.