From the Director Archives

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Dale Rogers Training Center

WHAT A CELEBRATION LOOKS LIKE…

October 13th, 2013

A note from the Director:

Rain, Rain, Go Away

After a series of “no rain” dances and chanting, the moisture in the clouds stayed for 24 hours longer and did not rain on our day-long 60th anniversary event. Whew!

Over 1,000 people criss-crossed our campus at NW 23rd and Utah on October 13th (despite the OU-Texas game!). The morning consisted of a program by former Governor Nigh and Mrs. Nigh, Jane Jayroe Gamble, Dr. Bob Blackburn, and of course, Roy Rogers, Jr. (Dusty) and his son, Dustin. Their stories were poignant and ended with the unveiling of the Robin’s Corner museum display from Branson, and a vintage Roy & Dale Rogers memorabilia collection (now open M-F, 8am-5pm). The 13th was also the opening day for Wyman Frame and its new retail showroom.

That afternoon, fans of all ages enjoyed viewing program displays, touring the new building and visiting with people with disabilities from the Tinker, FAA and GSA Work Projects showing off their different custodial jobs. You could hear the pride in their voices.

To end the day, about 450 cowboy and western fans went into the (really) Big Top Tent to hear Roy Rogers, Jr. and the High Riders play. The fact that they were amazing musicians and singers was demonstrated by the two standing ovations they received. The Rogers stayed after the show until every single person at the concert had the autograph and pictures they wanted as a memento.

Because of your support and advocacy, this celebratory day was made possible!

So thank you, from the 1,000 folks who joined the festivities for the 60th Anniversary of Dale Rogers, Blazing Trails and Promoting Abilities! A 60th Anniversary Newsletter will go out next month (mid-November) with more stories and pictures.

Thank you from the Board of Directors and Management
of the Dale Rogers Training Center!

Connie

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Dale Rogers Training Center

WHAT A CELEBRATION LOOKS LIKE…

October 13th, 2013

A note from the Director:

Rain, Rain, Go Away

After a series of “no rain” dances and chanting, the moisture in the clouds stayed for 24 hours longer and did not rain on our day-long 60th anniversary event. Whew!

Because of your support and advocacy, this celebratory day was made possible!

Thank you from the Board of Directors and Management
of the Dale Rogers Training Center!

Connie

We did all that in 5 years, no way!

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Dale Rogers Training Center

Connie Thrash McGoodwin Yes WAY, and it’s a credit to our established administrative team. But there is no rest for the wicked and we are down to 10 months and counting until our 60th Anniversary celebration on October 13, 2013. WE’D LOVE TO HAVE YOU OR YOUR COMPANY AS A SPONSOR, just fill out and return the enclosed card between now and June.

JOBS
In five years we doubled the wages earned by our folks with disabilities to
5.9 million dollars and created hundreds of new jobs in the community. We’ve added new classes and support staff, and our main location on Utah increased by almost 20 staff members. Employment Services moved to the building on the corner, which provides staff with a much better space to do their jobs and offers easier access to those we serve, many of whom may have mobility issues.

WORK PROJECTS
We have added our first FAA contract at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center and two contracts at the Armed Forces Reserve Centers located in Norman and Mustang, that’s about 53 new jobs for people with disabilities.

CERTIFICATIONS
Our Employment Services department was certified by the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities for their maximum award of three years. They will return in 2014 and certify the entire agency. Four members of the Board of Directors and myself went through four months of Standards of Excellence training through the Oklahoma Center for Non-Profits.

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURISM
A few years ago we received the framing set aside for the state and bought the small wholesale framing company we were working with in Moore. Wyman Frame and Supply is now being moved on campus to the new Workforce Skills Training building. In October of 2013 we will add a retail component to the current wholesale model.
With the help of Cedar Hill Spices in Edmond and Anglin Public Relations, we created a line called Prairie Spices and started an online store. Over a dozen different items made or packaged by workers at Dale Rogers Training Center are available for purchase online or at the agency (http://drtc.org/commerce or call 405-813-9998), including GREAT GIFTS FOR ANY OCCASION! New holiday cards and note cards are designed every year by folks in our workshop. Each gift has a note from an individual who packaged it.

Why do we work so hard? To try to diversify our income and stay ahead of any negative impacts on the economy. That fiscal pie only has so many pieces, so let’s say “we’re doing our own baking”. Our ultimate strategic goal is complete self-sufficiency.

Part of the secret of our success is the unique partnership between the Board of Directors and Dale Rogers’ professional staff. The Board of Directors meets monthly and does its due diligence on anything new, approves policy, oversights all strategic planning and handles all finances and investments. In addition, a Human Rights Committee, also from the community, reviews and protects the safety and rights of all individuals served in the Developmental Disabilities Services Division and Department of Rehabilitation Services programs.

“We have some of the most experienced and professional staff in Oklahoma. The professional integrity of the staff, the outcomes and our continued success is how we know this partnership works,” says Board President Becky Cook.

I get a lot of credit for our success and while I admit to being a catalyst for quality and innovation, it is my administrative team that makes it happen. You’ll hear more about my “Fab 5” these next few months (think Jerry, Deborah, Theresa, Lillian and Mark) not to mention the other 18 members of administration at all of our seven office locations.

THANKS TO ALL OF OUR FAMILIES, INDIVIDUALS, CUSTOMERS, CONTRACTORS, DONORS AND ADVOCATES!

We couldn’t be successful without you!

Looking forward to 2013 and seeing you at our 60th Anniversary Celebration,

Connie Thrash McGoodwin, M. Ed.
Executive Director

We did all that in 5 years, no way!

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Dale Rogers Training Center

THANKS TO ALL OF OUR FAMILIES, INDIVIDUALS, CUSTOMERS, CONTRACTORS, DONORS AND ADVOCATES!

We couldn’t be successful without you!

Looking forward to 2013 and seeing you at our 60th Anniversary Celebration,

Connie Thrash McGoodwin, M. Ed.
Executive Director

Dale Rogers Training Center Featured on Channel 43

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Dale Rogers Training Center

In August of 2011, Dale Rogers Training Center (DRTC) was honored to be featured on the television show, “Found Causes”. This weekly television series highlights organizations serving individuals in need in the Oklahoma City area and surrounding community. Each episode gives an in-depth look at two charities and how the services they provide help other individuals. The show provides a unique look into the lives of the people and how they are touched by the organization.

Found Causes give viewers a great understanding of how DRTC provides vocational training and employment opportunities to individuals with disabilities. The moving interviews throughout the segment show the difference that Dale Rogers makes in the lives of its staff, clients, parents and the community as a whole. You can view this video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCvHa3brhGk&feature=plcp

A special thank you to Dale Epperson and his new show Found Causes.

Jean’s Story:

One of the best things that came from Dale’s filming was a story told by Jean Rucker, the mother of one of our individuals, Lisa. Jean and her late husband, Wesley, were always great supporters of Dale Rogers Training Center. I always assumed it was because Wesley served on our Board of Directors, but Jean tells another story: “After Lisa was diagnosed with Down Syndrome, I was lost. I was home alone with Lisa, the house was so quiet. I knew I needed help to be able to care for her. I looked in the phone book, and found Dale Rogers Training Center. I called and the former Director, Pat McFarland, invited me to a parent support group. I was so excited and made plans to go but when the time came, I found I just couldn’t.”

“Pat called every month for several months and each time I would promise to come. I would make plans to attend and then I wouldn’t go. Finally Ms. McFarland called and said, ‘Jean, if you won’t come to us, we’ll come to you’. She showed up at my house with two parents, Marlyn and Pat, and we talked non-stop about our children and ourselves. Eventually, Lisa started attending and is now in a special program for adults. What would my family ever have done without Dale Rogers Training Center?”

That was 1974. I’d like to think Dale Rogers Training Center still plays a pivotal role in the lives of the individuals we serve and their families.

Dale Rogers Folks Earned 5.4 Million in Wages:

Wow, we served 1,223 people with disabilities this past year alone. 1,031 folks were placed or supported in community jobs. People with disabilities in all our programs earned 5.4 million dollars in wages! Think about how much taxes that amounts to and how it helped the community; how many individuals and families were positively impacted? Interestingly, only 15% of our services are on campus, 85% are community based and Work Projects.

Coming Up:

2012 brings: building a new building for the expansion of the On-Line Store and Prairie Spices, establishing a retail area for all our products, renovation of client rest rooms and the new Employment Services building, and Executive Director and Board of Directors participation in the Oklahoma Center for Non-Profit’s Standards for Excellence. We are also starting the plan for our 60th Anniversary in 2013.

We are so unique in our entrepreneurial business philosophy of earning our own way. Because we are so regulated and systems driven, the Board and staff work in an ongoing partnership including strategic planning.

I am especially proud of the way our departments interact and support each other. It amazes me every year that we are able to make close to perfect survey scores, have multiple successes and upgrades, as well as, add to the choices our individuals and their families have. All of this dovetails with the strategic planning goals and new opportunities for the people we serve.

Connie Thrash McGoodwin, M. Ed.
Executive Director

The Face of Non-profits is Changing

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Dale Rogers Training Center

Many non-profits across the country are going to have to learn to be “shape-shifters”. As state and federal dollars decrease and the future of charitable giving incentives, Medicare and Medicaid are on the chopping block, many boards and management teams are beginning to worry – but there’s another way to process this information.

Economy issues aren’t going away so some non-profits have begun to adapt. Community programs for vulnerable populations are finally learning to step outside the box and the traditional mold. The boards of large agencies are working more in partnership with professional staff, closer to how a hospital or vo-tech might run. Boards of Directors and staff are also looking for new affiliations, funding sources and unique ideas to set their agency and its story apart.

Community agencies who serve people with disabilities are lucky; their mission is training and employing people with disabilities. So if those opportunities don’t exist, they can create them. When the donations and state funds aren’t there, a community agency must learn to go outside its comfort zone, to be more entrepreneurial and to find its uncontested market space.

Agencies can no longer survive on donations and bake sales and can’t continue to depend on just volunteers to run the agency. Running a quality agency has become a sophisticated business. Non-profits that want to thrive and grow should be prepared to hire consultants in public relations, marketing, and/or legal services because many businesses can no longer afford to donate professional services without any payment. Paying even a discounted rate for these services gives non-profits more assurance that the final product will be exactly what they need.

Non-profits should provide incentives and benefits to their staff based on common sense and community standards. They should try to hire experienced, degreed managers with a history of success and keep them. Boards of Directors should want to hire and keep the best administrators to partner with. They should consider creating innovative types of funding, branding, unique partnerships, or producing alternative side businesses that add legitimate, business related income in accordance with their mission. Any profits earned would go right back into the budget to support the population served.

If the agency continues to meet its mission and has controlled growth as well as a positive reputation which allows the agency to flourish, the Board of Directors should continue to support their professional staff and leadership. Too many non-profits get caught in the “founders trap” where the founder doesn’t have the skills to take the agency to the next level or an agency is turning over their executive director every two to four years. Speaking from experience, and I may be a slow learner, but it took me ten to fifteen years of working closely with the Board and consultants to get Dale Rogers’ programs, staff, communications, budget and strategic planning goals where they are now. We’re finally ready to fly!

All of this is to say – don’t panic, EVOLVE. Examine your mission carefully; key management and board members should consult books like Blue Ocean Strategy, Your Marketing Sucks, Failing Forward, Freakonomics, Generations, A Whole New Mind, Blink, Switch, and/or The Oz Principal. They give new perspective to old topics.

Have brainstorming sessions between your board and key staff as part of your Strategic Planning. Hire people who know things you don’t, seek out consultants (and pay them). United Way and the Center for Non-Profits are two of several entities who provide training for staff and board members (some for free). If you don’t have professional staff or an experienced Board of Directors who know the non-profit world, consider going through their Standards for Excellence program (four half days over four months).

Lastly, many books and seminars about non-profits still adhere to the old stereotype of a small-medium non-profit with a relatively new director and a small-medium size board of directors who help run the operations instead of the more complicated tasks involved in oversight and risk assessment. There are so many rules and regulations which non-profits have to operate under now that volunteers at some agencies need legal degrees, no personal life and full-time availability to track them all. Don’t be afraid to read management and marketing books written for businesses – the principals are the same or similar. Look for similar agencies across the United States and become e-mail friends with their administration or board. Most important, take risks and don’t be afraid to fail on some level. John Maxwell, author of Failing Forward, will tell you that the difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure. I think the same can be said for the key management and boards of non-profits. Start with one toe in the water, the rest will evolve.

Connie Thrash McGoodwin, M. Ed.
Executive Director

Oklahoma Loses an Outstanding DHS Director

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Dale Rogers Training Center

It is rare to see an emotional outpouring of love, praise and gratitude such as was bestowed on February 27th to Howard Hendrick. Howard has been the Director of the Department of Human Services (DHS) for 13 years; that’s longer than any other similar position in the country. I can only imagine the soul searching he did before actually resigning, especially after being put under so much pressure by the legislature. Few will ever know what he did for the disenfranchised in Oklahoma, the difficult but smart choices he made, how he built staff morale and how his senate experience helped him increase much needed funding for social services in Oklahoma. He is one of a kind, the qualifications and wisdom of which Oklahoma won’t see again. What he did for people with disabilities alone would fill a book. What a shame some members of our legislature didn’t really listen to what he was trying to tell them about the systemic issues involved. What a loss to the multi-tentacled field of human services in Oklahoma!

GOOD LUCK HOWARD!
You are a champion to me and so many others, including those unable to articulate it! You have earned your halo! We thank you for your unparalleled service to Oklahomans.

Point of privilege:
My son Colin, a junior at OU, is spending his 2nd semester studying abroad at the University of Sheffield in England. (He originally went there because of the Microbiology Department, but since he’s not taking any of those science classes I am left with the distinct impression that he chose it because there are so many pubs located on campus.) My husband, Jim, and I are okay with that because he and a hundred other international students there will return in June to their native countries with their lives forever changed. The way they perceive the world will never be the same. He interacts with people whose lives and beliefs are so different from his and he is beginning to understand why people can think so diversely and still be good people.

There is a fascinating new book being released by Jonathan Haidt, author of Happiness Hypothesis, called Righteous Mind. Haidt is a social psychologist and professor at the University of Virginia whose research revolves around morality and politics across different cultures. The new book is about how and why we get so entrenched in our beliefs, morals and fears that we cannot listen to or understand where others are coming from, so compromise can never happen. I’ve seen a lecture where Mr. Haidt states that the entire United States Congress can make much better decisions than a divided one. The world and our country are facing so many vitally important issues – you just can’t tell me that a group of accomplished, American adults can’t get together and be unselfish enough to do what is right for the country as a whole and compromise on the few things they absolutely cannot agree on.

At the risk of sounding like a political candidate or like I need a pulpit, if we could really listen to and understand each other on a state and/or national level, things would be different. I think that Howard Hendrick would still be head of DHS, my son would have learned to see all sides of an issue when he was still young and Oklahoma and the country as a whole could quit blaming each other and take responsibility for building, maybe not a perfect world, but a better one for ALL its citizens.

Connie Thrash McGoodwin M.Ed.
Self Appointed President of the
Howard Hendrick Fan Club

Roy Rogers Calling for You… From the Director

Posted on March 23, 2010 by Dale Rogers Training Center

Katy, the Executive Secretary here at the main office, and I have similar senses of humor (not always a good thing). So when Katy interrupted a meeting to tell me Roy Rogers was on the line, I thought she was setting me up. I took the call and, sure enough, it was Roy Rogers Jr., often known as “Dusty,” with some unbelievable news!

Last fall, I happened to read that the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum, which had been moved from Apple Valley, California to Branson, Missouri, was closing on December 12th. Dale Rogers Training Center sent Dusty a letter asking if we could beg, borrow, steal, or buy any items related to Dale Evans Rogers or her daughter Robin. Robin, who died at the age of two, had Down Syndrome and inspired Dale’s book Angel Unaware. Angel Unaware sold millions of copies around the world in the 1950s. It was to honor Dale Evans Rogers when parents named this agency after her. Dale Evans Rogers visited DRTC twice in the fifties and sixties, encouraging the individuals and their families.

Several people have told me that they remember doing a book report on Angel Unaware when they were in grade school. Dale Evans was a loving mother, a huge TV and movie star, and a singer. She was the first celebrity to go public about having a child with an intellectual disability and talked about what a blessing Robin was to her, Roy, and their family.

In 2003, in honor of our 50th anniversary, the individuals with disabilities at Prism Place, our awards division, custom made and sent a beautiful plaque to the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum. The plaque was added to “Robin’s Corner,” which is featured on our cover page. Dale’s granddaughters, Mindy and Candy, and their parents were a part of our 50th anniversary celebration in 2003.

When Dusty told me the Roy Rogers Family Trust was giving these items to us, I was speechless. After thanking him profusely, I added, “You have no idea how much these items will mean to those of us associated with Dale Rogers Training Center.” I asked him to thank the museum for entrusting us with these original items. He replied, simply, “It’s what my mother would have wanted.”

Temporary display of museum items from Robin's Corner exhibit.

Jerry, Theresa, Deborah, and Lillian, who have been here 22, 10, 12, and 8 years, respectively, assisted me in unpacking the fragile items a couple of days later. Holding Robin’s original birth certificate, touching her satin bed cover, and looking at her little red piano, one of her favorite toys, brought tears to all of our eyes. A piece of history entrusted to us forever!

Dale’s favorite Bible verse was Hebrews 13:2…

Be not afraid to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Dale and Roy believed Robin was indeed an angel sent to them for a special purpose. Based on the positive impact Dale Evans Rogers and her book had on the world of disabilities, I would agree.

It’s All a Part of Life; From the Director

Posted on December 21, 2009 by Dale Rogers Training Center

From the Director: Connie Thrash McGoodwin, M.Ed.

This time of year, life can be wonderful, yet also bittersweet. One true delight for me this past year here at Dale Rogers has been collaborating with such a talented staff on a daily basis. Even with the crummy economy, work has never been so much fun. The quality is in place and everything we do now is fine-tuning and going from “Good to Great.”

The bittersweet is reflecting back on the great things that happened in life this year; son loving being a Freshman at OU, two new puppies, and celebrating Jim’s and my 20th wedding anniversary. Then there are the sad ones: losing two parents, only son leaving home, the deaths of two individuals at Tinker, the passing of the family pet… and getting two new puppies (they’re like having twin toddlers with large teeth!).

Sometimes the wonderful and the sad are different aspects of the same event. The challenge is accepting and dealing with the sad but focusing on the wonderful (including the memories of those you lost). It’s all a part of what’s called life and, let’s face it, some years are just better than others. Gratitude for what we do have is essential to survive in this crazy world.

Is everything perfect at Dale Rogers? Heck no. But good people with a quality mission who keep the individuals and families they serve first can’t help but be successful. And we are ever so grateful for those who contribute to making DRTC such a special place.

Happy Holidays to You All

and a Heartfelt Thank

You for Your On-going

Support of DRTC!

Category: From the Director

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Rain, Rain, Go Away

We did all that in 5 years, no way!

We did all that in 5 years, no way!

Dale Rogers Training Center Featured on Channel 43

The Face of Non-profits is Changing

Oklahoma Loses an Outstanding DHS Director

Roy Rogers Calling for You… From the Director

It’s All a Part of Life; From the Director

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