The Arc of Palm Beach County marks 60th year
Questions and answers with President and CEO Kimberly McCarten
The Arc of Palm Beach County is celebrating its 60th anniversary this month.
Kimberly McCarten has served as president and CEO since October 2014.
McCarten has a long association with the organization, including service as a volunteer. In 2010, she became director of advancement with a mission to revitalize its brand, community engagement and fundraising.
Name: Kimberly McCarten
Title: President and CEO of The Arc of Palm Beach County
Age: 49
Hometown: Parsippany, N.J.
Where you live now: Palm Beach Gardens
Family: Husband, Jim, of nearly 26 years, and two children, Will, 16, and Jessica, 14, both Suncoast High School students
About your organization: The Arc of Palm Beach County strives to improve the lives of people with disabilities. The Arc was founded in 1958 by a group of parents who were desperate to find quality services to help their children with basic, daily living needs. Now in its 60th year, The Arc serves 2,800 individuals and their families annually through vital, outcome-oriented programs that support the complete person. During the past five years, The Arc has grown to a team of 175, with an operating budget of $8 million. Services are being expanded and people are achieving the highest level of independence possible. Our goal is to create opportunities for people to experience rich and meaningful lives. The people we are privileged to serve have a right to be heard, make choices, be accepted and explore our community. The team at The Arc knows we must think differently, focus our intentions and be greater together.
How your organization has changed: As a service provider, our goals are different than they were 60 years ago. While meeting people’s basic needs is still a high priority, we now also seek to achieve outcomes based on each individual and focus on life goals and independence.
We ask different questions. For example: How can we change the community’s conversation about acceptance? How can we ensure that young people, regardless of their abilities, think about post-secondary education and see themselves as certificate- and degree-seeking students? How can we create an inclusive community based on respect for others’ differences? These are questions important for all of us. Everyone wants to feel needed and useful, and people with disabilities are no different. The Arc is dedicated to providing education, recreation and jobs for our clients to help them gain confidence, create friendships, acquire job skills and, the greatest achievement, financial independence.
First paying job and what you learned from it: I love working, and was a motivated self-starter from the beginning. I was proud to have a paper route and babysitting jobs at age 12. At age 15, I started my first “clocking-in” job at Burger King. I learned to find fun no matter what I was doing. I also learned early on that a job leads to independence and to never take that for granted.
First break in the business: Landing the assistant public relations manager position for the grand opening of Bloomingdale’s at The Gardens Mall in 1990. This break allowed me to tap into my creative energy and hone my marketing, organizational and planning skills through events and media relations.
Best piece of business advice you ever received: Be creative, never stop asking questions and put people first. Listen and put your care and attention into others and the rest will come together.
Best business book: Researching through books, blogs and posts is a constant pursuit. We are so lucky to have such a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips. I’ll read anything that sparks creative ideas that can be applied to my team, The Arc’s mission and life goals. Recently, while preparing to share insights as a leader and explore finding purpose with a group of women, I picked up “I’ve Been Thinking ... : Reflections, Prayers, and Meditations for a Meaningful Life” by Maria Shriver. It’s a good, quick read that I found to be inspirational, and it’s probably a book I’ll continue to pick up
from time to time.
What you tell young people about your business: Helping others achieve their goals and do things they never thought they could do is such an incredible experience and honor. Building relationships will get you everywhere. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, learn from them and try again. And, have fun – always have fun. If you can apply these things to your volunteer work or internship at The Arc, your experience will be rich and worth every minute. The bonds you will form with the people that we serve will be genuine and, in the end, the gifts you receive from this experience will be greater than you imagined.
Where we can find you when you are not at the office: In the kitchen preparing a family dinner. I grew up celebrating around meals, so family time around the dining table is important. It’s our time to connect, communicate and laugh as a family. And for those that know me well, you can also find me at Disney World.
Favorite smartphone app: Every morning I scan LinkedIn for great tidbits of advice or to find that perfect something that sparks a creative idea. At night (late at night), to slow things down, I must play a few rounds of Word Connect or Solitaire.
Most important trait you look for when hiring: Traits I am seeking are enthusiasm, confidence and good listening skills.