St. Paul, Minn., Oct. 25, 2021—The Arc Minnesota is honored to announce the election of Stan Alleyne and Nate Scott as co-chairs of its board of directors, effective October 21, 2021. They will serve until October, 2022.
Stan Alleyne is currently the Chief of Communications at Twin Cities based Vitals Aware Services. Vitals Aware Services are the creators of the Vitals™ App—an app that assists people with disabilities and caregivers with having informed and clear communications with 911 dispatchers and first responders. He previously served as vice chair on The Arc Minnesota’s board of directors. “The work we’re trying to do at The Arc Minnesota is important. We have so many people that need services, that need support, I just feel honored being in a statewide organization that can impact those lives,” says Alleyne.
Nate Scott is a self-advocate from Fairmont, Minnesota, in the Southwest region of the state. He works as a housekeeper at a local nursing home in Fairmont. This is Scott’s second term as co-chair on the board of directors at The Arc Minnesota, and he has been involved with the organization since 2009. Nate brings his lived experience as a self-advocate to the board. “We’re working on equity, equality, and justice. We’re making an Arc for all,” says Scott.
In a statement from CEO Andrea Zuber, she writes, “As The Arc Minnesota leans into the Disability Justice Movement and dismantling structural ableism and racism, we are committed to having leadership that is provided by people who are most impacted by the issues that our organization addresses. Stan and Nathan each have lived experience that is relevant to helping guide and shape the services and supports we provide, as well as the way we do our work into the future. They will bring their wisdom, talent and experience to the forefront of our organization to ensure that we are a vibrant, relevant organization that helps to realize equity, justice and belonging for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. “
The Arc Minnesota board of directors recently completed a series of three training sessions on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Disability justice. Board members will next consider how to incorporate these concepts into their governance functions, as well as how these concepts may shape our organization’s purpose and direction. They will also inform our effort to redesign services to create services and outcomes that are important to diverse communities statewide with our Building an Arc for All initiative. They will also help launch The Movement, a campaign which will call on all Minnesotans to co-create communities where people who have disabilities are prosperous, respected, and free.
“I believe that The Arc just has so many options, so many opportunities. This is a new day. We have strong leadership, we have strong staff, and we have people who desire to make change. There’s never been a better time for us to get that done. I’m so encouraged, motivated, and I just want to be part of that change,” says Alleyne.
The Arc Minnesota is a statewide nonprofit organization that works to promote and protect the human rights of people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, actively supporting them and their families in a lifetime of full inclusion and participation in their communities. People with disabilities and their families trust The Arc for information, assistance, education, and public policy leadership. For more information, visit www.arcminnesota.org