BETH FLANAGAN, a Warwick native, was named the new executive director of the ALS Association Rhode Island Chapter. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, named after the famous New York Yankees baseball player who retired after developing the disorder in 1939, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Flanagan, a career nonprofit servant and the former senior education manager at Junior Achievement of Rhode Island, earned a master’s degree in public administration from Roger Williams University and is a recipient of the school’s John W. Stout Outstanding MPA Student Award.
What does it mean to you to be the new executive director of the Rhode Island ALS Association chapter? This position represents the culmination of many years of hard work. I have spent my career in the nonprofit sector in Rhode Island for over a decade and aspired to take a leadership position at a local nonprofit organization. I am immensely grateful to have been given this opportunity and to work with an incredibly dedicated team. I was eager to utilize my experience and education in a leadership capacity and when the opportunity presented itself to apply for this position, I jumped at it. I could not imagine a better cause to dedicate my time and efforts to and I feel my background and skills can benefit the organization.
What do you hope to accomplish as executive director? My goal as executive director is to support, inspire and collaborate with the staff and board to create innovative and strategic ways of serving the needs of our ALS community. My goals include increased access to care service programs, robust local advocacy initiatives and the cultivation of increased support from corporations, foundations and businesses here in Rhode Island.
What will be your approach to leading the organization’s operation during the coronavirus pandemic? The pandemic has forced the chapter to evolve, rapidly. Because we serve an extremely vulnerable population, we made the call early on to suspend in-person services, such as our home visits, support groups and the Louise Wilcox ALS Multidisciplinary Clinic. The staff has worked diligently to provide those services remotely via virtual options and tele-clinics. Our programs are supported through major fundraising events, such as our Evening of Hope dinner and the Walk to Defeat ALS. … We are [also] working hard on new fundraising campaigns and virtual event-planning initiatives.
Are there any interesting services, programs or initiatives you will be unveiling? Right now, I am focused on crisis management to ensure the chapter’s sustainability moving forward. My long-term goals for the chapter, along with the staff and board, are to create new revenue streams and increase awareness of the disease so we can provide the best possible care services programs to our ALS community. I hope to cultivate new avenues of support and increase local advocacy initiatives.
