From the Executive Director
Dear Supporter:
I am celebrating 20 years as the Director of the Shaker Heights Youth Center and it has been a truly challenging and rewarding experience. The agency has grown in a number of ways. We have added the Intensive Prevention Program, the Academic Success Aid Program, and MyCom out-of-school time programming. Our budget has increased to three times the amount it was when I came to the agency, all from support coming from sources outside of Shaker, and with our sole focus on providing services for the youth in the Shaker community. The Youth Center has received three awards from the State of Ohio for excellence in services due to the amazing work of a dedicated staff. I take this opportunity to acknowledge their dedication to the youth we serve and the length of time they have been with the agency; Harriet Lyons 19 years, Terry Karp 17 years, Tameka Taylor 16 years, Laura Chapman and Svetlana Wolfson 13 years, Carolyn Dolan 10 years, Sharon Bell 8 years and Cheryl Darden, Emily Geier and Alicia Sims 5 years. It is truly an honor to work with such talented people.
Looking ahead we are working in a constantly changing environment. Funding and priorities are shifting and the Youth Center is up to the task. We are small and exible enough to embrace the change while continuing to offer superior services to the youth in the Shaker community. We look forward to developing programs that meet the evolving needs of the community.
Finally, I want to thank all of the individuals that support and nurture the Youth Center. Being involved in the Shaker community has allowed me to work with great partners; the Youth Center Board of Trustees, Shaker Heights City Schools, the City of Shaker Heights (the Mayor, Council, Police Department and Recreation Department), the Shaker Heights Public Library, First Unitarian Church, Heights Christian Church, our neighborhood and community organizations and the many individuals who advocate for youth in this extraordinary city. In four years I look forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Shaker Heights Youth Center. This will be a tribute to all who champion youth development.
Sincerely, John Lisy
Click the link to download our 2016 Annual Report.
2016 Annual Report (PDF)
