STEPPING UP
A new leader takes charge at Racker this week By Ju li a Nagel
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his week – for the first time in more than a decade – Racker will have a new executive director: Ithaca resident Cristine Donovan. On July 1, Donovan will take over the job from predecessor Dan Brown, who served in the role since 2009 and is transitioning into retirement. Donovan has worked for Racker in many different capacities since 1998, starting out as a team director at one of Racker’s group homes, holding a couple of different positions within the residential program, serving as the Director of Early Childhood and Community Supports and most recently working as associate executive director. “I’ve grown up [at Racker] and had opportunities to see all the different program areas that we provide here,” Donovan said. Reflecting on her time at Racker so far, Donovan explained that she is grateful for the multitude of opportunities and positions available. “When I think about 24 years, and then think about all the different jobs that I’ve had here in 24 years, it’s been a variety. And because of that, I was able to go back to school. I was able to make sure that I had flexibility at different times in my career when I needed it,” Donovan said. Donovan also explained that she’s enjoyed working for Racker for almost a quarter of a century and counting because of the organization’s one-of-a-kind culture. “I think what makes Racker special is the culture and the values that come along with the agency,” Donovan said. “That culture of valuing each individual person, whether they’re coming to us for services or our staff, and supporting and considering the uniqueness of everyone in all of our work.” The nonprofit organization, dedicated to supporting people with disabilities and their families, is the eighth largest employer in Tompkins County. Racker also has a substantial presence in the nearby Cortland and Tioga Counties, with nearly 800 total employees. Racker currently has six different program areas providing a broad range of ser-
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It h ac a r e s i d e n t C h r i s t i n e D o n ova n c a p s a 2 4 -y e a r at R ac k e r b y b e c o m i n g E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r ( P h o t o b y A s h B a i l o t) vices including therapies, early childhood education, preschool special education, mental health support, an audiology clinic, residential living, and intellectual and developmental disability programs. Over its approximately 74 years, Racker has had seven directors and grown to an impressive 35 “service sites,” in addition to providing services in the community, schools, and people’s homes. The nonprof29
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it currently serves and supports over 3,500 individuals and their families, according to its website. Originally founded as The Cerebral Palsy Association of the Ithaca Area, Racker now bears the name of Dr. Franziska Racker. Franziska Racker served as medical director for more than 28 years, and the organization was renamed in her honor following her death in 1999. But in more
than just its name, Racker has shifted and grown as an organization in response to community needs over the decades. “Racker started as an opportunity for families who did not want their children to go to institutional settings to get supports that they needed in their home community. And that’s been something that’s been a constant thread for us. So as we’ve seen different needs in the community evolve
