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On November 1, 2007, a few days before he died of cancer, Jim Ryan was honored with the first Lifetime Achievement Award from Gov. Doyle at a ceremony at Penfield Children’s Center in Milwaukee. In this issue of WisKids Journal, we at WCCF thought it was appropriate to examine Jim Ryan’s efforts and take a closer look at the Penfield program he worked so hard to build. By all accounts, Jim showed remarkable commitment to running a unique, high-quality program at Penfield. Patti Grede, vice-president of programs at Penfield, said she was impressed by Jim’s strong focus on program quality. “His goal was always to improve the quality of the services Penfield provides and to improve the lives of kids in Wisconsin,” Grede said. “He believed in defining and quantifying quality indicators, and from there determining how Penfield would achieve them. Jim was always looking for ways Penfield could collaborate with other agencies. He believed there were benefits to almost any relationship. Jim would joke, ‘You have to go out and kiss a lot of frogs before you find one that turns into a prince.’” One individual Jim reached out to was Linda Davis of the Davis Family Fund. She recalls, “Jim, forever unselfish, involved me in the Governor's Early Childhood Summit and the Birth To Five Peer Advocate Roundtable. From those two efforts, Jim helped the Milwaukee philanthropic world create the School Readiness Philanthropy Group. We now have approximately 18 Wisconsin funders as members, as well as our national members, Buffett Early Childhood Funds and the Joyce Foundation.” She believes Jim’s work was instrumental in the recent surge of philanthropic interest in children’s services in Milwaukee. “Jim had an incredible way of bringing people together for the benefit of children no matter their politics, interests, organizations or systems,” she said. Penfield celebrated its 40th year of service in 2007. Back In 1967, it began as a Montessori School for Exceptional Children. That school applied the philosophy of renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Wilder Penfield, who strongly believed in early intervention for children born with developmental disabilities. The program grew dramatically over the years, moving to its current home in 1974, with additions to the building in 1988, 1994 and 1998. The program received a state Early Childhood Excellence grant in 2000 to enhance services. Last year, Penfield Children’s Center served 1,331 infants and young children through its early intervention, special education, therapy and child care programs. Ninety percent of children served are from families in poverty, and 84 percent of Penfield’s children are members of ethnic minorities. The program has a particular focus on children with special needs who are integrated into settings with non-disabled peers. Penfield has a remarkable combination of services, including:
Penfield staff credit Jim with recent improvements at the Center. While they clearly value Jim’s leadership skills, they particularly noted his personal touch. “So many people respected his opinion and most weren't shy in asking for it,” said Vice President of Administration and CFO Paul Ciardo. “Colleagues and people from other agencies and bureaus emailed or called him to such a degree that he would need to spend a large portion of his day responding to these messages. He always did it politely and with great insight. But as intense as that may sound, he always made you feel at ease when you talked to him.” Patti Grede recalled two examples. “This past Halloween when Jim was having a very rough day, despite how terrible he felt he handed out treats to every child who came to his office door. Another memory is of Jim at our family holiday party. Every year he would volunteer to vacuum all the rooms after the event. There was Jim, our president, running a vacuum in his festive holiday hat and sweater. Vacuuming was always Jim's job. We missed his spirit this year.” In a statement released on behalf of the Penfield staff and board of directors, Ryan was cited for his commitment to helping young at-risk children and families in the heart of Milwaukee. “Jim devoted his life to tirelessly serving others. His wonderful and supportive years of service to Penfield improved the quality of early care and education for children. Beyond our community, Jim worked selflessly in his commitment to children through the Birth-to-3 program, Wisconsin Early Learning Coalition, Wisconsin Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Association, and the Milwaukee Child Care Alliance.” Linda Davis commented on Jim’s true legacy: “Our job now is to carry out Jim's ‘homework assignment’ to us....to create a better world for our little ones.” For information on Jim’s Lifetime Achievement Award, go to http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/journal_media_detail.asp?prid=2998&locid=19.
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