After a thorough recruitment process which included some really impressive candidates, we are thrilled to announce that Candace Pronovost has been selected as our new Home & Community Connections Director beginning on Monday August 20, 2018!
Candace comes to us with over a decade of residential experience, and has a clear understanding of the demands and needs in the “residential world”. It was in her most recent role as a Department of Developmental Services (DDS) Service Coordinator out of the Holyoke/Chicopee DDS that she became familiar with the Consortium, working very closely with some of the people supported in Home & Community Connections. She says it was these positive experiences that actually drew her to our organization! Winde Whitaker, H&CC’s Assistant Director, referred Candace for this role saying that in her experience, Candace has been a “one of a kind” DDS Service Coordinator, who is consistently approachable, honest and resourceful – an absolute “wealth of knowledge.” She also says that Candace has a very straight forward approach and is a “good teacher,” always looking to team with staff to best meet the individualized needs of the people being supported.
In addition to her work at DDS, Candace’s professional experience includes working for ServiceNet in Chicopee as the Residential Program Director of an emergency respite program providing housing for individuals who were experiencing homelessness. She’s also worked as an IHT Case Manager at Clinical & Support Options in Springfield, providing case management on an In-Home Therapy team. Early in her career, Candace served as Sexual Health Educator/HIV Counseling and Testing and Education Liaison for the Western MA Area Department of Youth Services (DYS) in Northampton, MA. In 2004, she graduated with a degree in Psychology from, what was then known as, Bay Path College in Longmeadow.
The Home & Community Connections’ Director of Residential and Community Supports oversees the full range of DDS funded supports in our agency. Executive Director, Marylou Sullivan, believes that Candace’s open and frank discussions throughout the interview process demonstrate what a great fit she is for this role and for the agency. Along with her professional experience, Candace brings insight, strong organizational, and management skills, and a substantial sense of accountability. She believes very strongly in the mission of providing happy, healthy homes for the individuals supported by Home & Community Connections.
Candace has strong local roots. She grew up in Easthampton and currently lives in Holyoke. She enjoys spending time with her two boys and her new daughter along with her fiancé. They all enjoy traveling and sports. Welcome Candace!