As I enter my tenth year as Chief Executive Officer of New Concepts for Living (NCFL), I celebrate a decade in this deeply fulfilling second career. After more than 30 years of owning and operating a successful for-profit company in an unrelated industry, followed by a brief three-year retirement, leading this remarkable non-profit organization has brought me great purpose and fulfillment.

Since 2016, NCFL has experienced extraordinary growth. We have significantly expanded the number of Community Residences we operate, with many more in development. These residences are thoughtfully designed to be both visually appealing and highly functional. In response to the critical need for specialized housing for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and complex medical needs, we built our first home for medically fragile I/DD adults in 2021. We now operate several of these homes, with more under construction. Additionally, 15 new apartments are scheduled to open in Saddle Brook in 2026, with further apartment projects in the planning stages.

Having reached full capacity at our Rochelle Park Achievement Center, we proudly opened a second Achievement Center in June of 2024: a custom-built, 82,000-square-foot facility on Route 17 in Paramus. This state-of-the-art Achievement Center, considered the finest of its kind in the nation, features specialized programs for high-need, low-need, and medically fragile individuals. Services include physical, occupational, and speech therapies, nursing and behavioral supports, sensory rooms, and ample program and recreational spaces, as well as a robust calendar of outings and activities. Our capacity to serve individuals with I/DD has increased by 400% with this new center.  We invite you to tour the new Paramus facility. Feel free to sign up using our calendar app (click here) to choose a date and time that is convenient for you.

NCFL’s success is driven by our people. We are committed to hiring and retaining highly qualified, compassionate professionals at every level. Our management, administrative teams, and Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are among the highest paid in the field, reflecting our unwavering commitment to our employees and most importantly our quality of care. Each DSP completes a rigorous training program before working with our residents, ensuring the highest standards of service and support.

Community integration is central to our mission. NCFL is one of the most active agencies in the nation, with participants frequently engaged in meaningful outings from both our Achievement Centers and our homes. We believe strongly in the benefits of community inclusion and accordingly plan exciting, community-centered outings during weekdays as well as on evenings and weekends.

Over the years, NCFL has earned a reputation of excellence throughout New Jersey and beyond. This would not be possible without the dedication of our exceptional staff, the generosity of our donors, the trust of our guardians and families, and the guidance of our Board of Trustees. We are also grateful for the continued support of the Governor, State Legislature, and the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD).

Having achieved our goal of becoming one of the premier I/DD providers in the country, we are now extending our impact by guiding other organizations in their efforts to enhance their care and programming. We proudly collaborate and consult with peer agencies in our mission to elevate services industry wide for this vulnerable population.

From the time a parent learns their young child has an intellectual or developmental disability, their life changes forever – with overwhelming emotions including despair, anguish, and worry. Along with the plethora of significant challenges parents face while raising a child with I/DD, above all else they worry about the future when they can no longer care for their special child. When NCFL accepts a new family member into one of our homes, few things in life give me more pleasure than telling their parents that they don’t have to worry as much anymore, we got it from here. Your son or daughter will be loved and cared for properly in their new, extended family… and you can visit whenever you wish. It’s moments like these that make me say… I love my job!

I am humbled by how far we have come and remain steadfast and focused on where we are headed. In closing, I cannot think of a more rewarding second career. I thoroughly enjoy caring and advocating for the rights of society’s most vulnerable population. I fully appreciate and welcome each new day, serving our family of extraordinary individuals for whom we provide a “Lifetime of Care.”

I look forward to what we can accomplish together in 2025 and beyond!