The Polk County Developmental Achievement Center (DAC) has announced the retirement of Executive Director Jo Bittner to be on Friday, August 5, after almost 37 years of service to the DAC.
Bittner began work in the DAC in 1985, where for her first year, she worked with the DAC’s children program that bussed children with and without special needs that were meant to be role models from East Grand Forks to Crookston until the program’s closing in 1986 due to the school district’s law changing to service people from birth to 21. In 1995, the DAC created a program in East Grand Forks to help split the program into two centers at East Grand Forks and Crookston. Jo says that she has worked in nearly every position at the DAC, from being a Direct Support Professional (DSP) Driver, Job Coach, Job Developer, Case and Program Coordinator, and finally, as the Executive Director. Over the many years she’s been with the DAC, she has seen some miraculous advancements in medicine that’s saved countless lives of the people she works with. “When I first started, we only had one individual in a wheelchair, and since then, we have eleven or twelve and people that use walkers. Modern medicine has saved a lot of lives that some individuals probably wouldn’t have survived in the past,” said Bittner. “We see some more severe disabilities as well, and we’re really pushing in moving towards community placement where we’re placing people on the job in competitive roles, which is a direction we want to go and have a long way to go yet. But we’re evolving and constantly changing.” During her 37 years at the DAC, Bittner has done many things to help the Center grow and improve, such as writing grants to replace over 15 lift vehicles and participated in designing the building in East Grand Forks.
While Bittner says she still feels great and young enough to travel, she believes now is the best time to leave the DAC after she learned she had skin cancer. She wishes to travel and complete things she’s wanted to do, such as purchase a fat tire bike and move to Duluth to be 200 miles closer to her family in Red Wing and her husband, Jon’s family in Poplar, Wisconsin. She also plans to spend her new free time with her husband and to visit her three sons, who live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Denver, Colorado, and Stavanger, Norway. After working for nearly 37 years at the County DAC, Bittner says she isn’t quite sure if there’s one thing she’ll miss over everything else. “I learned so much from the clients. They’ve just got a great attitude on life. I learned a lot from them and fellow staff, and you’re never done learning. I may think something is the best decision, but then the staff might push back, and I’ll have to think about it and say, “Yeah, you’re right,” Bittner explained. “I was 25 and a newlywed when I started at the DAC, and four children and grandson later, I’ve learned so much. I always tell new staff, too, that if you’re going to be a new parent at some point, working at the DAC is an excellent training ground for that. You don’t ever tell your kids that you’re going to take them to Dairy Queen if you’re not going to take them. It’s the same with our clients. If we tell them we’re going to do something, we need to follow through. It’s a great training ground for being a parent, and I learned all of that at the DAC, and I’ll cherish the relationships I’ve had.”
Over the past three weeks, Jo has been working with Jean Ann Bienek, who will be taking her place after she leaves on August 5, to train and prepare her for the work ahead as the new Executive Director of the DAC. Jean Ann has lived in Crookston for 25 years, with her husband being a sergeant at the Crookston Police Department and worked as the Activity Director and Enrichment Coordinator at the Villa St. Vincent in Crookston for six years, and the Executive Director at the Benedictine Living Community Ada nursing home for 12 years. Her most recent work experience was that she ran the Nursing Home in Ada since 2016. But, even after just one week, Bittner says Jean Ann is doing an incredible job and is now introducing her to many different organizations in Crookston, such as the banks, the United Way of Crookston, the Crookston Area Chamber, and their statewide organization; the Minnesota Organization for Habilitation and Rehabilitation (MOHR). Jean Ann says that while she’s looking to do some things differently from how Jo ran the Center, she looks to keep moving forward in the direction Jo started and evolving the Center even further. “I have big shoes to fill, and it’s been amazing to work with Jo and see all of the working and moving parts and the amazing staff in the wonderful facility in Crookston. In East Grand Forks, I was able to be there two days last week, and we’re going there this week and again the following week,” Bienek explained. “I actually grew up in East Grand Forks, so I’m excited to reconnect with some people there. My parents still live there, even though it’s not too far down the road, and I’m excited to see them all again.” While Jean Ann plans to continue learning from Jo on becoming the Executive Director for the DAC, Jo is using this time to have her get to meet the community and understand the Center’s mission rather than working with the clients yet, as Jo believes that she will learn more about when she takes over for her.
Jo Bittner’s final day at the DAC will be on Friday, August 5, and the Polk County DAC will have a Retirement Party for her in the back room of the Irishman’s Shanty on Wednesday, August 3, from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.
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The post POLK COUNTY DAC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JO BITTNER WILL BE RETIRING IN AUGUST, A RETIREMENT PARTY WILL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY appeared first on KROX.
