1.0The Sourcehttps://the-source.netrich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="jLNTLP19sS"><a href="https://the-source.net/frederick-a-man-with-a-big-heart/">Frederick: A man with a big heart</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://the-source.net/frederick-a-man-with-a-big-heart/embed/#?secret=jLNTLP19sS" width="600" height="338" title="“Frederick: A man with a big heart” — The Source" data-secret="jLNTLP19sS" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(c,l){"use strict";var e=!1,o=!1;if(l.querySelector)if(c.addEventListener)e=!0;if(c.wp=c.wp||{},c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage);else if(c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if(!t);else if(!(t.secret||t.message||t.value));else if(/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret));else{for(var r,s,a,i=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),n=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=0;o<n.length;o++)n[o].style.display="none";for(o=0;o<i.length;o++)if(r=i[o],e.source!==r.contentWindow);else{if(r.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message){if(1e3<(s=parseInt(t.value,10)))s=1e3;else if(~~s<200)s=200;r.height=s}if("link"===t.message)if(s=l.createElement("a"),a=l.createElement("a"),s.href=r.getAttribute("src"),a.href=t.value,a.host===s.host)if(l.activeElement===r)c.top.location.href=t.value}}},e)c.addEventListener("message",c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",t,!1),c.addEventListener("load",t,!1);function t(){if(o);else{o=!0;for(var e,t,r,s=-1!==navigator.appVersion.indexOf("MSIE 10"),a=!!navigator.userAgent.match(/Trident.*rv:11\./),i=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),n=0;n<i.length;n++){if(!(r=(t=i[n]).getAttribute("data-secret")))r=Math.random().toString(36).substr(2,10),t.src+="#?secret="+r,t.setAttribute("data-secret",r);if(s||a)(e=t.cloneNode(!0)).removeAttribute("security"),t.parentNode.replaceChild(e,t);t.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:r},"*")}}}}(window,document); </script> http://the-source.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/TFRED.jpg700775By Lynn Colburn Our communities need many more people like Tom Frederick. He loves what he does, loves the community and wants the best for both! This man exudes warmth and that puts people at ease as soon as they meet him. Frederick retires as president/CEO of Elm City Center on August 1. He has been helping Elm City Center commemorate its 60th anniversary in Jacksonville with a series of celebrations, including a day outdoors with water and water balloon activities, a cookout and a Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event. Frederick, who grew up in a western suburb of Chicago, went to school at Eastern Illinois in Charleston. He says, “I was going to grad school in psychology when I got a job at a place called CCAR Industries and it changed my entire career.” CCAR is a not-for-profit organization in Charleston that provides community-based services and supports enhancing the quality of life of citizens with developmental disabilities and/or other functional limitations throughout their life span, much like Elm City. “And here I am today, doing the same kind of stuff, said Frederick with a broad smile. “I had no plan to get into the social services world at all.” “Eventually, the opportunity popped up here … and it’s been fantastic!” expressed Frederick. “In 2001, my wife and I were thinking about family health issues with parents back here, so we came back here and started looking for opportunities and Elm City Center popped into my life and I’ve been here ever since. It was one of the best moves I’ve ever made. Most days are great … fun people to work with and a great organization. The cool thing about working here is that you’re going to wear many hats. There are days you are going to drive a truck … there days you are going to wear a suit and go to Springfield and do politics … there are days you are going to sit here and write grants … there are days you are going to talk to people about issues that pop up. You might grab a paintbrush – we’ve built stuff. Whatever we need, you do. It’s been a fun part of the job. It’s been great.” “We deal with people with disabilities in our little niche in this community,” explained Frederick. “If you aren’t into that part of that world, you probably won’t pay attention to us. It’s like that with everything; unless people are involved with something very directly, it won’t mean a whole lot. But I think over the years we’ve done a great job of getting Elm City involved with community things. For us, it means giving back, not always asking for things. It means getting involved with Kiwanis and youth football like I have. I’ve got staff here that is involved with other organizations like Pilot Club, church groups or whatever they choose. It means simple things like big yellow 20-foot-by-20-foot tent that has our name on it that we lend out free to an organization. We even come set it up and take it down. We were just at the fairgrounds where they fed the crews behind the concert stage. It’s been at youth football programs and golf outings.” Elm City’s tent primarily focuses on not-for-profit organizations events. The organization also regularly takes part in chamber events, creates a team for the Braggin Rights BBQ or sponsors things around town. Much of this is something that people may or may not expect out of a social services agency. Elm City Center just went through its accreditation in July. “It’s the 14th one of these things I have been through and we scored 100 percent!” said Frederick proudly. “I’ve never done that in a national review before. We did very, very well. We had many compliments on the quality of work that our staff had put out, for following through on our plans, helping people be independent in the community … the homes we have people living in that they thought were great … one positive thing after another. We were just saying thank you, thank you, thank you.” Elm City focuses on keeping its people working and supporting themselves. Elm City has people come from a seven-county area and is able to transport them through a partnership with West Central Mass Transit to get their people to their jobs. Doors to offices at Elm City are never closed. Regulating groups constantly comment how people say, “Hi, Tom,” or, “Hi, Dave,” as the president and vice president walk among them. Those regulators explain that in other places there are no interactions like that. Frederick thinks it is essential to know the people and be involved with them — not to shut yourself away in an office. Similarly, he doesn’t believe in shutting the company away from the community. Elm City began holding a Thanksgiving meal for their people years ago when they found a need. They currently hold this meal for approximately 140 people. On retirement, Frederick says he doesn’t have a real plan yet. His wife wants to be a grandma living near their daughter and grandchild, who are in Charleston, Illinois. Their son is up in Chicago. “We have no desire to leave Illinois at all,” says Frederick. “For me, it’s been a great place … one positive thing after another. I have gotten involved with great people through fundraiser groups for Kiwanis, through youth football for 13 years, through people I’ve met through Elm City [and] through our board members. I don’t see how it could be any better.” Board member Dr. Peter Russotto says he was on the committee who hired Frederick. “He’s been phenomenal for Elm City and the community! He believes in keeping the organization’s employees and management involved in the community in many ways. He has also been instrumental in bringing David Pennell on board as vice president and has groomed him to take over. We interviewed candidates...