Call Me Al – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of the Call Me Al Podcast, Al interviews Allan I. Bergman, an accomplished nonprofit community agency and association executive and nationally recognized leader in influencing the development of federal and state policy relating to “best practice” services and supports for persons with disabilities.

Bergman’s career includes significant leadership positions within local, state and national non-profit agencies and associations. Most recently, he served as President and CEO of one of Chicago’s largest community agencies, Anixter Center, supporting more than 5,000 individuals living with disabilities through 400 employees, 72 programs, and multiple sites. His earlier positions in Washington, D.C. included President and CEO of the Brain Injury Association of America, and significant leadership roles with United Cerebral Palsy Associations as Director of the Institute on Disability and Managed Care, Director of State-Federal Relations, and Director of Government Relations. After completing his undergraduate degree in Psychology at Cornell University, Allan’s early career included responsibilities at the Texas State Commission for the Blind, as Executive Director for the Austin (TX) Cerebral Palsy Center, and Executive Director of three Associations for Retarded Citizens in Dallas, San Francisco and the state of Colorado. Bergman is an insightful and perceptive strategic planner skilled at aligning goals, groups and available resources. Allan works with all levels and functions within an organization to build a unified, strategic vision and consistent messaging to achieve long term goals, improve organizational efficiency, deliver meaningful outcomes to customers and a good return on investment to funders. He possesses an extraordinary ability to understand and analyze highly complex problems and to present them and proposed solutions in an articulate and understandable manner to diverse audiences. Allan is astute at building strong relationships and business partnerships with multiple constituencies.

Allan’s expertise includes broad knowledge of Medicaid, Medicare, managed care and long term services and supports policy, practice and financing. He has testified before many state legislative and Congressional committees and his fingerprints are on many bills that now are law. He was invited as an expert witness to testify before both the U.S. Senate Finance and House Energy and Commerce Committees on Social Security, employment and health policy issues, and worked with key congressional staff to develop Medicare and Medicaid work incentive proposals that were incorporated into federal law. A passionate and charismatic speaker, Bergman has provided more than 200 keynote addresses and 150 workshops to over 50,000 individuals in all 50 states, Canada, Australia and Israel. Allan is at ease with multiple audiences including customers, volunteers, legislators, legislative staff, clinical researchers and practitioners. A nationally recognized trainer, he has provided leadership training to over 6,000 people.

In this episode of the Call Me Al Podcast, Al Condeluci interviews Robert Stack. Mr. Stack worked in the nonprofit and government field for the last three decades. Over the past 30 years he developed one of the largest nonprofits in his state and one of the largest nonprofits in his field.

His knowledge as an entrepreneur, manager and successful businessman has earned him countless awards and recognition from government and corporate leaders. He has successfully managed and built a nonprofit with over $200 million in revenue annually from his kitchen table with very little resources.

Robert is an adjunct professor for public policy, has an MBA and currently manages his multistate operation with offices in Arizona, Maryland, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and New York from both the Empire State building and his national headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey.

He is an expert in nonprofit development, management and fundraising. Robert Stack has operated offices in Cairo, Egypt and is consulted by governors and government leaders on public policy and nonprofit development.

For more interviews subscribe to the Call Me Podcast on itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/call-me-al/id1441852995

Season 3 of the Call Me Podcast is brought to you by CONNECT Communities. CONNECT’s mission is to Make Lives Better. We achieve this by providing complex and specialized services for people living with brain injury and stroke in a nurturing and innovative community environment. Through our Life Redesign Model™, we empower people by applying our knowledge and experience to coach, challenge and motivate each person to reach their unique personal goals and build a fulfilling life for themselves. CONNECT is one of few organizations accredited through Accreditation Canada using the Acquired Brain Injury standards. For more information visit their website: https://connectcommunities.ca/

Al sits down with Keenan Wellar. Keenan Wellar co-founded the LiveWorkPlay organization in 1995, and has served as the Co-Leader and Director of Communications since 1997. LiveWorkPlay helps the community welcome people with intellectual disabilities to live, work, and play as valued citizens. 

Al sits down with longtime friend Dr. Janet Williams. Dr. Janet Williams is the founder of Minds Matter LLC.  Dr. Williams has dedicated her life to working with individuals with brain injury since 1982. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Providence College, her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Boston College and her PhD from the University of Kansas in Family Studies and Disability.

Al sits down with Jamie Curran, Community Living Mississauga and Jeff Fromknecht, Side Project Inc. to discuss the impact that loneliness and social isolation has on their own lives and the lives of those we serve. 

Al sits down with Joyce Steel Director of Family Advocacy at Starbridge Inc. supporting families in Rochester, New York. Joyce talks about her development as an advocate for inclusion that started with the birth of her son Adam. Al and Joyce talk about her work as an advocate and mother, what kinds of things are working, where are the challenges, and what new things lay ahead.

In this episode, Al Condeluci sits down Betty Batt, Sylvia Doane, Jane Huff, and Aga Karst the authors of "I'm the Bob & Cathy's Kid: Emotions, Love, and Fury (https://www.imthebobandcathyskid.com/). The authors worked directly with Suzy and her family and share their struggles and success in helping her to gain interdependence in the community. 

Al Condeluci interview’s Kimberly Gavan, Executive Director at the Brockville and District Association for Community Involvement in Brockville, Ontario. Kimberly share stories about how she got into the field and how her organization is working to make sure the community provides equal opportunity, full participation, respect and value to all individuals.

Al Condeluci interview’s Jamie Curran and discusses Community Living Mississauga work building an inclusive community in the biggest city you have never heard of.

Al Condeluci is joined by co-founders of the Interdependence Network, Jamie Curran and Jeff Fromknecht to help launch the new CALL ME AL PODCAST.