WSSRA Executive Director Hired

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"Marianne will be responsible for the overall leadership and general administration, strategic planning and supervision of the WSSRA cooperative and its staff. Marianne brings a wealth of knowledge about each of the eleven communities the agency serves. Her program development skills and current relationships with WSSRA partner staff and commissioners, local legislators, WSSRA participants and their families and other social service organizations make her an excellent person for the executive director position. We appreciate her years of dedication in the therapeutic recreation field. The WSSRA Board of Directors looks forward to working alongside her, "said Larry Piekarz, WSSRA board chairperson and executive director of the Park District of Forest Park.

Ms. Birko came to WSSRA in 1983 as program supervisor and nine months later was promoted to superintendent. Birko designed and supervised year-round recreation for children and adults with any kind of disability or handicapping condition. During her early years, Birko developed Special Olympic teams, unique programs for adults with visual impairments, programs for children with multiple disabilities, a unique toy lending library and a variety of swim programs. What began as a small agency serving just Oak Park and River Forest residents, Birko witnessed the growth of WSSRA to include its current 11 communities.

"WSSRA has a mission to serve persons of all ages with any disability. The challenges can be unique, especially in Illinois and near west Cook County where here is a vast number of persons with developmental disabilities needing every kind of service. The rate of autism is growing; we are all living longer and surviving disabling conditions more often. The families we serve now have often included new immigrants and needs seem greater. WSSRA has always been able to respond to community need. I look forward to continuing to do so. I will continue to encourage our staff to look at all that our participants can accomplish and all the things we can accomplish as a team," Birko said.

For more information about WSSRA visit their website at www.wssra.net.