I work at Vanguard Landing, and I have spent more than 10 years as an educator in the intellectual and developmental disabilities field. I left California and a job I loved to come to Vanguard Landing because I believed in what this community was creating. Having worked in a state known for its progressive approach to disability services, I have had the opportunity to see many different models of support. In my experience, I have never seen a place that is more genuinely person-centered than Vanguard Landing.

What I value most is the focus on recognizing each individual as a person first, with their own preferences, goals, interests, relationships, and dreams. Residents are supported in making choices about their own lives, whether that means how they spend their day, what activities they participate in, the friendships they build, or how they engage with the broader community. Support is there to help make those choices possible, not to make choices for them.

I believe adults with disabilities deserve the same opportunity as anyone else to choose where they live and how they receive the support they need. Needing assistance should never mean losing the right to make decisions about your own home and your own life.

I support eligible individuals being able to choose Vanguard Landing as their home and use their Medicaid waiver-funded services there. This is about preserving meaningful choice, dignity, independence, and the opportunity for people to live the lives they want.