Manchester, NH – Easterseals NH announced at its Robert B. Jolicoeur School Graduation Ceremony on June 13, that its Residential & Educational Program will be named Gammon Academy in honor of longtime President & CEO Larry Gammon, who has dedicated his 48-years at Easterseals to helping people with disabilities and special needs in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont.
Gammon joined Easterseals in 1971 as a special education teach before becoming principal. He steadily advanced through the organization and was promoted to President & CEO in 1988, a position he has held for the past 31 years. Later this year, Gammon will transition out of this role. Once a new President & CEO is hired, Gammon will continue to serve Easterseals in an advisory capacity to ensure a smooth transition and continuity in leadership across NH, ME and VT.
“Our Residential & Educational Program has always had a special place in Larry’s heart,” said Easterseals NH Chairman of the Board, Matthew Boucher. “We are honored to name this cornerstone program in tribute to Larry who has dedicated his life and career to ensuring that people of all ages with disabilities and special needs have every opportunity to live a life of their choosing.”
Easterseals NH Residential & Educational programs operate in Manchester and Lancaster, NH. The programs offer a wide array of services where professional teams work to create and implement individualized plans to support the learning and development of youth ages 9 to 21. Faculty and staff strive to help students build the social, emotional, and behavioral skills they need to find success.
Over the coming months, all locations and programs that fall under the umbrella of the Easterseals Residential & Educational Program will be called Gammon Academy. In 2018 these program served 560 individuals.
“What started as a small school, established by Bob Cholette, previous Easterseals President and visionary, became a very large, cornerstone program that gave us the impetus and resources to build the most comprehensive and mission-oriented Easterseals in the country,” said Easterseals NH President & CEO Larry Gammon. From Pre-school and Early Intervention, to Vocational and Senior Services, the school allowed us to venture into areas that were heretofore unavailable to us, including Veterans, Substance Use Disorders, Dental Services, and Transportation. A generous public and dedicated Board added the fundraising element, which provides the means to give over $8 million dollars of free/subsidized service, annually. I was totally surprised by the naming and never more honored.”
Under Gammon’s leadership, Easterseals has grown from a small organization to a large and well-respected non-profit, which serves 28,000 individuals, employs 1,800 people, and offers 13 core programs: Child Development Centers and Family Resource Center, Child & Family Services, Early Supports and Services, Autism Services, Residential & Educational Services, Special Transit Services, Camps and Recreation, Community Based Services, Workforce Development, Military & Veterans Servics, Senior Services, Substance Abuse Treatment, and Oral Health Services.
A Roast & Toast Event to honor Gammon will be held on September 19, 2019 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Manchester, NH. For details, please visit easterseals.com/nh.
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