Dear Fellow Members of the UCPLA Family, As the Chair of our Board, I find myself in a uniquely bittersweet position at the opening of this new year. As most of you know by now, this month we will bid farewell to our President and Chief Executive Officer Ronald S. Cohen, who has led this organization with skill and finesse for nearly 40 years. During Ron’s more than 30 years as President and CEO, he has grown UCPLA from an organization with a …

A Note from Paul Miller, UCPLA’s Board Chair, on Our 75th Anniversary This year, UCPLA celebrates 75 years of building the UCPLA family.  As Chair of UCPLA’s Board of Directors, I am grateful for everything this anniversary signifies – for me, for my family, and for the people UCPLA serves.  In my case, these three categories overlap: my big sister Karen has been a resident at UCPLA since she was a teenager.  When Karen and my parents made the…

This year, UCPLA turns 75. Seven and a half decades ago, dedicated families seeking community-based services for their children with developmental disabilities came together to build something that would endure beyond them. They wanted a trusted place that would care for their children, and for the many generations to come, in a safe, nurturing, loving environment. They wanted to provide structure, support, and independence for their loved one…

In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) in October, I recently sat down with Brandon Mendenhall, disability advocate, founder of the hard-rock band The Mendenhall Experiment, UCPLA’s Board of Governors member, and the recipient of our inaugural Trailblazer Award in 2015.  Brandon and I spoke about his passion for music, his quest to raise disability awareness, and the challenges and successes of his experiment to see…

Assemblymember Dante Acosta (District 38) recently visited UCPLA’s Chatsworth campus to see firsthand the way our programs impact the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities, as well as the vital role our staff plays in this programming.  UCPLA was especially gratified to host Assemblymember Acosta, as he was the first Assemblymember to support the vital Assembly Bill 279 (AB279) after its introduction into the California State As…