Nonotuck’s Neighborhood MAY 2026
Every person at Nonotuck brings a story, a history, and a community with them. Our Staff Origins Project celebrates the many places our employees call home — and the diverse experiences that strengthen our mission of shared living, belonging, and connection.
Read more about the map project in this month's enewsletter!
etter ro eischner
eorge
s we move through ay, m struck once again by how each story we share reflects the values at the heart of Nonotuck authenticity, respect, vulnerability, interdependence, and community. his month, we celebrate people who lead with courage and compassion. n our omen s istory onth profile of aimie oucette, we see the power of authentic leadership and the importance of honoring each person s uni ue journey. Our Nurses eek and onth celebration reminds us how deeply our nurses embody love and respect through their commitment to the people we support and their families each and every day. encourage staff to share appreciation of specific nurses at Nonotuck with irector of arketing oshua urray at murray nonotuck.com e are excited to look ahead to isability Pride onth in uly, when Nonotuck will welcome representatives from the assachusetts ttorney eneral s Office for an important conversation centered on disability rights, dignity, and belonging. Events like these reinforce our belief that people with disabilities deserve not only support, but full participation, visibility, and respect within every community. any thanks to osh urray for setting this important dialogue in motion. inally, our Nonotuck Staff Origins ap offers a meaningful reflection on the many cultures, histories, and lived experiences that shape our organi ation. t is a reminder that our strength comes from the diversity of the people who make up this community and the openness with which we learn from one another. ogether, these stories reflect more than events or milestones. hey reflect who we are and who we continue striving to be a community grounded in authentic relationships, committed to standing beside people for as long as they choose us, and always working toward a more inclusive and compassionate world. hank you for being part of that journey. story to osh and me. eorge . leischner President EO Nonotuck Resource ssociates
or those who haven t already please send your
o en’s istor onth ro i e i ie oucette or Nonotuck ice President of Residential Services aimie oucette, omen s istory onth is an opportunity to reflect—on the kind of leader she wants to be, and on the women who helped shape that vision. Early in her career, aimie recalls a conversation with a supervisor who offered advice for navigating a male dominated environment be louder, harsher, and always appear in control—even when you aren t. hat approach might work for some, but it never felt right to her. hat had a lasting impression on me, aimie says. remember thinking how sad that was—that this is what she felt she had to become to be respected. ou learn from both the great supervisors and the ones who are not. here are things you keep—and things you decide you ll do differently. oday, her leadership style reflects that intention. try to be fair. try to be clear. try to support people to reach their goals, she says. nd try to be someone who is approachable. or aimie, leadership is not about putting up a guard or becoming someone else—it s about being authentic. think people can be true to who they are, she says. hey don t have to be someone else in order to move forward. Eleven years into her Nonotuck career—she was hired as a Program irector in — aimie is uick to credit much of her leadership approach to the women in her life, especially her family. She speaks often about her grandmother, whose life story left a lasting impact. Raised in an orphanage, her grandmother went on to become a correctional officer at an all female prison in ramingham, assachusetts at a time when opportunities for women were limited. espite the challenges of that era, the prison environment was, in some ways, ahead of its time—staffed entirely by women, from officers to medical professionals, creating rare opportunities for women to build meaningful careers.
o en’s istor onth ro i e i ie oucette One of her grandmother s roles involved supporting a program for pregnant inmates, allowing them to give birth and remain with their babies until a family placement or adoption could be arranged. hat s where her heart was, aimie says. She really advocated for that program. She had a great rapport with the inmates. She was tough—she didn t deviate from the rules—but she earned respect from everyone around her. hat balance—strength paired with compassion, structure grounded in humanity—has stayed with aimie throughout her life. oday, it continues to shape how she leads at Nonotuck with clarity, respect, and a belief that people do not need to change who they are to be valued, supported, and heard.
WATCH VIDEO
Nonotuck t
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ood ay Nonotuck ommunity! few months ago, reached out with a simple re uest to share where you or your family come from. he idea was to create a world map that reflects the diversity of the Nonotuck community. hat we received in return was something far more meaningful than we imagined. ifty two staff members responded, sharing connections to countries and cultures from around the world. Each response represents a story of family, history, and identity. ogether, those stories now come to life in our Nonotuck orld ap. hen you look at the map, you ll see more than pins. ou ll see the many paths that have brought people to Nonotuck. ou ll see the richness of experience that shapes how we support one another and the individuals we serve. nd you ll see something powerful that while we may work in communities across assachusetts, our roots reach across the globe and native to merica. his project, created through the partnership of the ebsite esign ommittee and the E ommittee, with raig anning as its developer reflects something fundamental about who we are. Our diversity is not just something we acknowledge it s something we carry with us every day in our work, our relationships, and our shared purpose. encourage you to take a few moments to explore the map above. ou will find your own story reflected or discover something new about a colleague you ve worked alongside. f you didn t have the opportunity to participate, we will continue to add to the map over time. his is an ongoing story and there is always room for more voices. hank you to everyone who helped bring this to life. t is a powerful reminder of the community we are building together. eorge . leischner Nonotuck EO President
Nonotuck to ost ss chusetts ttorne ener ’s ice e s or is bi it ride onth he Nonotuck community is invited to join representatives from the assachusetts ttorney eneral s Office in celebration of isability Pride onth this uly for a conversation about diversity, e uity, inclusion, disability rights, and advocacy across the ommonwealth. ngela lark and nn E. ynch will provide an overview of their work within the ttorney eneral s Office, discuss ongoing initiatives related to e uity and disability rights, and answer uestions from staff. his session offers an opportunity to learn more about how the ttorney eneral s Office supports inclusive practices, addresses discrimination, and advances protections for people with disabilities throughout assachusetts. isability Pride onth is an opportunity to celebrate the voices, experiences, and contributions of people with disabilities while continuing important conversations about e uity, accessibility, and belonging, said Nonotuck EO President eorge . leischner. e are grateful to welcome representatives from the ttorney eneral s Office to share their expertise and engage with the Nonotuck community on these critical issues.
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ngela lark serves as hief of Organi ational iversity, E uity, and nclusion at the assachusetts ttorney eneral s Office, where she leads initiatives focused on building a more diverse and inclusive workplace serving over seven million constituents across the ommonwealth. Prior to joining the O, ngela held leadership roles at Robinhood and idelity nvestments, where she developed and implemented enterprise wide diversity, e uity, and inclusion strategies. She is also an adjunct professor at oston ollege, teaching anaging iversity in Organi ations, and serves on the board of Raising ulticultural ids, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering racial and cultural competence in local communities.
Nonotuck to ost ss chusetts ttorne ener ’s ice e s or is bi it ride onth ont A
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nn E. ynch has served as an ssistant ttorney eneral in the onsumer Protection and ivil Rights ivisions at the assachusetts ttorney eneral s Office since . She currently serves as the O s isability Rights oordinator, where she supports disability related policy work, strategic litigation, outreach, and advocacy efforts across the ommonwealth. er work focuses on enforcing anti discrimination laws and protecting the rights of people with disabilities, including in fair housing and civil rights matters. Prior to joining the O, nn represented survivors of domestic violence at estern assachusetts egal Services and clerked for the assachusetts Superior ourt.
Nurses
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onth appy Nurses eek! Nurses eek runs from ay through ay and coincides with the birthday of lorence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. he celebration also extends throughout ay as Nurses onth, creating many opportunities to recogni e the dedicated nurses who are central to our mission of providing personali ed care and support to people with disabilities. t Nonotuck Resource ssociates, nc., nurses play a vital role not only in providing medical care, but in enhancing uality of life for the people we support. hey help design and implement care plans that honor each person s dignity, independence, and uni ue needs, ensuring care is delivered with compassion and respect. Our nurses are also strong advocates, working tirelessly to help ensure the people we support receive the services and resources they need to thrive. n addition, they educate staff, caregivers, and community members on best practices in supporting people with disabilities. heir expertise strengthens Nonotuck s advocacy efforts and helps advance conversations around more inclusive, personali ed care. elebrating Nurses eek and Nurses onth at Nonotuck is an opportunity to recogni e not only the exceptional care our nurses provide, but also the meaningful relationships they build and the lasting impact they have within our community. e invite everyone to take a moment to appreciate and thank our nurses this week, this month, and every day.
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