Posted on October 16, 2024
Kelly Baker has made her mark nationally as a program champion.
Last month I gave a shout out to four of our deserving DSPs during DSP Recognition Week and remarked that one of the best decisions we made as an organization was to appoint Kelly Baker as our Career Ladders Program Coordinator five years ago.
At the time we were determined to ensure that we could help every team member interested in the program be successful in navigating the process of certification.
We discussed how important it was to resource our DSPs with someone who could take them through the steps and keep them on task, and more importantly, be their chief cheerleader.
In essence we were looking for a program champion who would be invested in the success of each Career Ladders participant.
We considered hiring from the outside for this position and also identified team members internally who might be up to the task. The overwhelming consensus from our leadership was to offer Kelly the job.
Her soft skills were off the charts: wonderful to work with, great attitude, tons of energy.
And in her previous roles with Penn-Mar she continually exemplified her commitment to the people we support.
Kelly’s dedication to her team members is truly remarkable. She is a caring mentor who makes it clear, “If you are willing to work with me, we will achieve something really good together.”
She helps the Career Ladders participants learn how to weave Penn-Mar’s core values and standards of excellence through the credentialling process to find practical, positive ways to make them come to life for the people they are supporting.
Everything in credentialling is about outcomes. Kelly doesn’t gauge the program’s success by the number of people who obtain their certification but rather on how the participants have grown professionally and the impact this training has on the lives of the people we support. That’s what gets her excited.
Since the Career Ladders program was first launched at Penn-Mar in 2016, 117 DSPs have gone on to receive their credentials and, with Kelly’s help, 90 more are currently working their way through the process.
Penn-Mar is clearly established as a national leader in credentialing. And while it’s not hard for organizations to understand the value of credentialling, it is challenging for them to understand how to make the process successful.
Kelly has generously shared her knowledge to help other organizations develop their own credentialling process based on Penn-Mar successes. She does this through participation in our Consulting Group programs, by speaking at national conferences and engaging in literally hundreds of one-on-one conversations.
Kelly is a genuine industry influencer, fully immersed in the Career Ladders program.
Many provider organizations who have tapped into Kelly’s extraordinary expertise credit her with helping them streamline their own programs.
Her passion for the credentialling program also caught the attention of the NADSP, the national organization behind the Career Ladders E-Badge Academy and Certification program that provides DSPs with national recognition for their contributions and competence. They have selected Kelly as one of their reviewers for credentialling submissions nationwide.
I think of Kelly as a specialized teacher but also as a lifelong learner. In addition to her work with the Career Ladders program, she also conducts Person-Centered Initiative (PCI) training for our team members.
To her credit, she doesn’t ever think she has all the answers. But she continues to evolve as she sees and experiences new things that she can put into practice for the betterment of Penn-Mar, our team members and the people we support.
Kelly is truly a key impact player in our organization, and we are so very fortunate to have her on our team.