Please join us in congratulating Elizabeth McPartland, President and CEO, on her 25th anniversary at Child and Family Services (C+FS). Elizabeth has held multiple positions in different departments throughout her 25 years of service, allowing her to grow professionally and personally without leaving the organization.
Elizabeth started her C+FS journey in June 1999 as a Behavior Specialist in the Foster Care and Adoption Program. Her interest in foster care began while working on the children’s unit at Bry-Lin Hospital. Many children residing there had no place to go due to a lack of appropriate foster homes. Shortly after joining C+FS, she was reunited with a child who recognized her from Bry-Lin. He told his parents, “That’s the lady who was really nice to me.”
After working in the Foster Care and Adoption Program for over four years, several life changes led Elizabeth to shift to part-time work.
“During this time, I realized my skillset was more analytical and managerial, as opposed to doing direct counseling with clients,” explained Elizabeth. “I decided to pursue my MBA to join the operational side of the organization.”
When former C+FS President and CEO Francisco Vasquez arrived, he restructured the Agency, and appointed Elizabeth to oversee programming, recognizing her understanding of both operations and the business side of the Agency. Upon Francisco’s retirement, Elizabeth was promoted to President and CEO.
“It’s very exciting to see how far the Agency has come in 25 years,” emphasized Elizabeth. “The evolution has been fun to witness and I’m fortunate to have seen it from many different perspectives.”
One of Elizabeth’s favorite memories working at C+FS was the big snowstorm in the Fall of 2000. Staff members were snowed in and had to spend the night at the Agency. The team ended up trekking to the store to purchase snacks and spent the night playing games together – an experience that cultivated lasting camaraderie.
When asked what has kept Elizabeth working here for 25 years, her answer is the people. “Everyone who works here wants to do good for the community,” stated Elizabeth. “It’s a team effort – we’re all working together to make things happen.”
“Elizabeth is always with everyone,” said Kara Oliver-Perez, C+FS Board Member. “She’s personable, transparent, hardworking, diligent, thoughtful and she thinks about what’s best for people. It’s not an easy job, but she does it with grace and she extends that same grace to others. People want to come and work for a person like her because they know they’ll be supported and heard.”
Congratulations Elizabeth on reaching this incredible milestone!