Board of Directors
Judy Schelle, President
Jean Schultz, Vice President
Dave Miller, Secretary
Rinaldo Esposito, DC., Treasurer
Nancy Blanchard
Terri Easterly
Lisa McCoy
Michael D. Ostrander
Katherine Preston
Executive Director
Shaloni Winston
(518) 775-5383
shaloni@lexcenter.org
Deputy Executive Director
Dan Richardson
(518) 775-5339
richard@lexcenter.org
Our Mission
Lexington's mission is to provide the best possible supports to children and adults with disabilities and their families, to be the best possible employer for its employees and to contribute to the community.
What We Do
Lexington provides services and supports in Fulton and Albany Counties to approximately 1,000 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, mental illness, cerebral palsy, physical disabilities, epilepsy and traumatic brain injuries. Lexington's person-first approach puts the emphasis on each person's needs, wants and desires rather than their disability. From how we structure program activities to the language we use at our agency, we are committed to fostering an environment where the people we support are not only respected and valued, but also play an integral role in Lexington's day-to-day operations. Lexington continues to expand and diversify while remaining deeply committed to its core values and mission of excellence – making Lexington a great place for people with disabilities and for our employees.
Lexington is an innovative agency that constantly monitors the services we provide to find gaps or areas in need of improvement. It is through this careful evaluation process that we are able to enhance existing programs and develop new ones to best meet the needs of the individuals we support. In the past two years, Lexington has implemented two such programs:
The Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts provides classes, entertainment, exhibitions, special events and a creative education resource for people of all ages and abilities. It is committed to offering accessible art programs for adults and children with developmental and physical differences. The arts center is the home base of Lexington’s world-famous rock band, Flame, a group of musicians who refuse to let their disabilities be a barrier to success. Flame performs more than 70 times per year, touring the country in a custom bus. Flame has been featured on several television shows, including Good Morning America, and in publications such as People magazine. They have performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the House of Blues in Cleveland, Ohio; New York’s Apollo Theater; Harvard Law School; the Parthenon in Athens, Greece; and the 2009 Special Olympics. Lead singer Michelle King even sang at the funeral of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics.
Transitions is a program that prepares teens and young adults with autism and learning differences for college, careers and life. This demographic often needs extra preparation before they can live independently and achieve success in higher education and careers. To address that need, Transitions developed a curriculum crafted from evidence-based programs and grounded in internationally recognized approaches that will set students on the path toward success. The Transitions curriculum and learning environments are specially tailored to give all students equal opportunities to learn and thrive.
In June of 2013, Lexington proudly received the prestigious four-year CQL Person-Centered Excellence Accreditation from The Council on Quality and Leadership. This award confirmed that we share CQL’s vision for person-centered solutions to improve the quality of life for people receiving supports and services.
The Albany Times Union selected Lexington as one of its Top Workplaces two years in a row. In fact, in 2014, we were named the #1 Large Workplace in the Capital Region! The Top Workplaces are determined solely on employee feedback gathered by WorkplaceDynamics, LLP, a leading organizational health and employee engagement research firm.
In 2017, we were named one of the 24 top large workplaces in all of New York State by The Best Companies to Work for in New York State, a distinctive program that evaluates and ranks the best places of employment based on employee satisfaction and engagement, as well as workplace practices and policies.
As Fulton County’s largest employer, Lexington employs nearly 1,700 people and has an $82,000,000 operating budget of which 94% is funded with federal, state and private funds. We have always been committed to our community and business partners. For years we have offered our neighbors dedicated assistance in manufacturing, production and packaging. We also purchase goods and services from hundreds of local businesses and provide a commitment of resources that allows us to be a good corporate neighbor. As an agency, we have supported our self-advocates and employees in volunteering and raising thousands of dollars annually for a broad range of organizations in our communities. We are honored to share our resources and support to make our community stronger.
Lexington is a chapter of The Arc New York and a member of The Arc.