Dawn Witherspoon vividly remembers when she first met Luke*. At the time, he was a shy and withdrawn participant at The League for People with Disabilities, which for nearly a century has improved the lives of people with physical, cognitive, and developmental disabilities through diverse programs that enable them to live independent and full lives. Fast-forward five years, Luke now works as the cashier at Market 1111, The League’s convenience store for participants. Luke thrives in this role, cheerfully greeting customers, staff and even delivery drivers by name.  

“He’s so outgoing! It’s just an amazing thing to witness his transformation and to know that the important work of The League played a part in that,” shares Witherspoon, who serves as the League’s vice president of human resources.

Renée Dash, chief operating officer, also finds The League’s work to be deeply rewarding and inspiring. Dash left a decade-long healthcare analytics career in search of purpose and found it at The League.

“I leave each day feeling I’ve done something that matters,” she said. “Every time I walk into this building and ask our participants how they’re doing, they say, ‘I’m great, I’m blessed.’ They inspire me, because they may have cause to feel down, yet they always lead with positivity. Their attitude resets me every day: if they can show up in a pleasant and optimistic mood, ready to take on the challenges of the day, then I should be able to do the same. Their example is a truly a gift to me.”

Driven by their genuine commitment to the people they serve, Witherspoon and Dash set out to strengthen The League’s communication, expectations, and culture. They looked for leadership development that matched the complexity and heart of their work. They found it at the Dr. Nancy Grasmick Leadership Institute.

Together, Witherspoon and Dash enrolled in programs including Cultivating a Vibrant and Winning Workplace Culture and were immediately struck by how applicable the content was. Dash described it as “real-time information that I can take back to my organization and start putting into effect.” Witherspoon found herself returning again and again to one line from the workshop’s facilitator and the Institute’s Executive Director Erin Moran: “Your culture is only as strong as the worst behavior you allow.”

The sentiment prompted both women to spearhead their organization’s first ever managers’ retreat.

“It was the first time we invested in our managers in this way and the impact was clear: strong engagement, meaningful reflection, and genuine enthusiasm for applying new tools,” shares Dash. “What impressed me most is that the Institute truly listens. Before delivering training to our full management team, Erin Moran met with us, absorbed our feedback, and tailored the session to our specific culture and challenges. That made the content hit home in an authentic and powerful way.”

Witherspoon agrees, adding, “Erin engaged leaders of all levels and backgrounds and made everyone felt seen and included. One of the best outcomes was hearing our managers say how engaged they felt. I wholeheartedly recommend the Dr. Nancy Grasmick Leadership Institute. Their programs don’t just teach leadership; rather they strengthen organizations from the inside out.”

*Name changed to protect identity.