ICI Director Cindy Thomas to Retire this November

Congratulations to Cindy Thomas! On November 1, Cindy will retire from her position as ICI’s director.

Cindy has held many dynamic roles at the ICI and Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) over the past 43 years. After working as a case manager for the Charles River Arc in Needham, MA, Cindy joined the ICI/BCH in 1982 as a rehabilitation counselor. She worked later as program coordinator and employment services coordinator at BCH. For many years, Cindy served as our director of employment services, training, and technical assistance before stepping up as ICI’s associate director in 2015. In 2019, she accepted the role as ICI’s director and has led our staff passionately and strategically for six years.

Cindy has achieved a variety of exceptional accomplishments in her lifetime, including serving as Principal Investigator for the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities core grant, which drives the ICI’s foundational work. In her various roles over the years, Cindy has led significant, multi-year, state and national projects, including the Innovative Rehabilitation Training on Vocational Rehabilitation Services to Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities; the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Advancing Employment for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; the Minnesota Transformation Initiative; and the Massachusetts Employment First Capacity-Building Initiative, which was established over a decade ago in 2013. Notably, Cindy also guided the ICI’s distributed workforce as director through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among her accolades, Cindy’s warm and steadfast mentorship was unmatched. Former colleague and friend Lara Enein shared:

“Cindy has been a mentor and leader for me since I entered the field of employment services over 30 years ago. She has been at the table and advocating for individuals in Massachusetts and nationally her entire career…. She will be greatly missed by myself and all who have had the opportunity to work and walk alongside her.”

Dr. John Butterworth, former and long-time ICI colleague and friend, spoke of Cindy’s admirable flexibility and collaborative leadership qualities:

“Cindy is a connector and a bridge builder. She has been a steadfast advocate for keeping the commitment to better lives and for bringing our employment supports, research, and policy together.”

Cindy’s work has and will continue to have a lasting impact on lives of people with disabilities and their families as well as on her colleagues, mentees, and friends. She has committed decades of advocacy and leadership to the field of developmental disabilities and especially to advancing the rights of people with disabilities through Employment First initiatives. Her passion for justice has always been clear in her work.

Former ICI Director William Kiernan, spoke of Cindy’s tireless dedication:

“Cindy is a dedicated professional and leader who is committed to creating a full and inclusive environment for all people with disabilities. Her strong interest and emphasis in assuring that people with disabilities enter and succeed in the workforce set the tone for her strong support in building the employment services focus at the ICI. As a tenacious advocate for equality of opportunity for all, Cindy brought a commitment for people with disabilities to live full and included lives.”

David Hoff, Cindy’s long-time colleague, also admired Cindy’s commitment to her work and to her colleagues and staff:

“One of the things I admire in Cindy is her ability to treat people as individuals, see their strengths, and guide them to make best use of their talents and abilities. I have so appreciated her confidence and trust in me, to take on different roles and various leadership positions. I, along with many others, owe much of our professional success to Cindy’s support and guidance. Over her career, she has been a major force in making ICI a preeminent nationally and internationally recognized organization. Driving all her work has been a strong values base: a fundamental belief in disability rights and the full inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of society, with opportunities for full and rich lives not only to the betterment of individuals with disabilities, but to our communities and society as a whole.”

Congratulations, Cindy Thomas!