By Jan Stewart
Chair, Kerry’s Place Board of Directors
On behalf of the Kerry’s Place Board of Directors, I am sharing the news that Sue VanDeVelde-Coke has informed the Board of her plans to retire at the end of June, 2026.
I know I speak for the entire Kerry’s Place organization and community in saying that we are truly grateful for Sue’s 9 years of service. As a result of Sue’s leadership, Kerry’s Place has expanded critical services for Autistic children, youth and adults, forged new partnerships, successfully navigated the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and brought an increased focus on the importance of clinical support for our individuals.
Sue brought a collaborative approach to her work and a passionate commitment to continually improving how we support Autistic people and their families. This is evidenced in key achievements including being awarded Exemplary Standing from Accreditation Canada, a first for the organization, and consistently reaching best-in-class ratings for quality assurance from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.
She is serving on the Ontario Agencies Supporting Individuals with Special Needs (OASIS) and Ontario Association of the Developmental Disabilities (OADD) Boards of Directors, and most recently on the Autism Alliance of Canada (AAC), where she advocates for increased supports and funding for Autistic people.
Under Sue’s leadership, Kerry’s Place began an ambitious new 8-year Housing Strategy that charts a course for a 25% expansion in capacity to serve Autistic people with the highest needs. She also transformed the organization from a highly regionalized structure to a unified team that works across the entire footprint, from Waterloo Region to Hastings County and from Simcoe County down to Lake Ontario.
A search process for the next President and CEO has been launched. In the meantime, Sue and the rest of the Kerry’s Place Executive Management Team will continue to lead the organization and ensure the individuals we support continue to receive the high-quality services they’ve come to expect from Kerry’s Place.
Thank you, Sue, for your remarkable tenure of service.