APRENDAMOS Company Retreat 2022 with Debbi Moore and Jim Hogan

by Caroline Zamora, Director of Community Relations & Development

Two weeks ago, we had our annual retreat. Our theme was "Hope is Ahead." The day was wonderful. Our six programs and over 200 talented staff members don't have many opportunities to be in one room together. The energy and conversations were spectacular. We had fun games and lots of door prizes. We also gave a travel voucher to one of our long-time team members.

We heard several excellent speakers, including Debbi Moore, CEO and President of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce. She spoke to us about how to tell our story and the importance of telling our story to families. How telling some parts of our personal experiences can be freeing in some ways for ourselves or someone who is listening.

Storytelling and connecting with the families we serve are essential. Hearing Debbi's story was hugely impactful. She was a joy to connect with and learn from.

Our team also had the privilege of meeting and hearing from Jim Hogan, a proud autistic man. Jim is the Vice President of Accessibility in Technology at Google and is a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Champion. Jim's story was amazing to listen to. He has taken challenging workplace cruelty experiences and turned them into a personal mission to help others and show people the importance and value of kindness.

One of our staff's many lessons from Jim was his overall example as a brilliant autistic man. Our teams work with children who are autistic, who have a disability or other ability, and who are extraordinary children and families. We're blessed to be a part of their journey, and someday, one of them will probably work for Google and change the world, like Jim.