D-CAN and the DRC welcomes our first Executive Director, Patrick O’Rourke!

 
We are so pleased to announce the arrival of Patrick O’Rourke as our founding D-CAN/DRC Executive Director. Besides setting up new living quarters with his wife Terry, he has very quickly caught on to our Dementia Resource Center (DRC) operations working with Tami and me and calling the other D-CAN Board members. We will be reviewing and updating our strategic plan soon with Board and Community Advisory Council input and working on the 6 major objectives outlined in our MN Board on Aging 2022 Dementia Grant.
 
Here is his message in response to our welcome:
As the new Founding Executive Director of Central Minnesota Dementia Community Action Network and our Dementia Resource Center in St. Cloud, I am honored and blessed to serve D-CAN’s Mission: “Improving access to quality dementia care in our community.” It is D-CAN’s mission, my heartfelt connection to the good works of D-CAN and DRC, and our organizational commitment to practice (and continually strive towards) excellence in all areas of the D-CAN organization, that make this a pinnacle of opportunity for me to provide leadership service and excellence in my executive management responsibilities at D-CAN. I can also see, and very much appreciate, the tremendous goodwill and spirit of volunteer commitment and philanthropy that have earned D-CAN the enviable position of having such a well-rounded and diverse board of directors, staff, volunteers, and large community of support throughout Central Minnesota. I want to thank each of you for your service, generosity of time, talent, expertise, and money. D-CAN & DRC cannot function without your continued generosity and support, and I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart. Feel free to stop by and visit or call me directly at 320-640-6696 so we can arrange to meet. In the interim, have a wonderful holiday season and very Happy New Year!
 
Patrick O’Rourke, M.P.A./C.F.R.M. (Master of Public Affairs-Nonprofit Management specialty & Certificate of Fund-Raising Management) Founding Executive Director