Wayfinder Family Services Appoints Jay Allen as President and Chief Executive Officer

Allen has dedicated more than 20 years to Wayfinder, joining in 2000 as vice president of programs. With more than 30 years of experience in nonprofit and human services leadership, he has a strong vision for Wayfinder’s future. Allen shared three things he would like to accomplish as CEO:

1. I look forward to the day when each of Wayfinder’s clients has equal access to health and well-being, educational success, economic opportunity, and safety and resilience. These four areas are the building blocks of human potential and well-being. The result will be a healthy and equitable society.
2. We are expanding prevention services in the communities we serve. Rather than play catch-up downstream, upstream interventions can avert the need for crisis services. Also, early implementation of our whole-person approach to care will tackle the social drivers of health—the underlying social and physical conditions—that impact the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities.
3. I want to continue to mentor great leaders. Wayfinder’s employees are outstanding, and we train some of the best leaders in the social services sector. While we hope that they all stay at Wayfinder, many of our former employees are now in charge of programs and organizations throughout the state, leading change and continuing Wayfinder’s impact.

Prior to joining Wayfinder, Allen was executive director of ResCare California, which serves children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in more than 30 sites throughout Northern California. Also, he led a division of programs serving individuals with developmental disabilities at the Fernald Center in Massachusetts.

Allen, who has a bachelor’s degree in business management from Lesley University and a master’s in health care administration from Framingham State University, received the Massachusetts Governor’s Pride in Performance Award to recognize his participation in the development of an innovative program model for service to people with disabilities. He is a prominent speaker and trainer on topics including effective leadership, increasing influence, successful partnerships and mergers, innovative communications and superior quality management. In addition, he is a successful public-policy advocate and recently chaired the California Agencies for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

About Wayfinder Family Services

Formerly known as Junior Blind, Wayfinder Family Services is the place to turn for people facing the greatest challenges. The organization provides expert, individualized support and services to children, youth, adults and families—from people with vision loss and developmental disabilities to children in need of temporary shelter, foster care and adoption. In addition, he is a successful public-policy advocate and was a longtime chair of the California Agencies for the Blind and Visually Impaired. 

SOURCE Wayfinder Family Services