Her experience will enhance employer – individual relationships for Employment Services
Berkshire County Arc announced today that Kyle Harvey has been named Senior Employment Manager of Employment Services. She will oversee the three Employment Managers, as well as her own caseload of some 35 individuals employed around the Berkshire County region.
“Kyle has a keen sense for matching the people we serve with appropriate employment situations, and growing the relationships,” said Kenneth W. Singer, BCArc’s president and CEO. “Today we have more than 130 employers who have hired our individuals, and Kyle deserves a lot of credit for identifying and nurturing new partners.”
Kyle started at BCArc in 1984, where she worked as a residential director of homes serving individuals with developmental disabilities. At that time BCArc had no more than 15 homes—today it has more than 40. She left BCArc after 12 years to work at her own business as a costume designer for theater companies.
After six years she returned to BCArc. “I never really left,” she said. “I missed what I was doing. I missed my guys. They had become part of my family. I know family sounds like a strong word, but they are like family. We stay with each other through the good times and bad times.”
Upon her return to BCArc, several of the individuals in her homes were employed, which engaged her in the employment services process, an area of work she found to enjoy. When the opportunity arose, she made the shift to Employment Services (at the time the unit was called Advantage Employment Network).
Today her work includes overseeing the employment trainers, employment specialists, and managers. This includes knowing the employers in the community, understanding the projects and tasks, working directly with area schools for a school-to-work initiative, processing payrolls, and troubleshooting any problems with the jobsites.
She credits her predecessor Wendy Wright for teaching her about patience. “This is a new position, and there have been a lot of changes in the past 10 years. I learned a lot from Wendy, and I hope to project that same calm tone as she did.”
Kyle is part of a six-generation lineage. The family’s original settlement is marked by the current Harvey Mountain, in Austerlitz, N.Y.
