Promises students, “all of the care and opportunities they deserve”
information provided by Elim Christian Services
The Vice President of Program is responsible for the support and encouragement of Elim’s program leaders for Adult Services, Learning Program, and School. Together, they work to promote programmatic standards and create an organization-wide culture of best practices. While facilitating communication among all of Elim’s program areas, the Vice President of Program will lead in alignment with Elim’s strategic vision, mission, and core values. At its heart, the Vice President of Program position is about equipping people with disabilities and the communities that support them to reach their full potential.
Dr. Scott-Thompson has been in the field of education for the last 19 years. She has taught, coached, and served as assistant principal and principal for grade levels kindergarten through 12th. Additionally, she has been a coordinator and assistant director in higher education. Scott-Thompson has maintained her roots in the Chicagoland area, and she values the communities she has been blessed to be part of.
Over the past ten years, Dr. Scott-Thompson has held leadership positions that provided a platform for her to create strategic plans, revitalize programming, and galvanize faculty and staff. Some of her notable achievements include creating a transition plan for faculty, staff, and students starting at a Chicago high school; implementing S.T.E.M. educational programming; and increasing enrollment by 30% in a newly opened middle school.
Dr. Bill Lodewyk, Elim President, speaks on behalf of Elim’s leadership team, saying, “We are very excited to have Dr. Vanessa Scott-Thompson joining Elim as Vice President of Program. Dr. Scott-Thompson comes to Elim with a passion to service, and a proven track record of visionary leadership and people building. She has a strong commitment to Elim’s mission and vision, and we are excited to see how God will use her leadership and passion to accomplish His purposes at Elim.”
Dr. Scott-Thompson considers her leadership style as one with an intent to build capacity, build community, and develop strategy. She says, “When you build community, especially while working in education, you really have to have everyone on the same page of the vision and the mission of the organization.”
Dr. Scott-Thompson hopes to build on the foundation that Elim’s prior Vice President of Program, Dr. Sharon Duncan, laid. She plans to use her time to support Elim’s Adult Services, Learning Services, and Educational Services as they continue to grow and move forward.
“I believe that God has led me to this position with Elim,” said Dr. Scott-Thompson. “I realized that my entire career has been working towards this transition and that I am called to do my part in ensuring that people who have different abilities have all of the care and opportunities they deserve.”
About Elim Christian Services
Elim, founded 70 years ago, currently provides community day services to over 220 adults with disabilities as well as educational services to 258 students from dozens of Chicago area school districts. Both nationally and internationally, Elim also provides professional development and consultation services to schools and ministries that seek inclusive opportunities that better support people with disabilities.
