If you look closely at Dean Cooper's table every week,you'll likely note the quiet presence of Greg Cassidy. A club member since the summer of 2012, Greg was born and raised in Pekin attending local schools. Upon graduating from PCHS in 1989, he went on to study History, English and Psychology at
Bradley. As Greg describes it, they were "all the things you can't get a job at." Upon completion of his studies, he took a position at PARC which stood for the Peoria Association of Retarded Citizens- a title that understandably evolved solely into it's acronym.
He started in the area of direct care, working one-on-one with a young man with autism. It was in that effort that he found himself drawn toward working with those with special needs. Soon he was supervising a Group Home, and from there, the oversight of several homes. His role was to oversee the collective Family Services Department which provided respite, case management, and clinical support services for families who kept their adult special needs children at home.
When Greg's grandfather, who had lived in Quincy passed away, he and his wife decided to relocate there and test the waters of career change. From 1999-2000 he worked for Prudential in the area of financial services. But the lure of Pekin was strong and they returned home where Greg would recommit to his true passion. Taking a position at Children's Home, he trained staff on providing consistency and proper intervention with the most angry and crisis prone of those they served. November 2004 saw him help build the Association for Developmentally Disabled for Woodford County (ADDWC) in Eureka. In 2011, a professional colleague brought Greg to TCRC where he now oversees all 27 of their programs, 150-60 staff members, and 300 individuals that they serve daily.
It was also at this time that he earned his Masters Degree in Rehabilitation Administration from Southern Illinois University.
Jeff Livengood recruited Greg for Rotary where, while not proven, he likely misguided him in his seating choice. When asked what he enjoys about Rotary, he told me that he enjoys more than just the fellowship. "I like laughing with Dean and the group at his table", he said. "I also love the group projects. I have given my life to serving others and Rotary is a personal and professional extension of that. It's a good fit."
The father of two teenage girls who are not yet driving, he says his life is currently dominated by "musicals, madrigals and basketball. Then it's rinse and repeat."
The sweet discoveries of raising adolescent children! Maybe that's why he has found the most suitable seat at Pekin Rotary- right near our Sergeant of Arms.
Thanks for becoming a Rotarian Greg, and for making a difference. We all look forward to enjoying a long tenure here.
Gary Gillis
