Arc of Indian River County welcomes new managers

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Arc of Indian River County is pleased to announce the addition of Elizabeth McDonald, BCBA as Behavior Analyst, and Lori Isaac as Community Development Director to the management team.

Elizabeth McDonald comes to the organization from Alabama, where at 12-years-old she started working with special needs high school students at summer camp. That is when she made her career choice to work with special needs individuals. McDonald has her M.Ed in Special Education with an emphasis in Behavior Disorders.

After teaching in various private, hospital, and public school settings for several years in Missouri while she and her husband raised their three children, McDonald joined the team at the Arc of Jefferson County, Ala. During her tenure at the Arc, she obtained Board Certification as a Behavior Analyst.

“Although I prefer to work for not-for-profit agencies, I was lured to the private for-profit sector by money and worked for a Florida company delivering in-home ABA services. When I found out that The Arc of Indian River County had such a good reputation, I sent the executive director a copy of my resume and now I am in my dream job,” said McDonald.

Lori Isaac has a strong background serving the special needs community having taught Special Education at both public and private schools in Pennsylvania and Colorado, prior to becoming the parent and advocate of a special young man. Justin, one of Isaac’s triplets, was born with Down Syndrome as well as a rare lung disease called pulmonary hypertension.

In addition to teaching special education, Isaac has also always been actively involved in her community and has worked tirelessly, often along with Justin and his adoring sisters, raising money and awareness for many non-profit charities.

Her concern about the lack of services for students and adults with special needs in Vero Beach, translated into putting her passion for this population to work for The Arc of IRC.

“Justin is a senior at VBHS [Vero Beach High School], and while that is an exciting time for his peers, it is a scary time for disabled graduates and their families, because the harsh reality of what the future holds for them looms only months away,” said Isaac.

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