Ulti-Pro

'A Year In The Life' of
The Arc of Alachua County’s Day Program


To learn more about our Day Program, contact Cloretta Daniels at cdaniels@arcalachua.org.


‘State of The Arc’ Report for October 1 - October 31, 2025

State of The Arc

COVID Levels & Day Program Opening Status:

The Arc can report that there are no employees or clients currently testing positive for COVID. A few Arc clients and employees are battling illnesses characterized by COVID-like symptoms: no taste, fever, chills, fatigue, etc. These clients and employees, however, are not testing positive for COVID. Arc Leadership will keep an eye on this situation. The Arc continues to have success battling COVID among its clients and employees. Members of The Arc's Safety & Supervision Committee kept Day Program open over the past month, and will keep Day Program open next month from November 1 - November 30, 2025.

Mission-Critical Vacancies & Other Job Openings:

The Arc's aggressive efforts recruiting DSPs has resulted in our DSP vacancies being reduced to 17, down significantly from the high of 75 in July 2022. In addition, our efforts to recruit Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) also reaped great results as two (2) BCBAs were hired within the past 90 days.

The lead copy on The Arc's website reflects the need for candidates to fill vacancies in the following mission-critical positions: DSPs and Maintenance Specialists. Weekly social media messaging on the need for qualified people to fill these positions goes out on all Arc social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

The Arc began another New Employee Training session on Monday, October 20, 2025 with approximately sixteen (16) new DSPs in the class.

Service Capacity:

The Arc continues to add new clients to its group homes and Day Program. Members of both the Safety & Supervision Committee and Transitions Committee continue to work closely with Arc Leadership to identify potential new clients for our residential vacancies.

The Arc is working to increase the daily Day Program attendance to 125.


ATTENTION!

The Arc of Alachua County urgently needs the following positions filled:

  • Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA or BCaBA)
  • Behavior Techs
  • Maintenance Specialist

Apply Now!

Contact Anthony Bowman in The Arc's HR Department at abowman@arcalachua.org or at 352-334-4060 ext. 114


To view all open positions at The Arc of Alachua County,
click the Orange 'Apply Now' button below:

Apply Now »
The Arc is Hiring

If you have more questions or want more details on positions available at The Arc of Alachua County, please contact Anthony Bowman, at 352-334-4060 ext. 114 or at abowman@arcalachua.org.


The Arc of Alachua County celebrates 59 years of exemplary service to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities at a beautiful Annual Meeting



The Arc celebrated this past year's highlights at its October 29th annual meeting at The Village. Many people are responsible for another fabulous event: A very special "Thank You" goes out to Nehyssa Turenne, daughter of Arc Employee Judith Carasco, who danced beautifully for our guests. Kudos to Arc Board President Pat Beach for emceeing the recognition portion of the event. It was her first try headlining the event and she was superb! Thanks go out to Arc President/CEO Mark A. Swain for his passionate remarks during the event as he talked about the future of advocacy on the behalf of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and and to The Arc of Florida CEO Summer Pfeiffer for speaking on the incredible achievements wrought by The Arc of Florida and its Leadership in the last 30 years.

Many notable people were recognized for their achievements over the past year. Pat Beach & Mark Johnson introduced the winners of the Spence-Rothrock Volunteer of the Year Award: Tom & Joan Rothrock. Tom and Joan were taken completely by surprise as we announced an annual gift from Infotech that is being used to capitalize a consumer support fund named in memory of their daughter, Ericka. We thanked our incredibly talented and courageous Arc of Alachua County board members who have navigated this Arc through many challenging times and have never shirked their responsibilities to support our employees and leadership with everything they need to thrive. "Thank You" to our wonderful board members: Mary Wimsett, Peter McNiece, Dr. Bill Williams, Dr. Tim Garvey, Dr. Charlie Williams, Tom Rothrock, Eric Parker, Ben Doerr, Naomi Williams, Lynda Knight, Pat Beach and Adele Elchert.

A huge shout-out to our Event Sponsors & Table and Individual Award Sponsors for making last night's event possible: Ben E. Keith Co., The Chini Family, Tom & Joan Rothrock, Renasant Bank, Assured Partners, Naomi Williams, James Moore Co., Mary K. Wimsett, Ben & Bonnie Doerr, Pat Beach, Digestive Disease Associates and Jaclyn Trenteseaux.

Congratulations go out to our Individual Award Winners who, showing true top notch performances during a challenging year, demonstrated 'why' they are the best:

Client of the Year

  • Scotty Vona


Co-Employees of the Year

  • Tamela Slocum
  • Nyikerra Wilder
  • Brionna Alexander
  • Delana Vaughan
  • Felesia Oliver
  • Hermeyawn Jones
  • Jessica Wimberly
  • Joanne Chandler
  • Katreece Graham
  • Myeisha Taylor
  • Stacie Drago
  • Yolanda Debose
  • Liat Maayan


Co-Employees of the Year

  • Tamela Slocum
  • Nyikerra Wilder
  • Brionna Alexander
  • Delana Vaughan
  • Felesia Oliver
  • Hermeyawn Jones
  • Jessica Wimberly
  • Joanne Chandler
  • Katreece Graham
  • Myeisha Taylor
  • Stacie Drago
  • Yolanda Debose
  • Liat Maayan


Length of Service Honorees

  • Patricia Williams - 5 years
  • Develyn Smith - 5 years
  • Elvis DeLeon - 5 years
  • Brianna Johnson - 5 years
  • Jennifer Starling - 10 years
  • Natasha Santiago - 10 years
  • Michael J. Brown - 10 years
  • Tameka McBride - 15 years
  • Nadine Cummings - 15 years
  • Nicole McMillan - 15 years
  • Yashika Cohen - 20 years
  • Mary Watson - 20 years



A huge "Thanks" to the leadership & staff at The Tower Club at The Village. We thank The Village's Matthew Peters and the incredibly skillful servers for helping me coordinate last night's event. I continue to receive nothing but compliments on the quality (and size) of the meal portions and on the beauty of the venue.

As always, a big "Thank You" to Jennifer Starling ('Lady J'), who is my 'partner-in-crime' and always volunteers for the event as she handles the Check In Table and helps me distribute Annual Reports at the end.

Finally, to the Arc employees and clients who attended the event with our donors, board members, families and community leaders, I say "Thank You." You are the reason we hold this event. You are the reason The Arc has been around for 59 years, making great memories for our loved ones.

The Arc looks forward to the 2026 Arc Annual Meeting & Recognition Event in October of 2026 as we celebrate our Diamond Anniversary of 60 years.


The 27th Annual Bob Rose Golf Scramble SOLD OUT and Was a Huge Success!


It was a hugely successful 27th Annual Bob Rose Golf Scramble on Friday, April 4th. We were once again blessed with perfect weather, bright sunshine, warm temperatures and cloudless blue skies. I always know that if we get great weather we will have a ‘perfect’ event because of our awesome golfers, donors, sponsors, volunteers, vendors and friends.

The Arc thanks everyone who was involved with the scramble for contributing to an event that was flawless. Big ‘shout outs’ go out to specific people and groups for their assistance, including:

  • Bob Rose for hosting the event again and for always heeding The Arc’s call when asked to appear, to speak or to take photos with golfers
  • Our premier sponsor Audacy/SKY Radio 97.3 FM for their unconditional love of The Arc and this event for 27 years
  • Evan, Tyler and the able professionals at Hawkstone who help me put on this great fundraiser and who ensure that the course, the clubhouse and the services are nonpareil
  • Laura and Matt at Renaissance Printing who produced their usual fabulous signage
  • Adele Elchert who spoke after the event on just how important this event - and the people who support it - are to her and all of the clients at The Arc
  • To our volunteers, The Arc says “Thanks!” The Bob Rose Golf Scramble is the best-run fundraiser in town because we have dedicated volunteers
  • Carol Graham for taking photos on the 8th Hole of all of our golfers with Bob Rose
  • Johnny Adams, Wade Splonskowski, Katherine Bedoya from UF, and The Arc's Gone4Ever Shredding Crew for assisting with set-up and take-down
  • James Moore’s Julie Kniseley for assisting me with trouble-shooting on the things I screwed up
  • We thank our speakers, Mark A. Swain, Cathy Costello, Bob Rose and Adele Elchert, for putting into words just how vital this event is to The Arc, her clients and her mission
  • Thanks to David’s BBQ and Fresh Kitchen for catering, Tri-Eagle Sales for the beer, and PepsiCo for the soda to keep the golfers refreshed
  • We thank Adele, John H., Chris L, Chris B., David R. and Bess T. from The Arc who greeted our golfers and escorted them to the various pre-event stations
  • Thanks to all of our golfers who come out to play in the Bob Rose...see you in 2026?

To all our event and hole sponsors who provide financial support, golfers, food and drink, volunteers and incredibly generous goodwill, The Arc thanks you:

  • Audacy/WSKY Radio 97.3 FM
  • Assured Partners
  • Ben E. Keith
  • James Moore & Co.
  • Southeast Cars
  • Heather Swanson, Realtor, Broker-Associate - Campus to Coast Realty
  • Renasant Bank
  • Power Washing Services by Paul
  • David's BBQ
  • Mr. October DJ Michael Davis
  • RadWear Design
  • Renaissance Printing
  • Rhonda & Norman Lier - Brett/Robinson Phoenix VII, Orange Beach, AL
  • Hawkstone Golf & Country Club
  • Original American Kitchen (The OAK)
  • GovMVMT
  • AMPED Electric
  • Tri-Eagle Sales
  • Fresh Kitchen
  • Gainesville Harley-Davidson
  • Ride Home Realty


Sponsorships to the event, and tickets can be purchased from Mark Johnson at The Arc at mjohnson@arcalachua.org or 352-246-3516.




Learn More »

Santa Fe College Police Department, Gainesville Health & Fitness Center and First United Methodist Church partner with The Arc on a HOT Gear Up Florida/The Ability Experience Friendship Visit

Bicyclists representing Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at colleges and universities throughout the U.S. rolled onto The Arc's main campus as part of the 2025 Gear Up Florida/Ability Experience Friendship Visit on May 20th. This 'client-favorite' event brings together Arc clients, employees, visitors and community VIPs for a day of food, fellowship and fun. The Gainesville stop was just one of many for these bicyclists who bike nearly 1,000 miles from Miami to Tallahassee in the month of May to help raise money and awareness for people with developmental disabilities.

This year's visit included a police escort by Santa Fe College's Police Department, a photo shoot, a client autograph session, a luncheon catered by David’s BBQ, and a dance led by Mr. October DJ, Michael Davis.

After leaving The Arc, bicyclists enjoyed an afternoon of swimming and relaxation at the gorgeous Gainesville Health & Fitness Center, dinner from Satchel’s Pizza, and bedding down at First United Methodist Church. The bikers headed off early the next morning for their next stop - Jacksonville.

The Arc of Alachua County thanks all of our vendors, sponsors, clients, employees, and bicyclists representing Gear Up Florida/The Ability Experience for a fabulous event.

We look forward to seeing you all in May 2026!


The Arc of Alachua County's Shredding Drop Off Service Available on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Gone4ever Shredding

NAID Certifiation

ATTENTION: The Arc of Alachua County offers shredding drop off service two (2) days per week: Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Alachua County residents can drop off their shredding at our main campus across from Santa Fe College on any Monday or Wednesday of the week from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. This expanded drop off service will be offered each week on Monday and Wednesday only from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Arc's main campus at 3303 NW 83rd St.

The fee for shredding will remain $0.32/lb. Residents are reminded, however, that we no longer offer 'Free Shred Wednesdays' on any Wednesday of the month. The Arc also asks that visitors who bring their shredding into The Arc on a Monday or a Wednesday to park in one of the VISITOR spots at the front of the building and to walk into the front lobby where they can ask for assistance from a member of our Gone4Ever (G4E) shredding crew. Do not, under any circumstances, drive to the back of our campus with your shredding without communicating to the people in our front lobby of your intention to drop off your shredding!

ALERT: The Arc asks for the cooperation of all residents dropping off their paper for shredding on Mondays & Wednesdays to remove all non-paper material. The Arc's Gone4Ever (G4E) Shredding Program has seen an abundance of non-paper material in the boxes, bags and containers people are using to transport their papers. Over the past few weeks, our shred team has seen hand lotion, shoes, sweaters, shirts, diapers, electronic devices and other 'non-paper' material in containers, bags and boxes that are supposed to contain paper only. Please remember that our drop off shredding service on Mondays & Wednesdays is for PAPER ONLY! Leave all other non-paper material at home, or find another vendor to handle it.


2023 Arc Annual Meeting & Recognition Event Returns to The Village on Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Please SAVE THE DATE for the 2023 Arc Annual Meeting. This year’s annual event will take place on Tuesday evening, October 24, 2023 from 6 - 8 p.m. in the Rion Auditorium at The Village Retirement Community.

This exciting event will celebrate The Arc’s 57th year of service to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, bring together clients, employees, donors and boards members for a scrumptious Fl dinner, and recognize clients, employees and volunteers for great achievements over the past year.

More details on tickets and sponsorships will be forthcoming in the days and weeks ahead as we inch closer to the October 24th date.

The Arc Annual Meeting

Event Page »

A message from Arc President/CEO Mark A. Swain on the Pandemic

During this COVID-19 Pandemic, The Arc of Alachua County has as its top priority maintaining the health and safety of our clients, employees, families and friends. I know that it can be challenging and frustrating reconciling adherence to the proper mitigation strategies with communication with your loved ones. Please know that The Arc is working overtime keeping all members of our family safe and well during this difficult time. I pledge to you that we will get through this pandemic together as long as we stay united, and treat each other with dignity and respect.


The Arc’s Partners from Audacy/WSKY Radio 97.3 FM join Arc Clients and Employees in Beautifying The Arc Garden in Celebration of Earth Day 2025


Leaders from Audacy/WSKY Radio 97.3 FM, along with Arc clients and leaders, celebrated Earth Day 2025 by beautifying The Arc's Garden at the main campus.

The volunteers were joined by Arc clients and The Arc's Day Program Staffer Bryant Williams to weed, clear, and plant flowers in The Arc's outside courtyard.

This Earth Day 2025 Project is the fifth consecutive year that The Arc and our great friends at Audacy have collaborated on a service project beautifying the grounds for our clients and employees. Thank you, Audacy Friends!


The Arc on The Air

Hear our latest radio spot featuring CEO/President Mark Swain.


LiveScan - The Arc of Alachua County's Digital Fingerprinting, Screening & Photo Capture Service - has Resumed Services on a Limited, Appointment-Only Basis



LiveScan provides fingerprinting, screening and photo capture services by appointment only at our main campus, 3303 NW 83rd St. (across from Santa Fe College), every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

LiveScan appointments can be scheduled at either 10 a.m. or 1 p.m.

LiveScan does not accept walk-ins at this time.

Each LiveScan guest will be greeted by The Arc receptionist. Upon entering the lobby, he or she will tell our receptionist at the main desk that he/she is here for his/her LiveScan fingerprinting. The LiveScan guest will then be seated in our front lobby until The Arc's LiveScan staff member escorts him/her into the building and to his/her appointment.

LiveScan fingerprints are done quickly, locally and reasonably, so please call The Arc’s Front Desk at 352-334-4060 ext. 100 to schedule yours.

LiveScan information is easy to find, just click the LEARN MORE button below.

Learn More »

Celebrating Ability... Creating Opportunity


Mission

The Arc of Alachua County is a community based organization committed to providing a continuum of exemplary services, supports, and advocacy to assure that people with developmental disabilities can enjoy respect and dignity and be full participants in the community.

Who Is The Arc?

The Arc of Alachua County is a community based organization committed to providing a continuum of exemplary services, supports, and advocacy to assure that people with developmental disabilities can enjoy respect and dignity and be full participants in the community.

Who Is The Arc

The Arc has a rich history spanning 60 years and marked by accomplishment. We continue to carry out the mission and vision of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as their parents and siblings.

Over the last 60 years, The Arc has grown and adapted to the changes that people with disabilities face across their life span. Through the decades, The Arc has seen several name changes, advocated for the passage of state and federal legislation on behalf of people with disabilities and established a broad network of state and local chapters that range from small voluntary groups to large, professional organizations.

Although much has changed for those that we serve, we always try to raise awareness, supporters, and always help improve the lives of the intellectually and developmentally disabled.

Take A Look At Us

I am sure it is no surprise to you, but people always want to know what we have been up to around The Arc and at our events. Our followers on facebook get to see quite a few or our pictures, but the rest of you are left in the dark.

Well even though everyone should be our fans on facebook, we still decided to put up a gallery of images to show some of the highlights from the major events we have had this year.

Every year we hold several events we consider picture worthy. But dont worry, you will probably see some other, "non event" pictures sneak in as well. If you have a good picture you would like to share, stop by The Arc and let us scan it and share it as well.

We hope to keep the new gallery up to date throughout the year, so check back and enjoy.

See Photo Gallery »

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