TARC Executive Director Mary Lynn Bisland wins State Leadership Award for adults with disabilities

Last week, TARC Executive Director Mary Lynn Bisland was honored with the Bernard R. Wagner Leadership Award for her outstanding leadership, courage, and dedicated contributions to the field of intellectual and related developmental disabilities at the American Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Annual Conference in Alexandria, Louisiana. 

Below is an excerpt from her Nomination:

Inventing fresh and innovative ideas for an organization in its 62nd-year history, TARC Executive Director Mary Lynn Bisland continues to blaze new trails for people with I/DD at Terrebonne ARC (TARC). With Mary Lynn’s charm, professional style, and eternal passion for people with I/DD, TARC has created historic and meaningful opportunities for all persons served and has advanced the I/DD community tenfold since she took the lead at Terrebonne Arc.

With 50 years of experience in intellectual and developmental disabilities, Mary Lynn has helped so many people both personally and professionally.  She understands that leading by example is the model to achieve the best practices with persistence, good work ethics, and staying focused on achieving short and long-term goals.

PLANTING THE SEED

Countless times, staff regularly sees Mary Lynn as a “gardener.”  She helps people and staff think differently, achieve goals they might have thought were impossible, and “plants the seed” to foster new skills that they thought they would never possess.   She demonstrates this through her own leadership and interpersonal skills.  She is truly one-of-a-kind.  

SERVITUDE

Mary Lynn is well known to serve in any capacity, on any level, in any population, and she does so with results and a full heart.  Outside of TARC, she speaks at area organizations to lift morale and give our community insight into the world of I/DD and TARC.  In addition, she participates on the The Arc of Louisiana Leadership teams and advocates on numerous pilot programs and committees to better services for people with I/DD locally and throughout the state.

ACCOLADES 

Before becoming TARC’s Executive Director in May 2007, Mary Lynn had been affiliated with TARC since 1984, first as a Special Education Teacher and then as a TARC Director beginning in 1992.  She is also an involved community advocate serving on Regional and State Advisory Committees, Houma Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, Louisiana Council of Executives, and board member for Leadership Terrebonne and our local Convention & Visitors Bureau. She was named the 2008 NCE’s Rising Star and received the 2016 Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce Star Award. In addition, Mary Lynn received the 2018 Louisiana Governors Award and the Arc of Louisiana Chapter Innovation Award.

In addition, she recently received notification that TARC is currently in the top 3% percentile of accredited agencies internationally after TARC received their last CARF accreditation renewal as well as receiving perfect scores on CMS Final Rule implementations-the only one in Region 3! This is directly related to our leadership and management style to keep TARC at the forefront of leading-edge opportunities for people with I/DD. 

Under Mary Lynn’s leadership, CARF Accredited TARC operates 13 mission-driven businesses solely to employ individuals with I/DD in community employment, an innovative Community Day program, a Residential program with Community Homes, Supervised Independent Living, Respite, In-Home services, a state award-winning social club–Let’s Get Together, and currently building Discovery and School Transition initiatives with the local School District.

Since becoming Executive Director in 2007, Mary Lynn has created entrepreneurial success shaping programs into viable, competitive businesses with trademarked names and logos and customized employment for persons served. Her decisions, strategies, and vision over the years turned every program into contributing remarkable revenue streams for the agency to help provide outstanding service to our individuals.  Under Mary Lynn’s direction, TARC now has three food service industry businesses – Bayou Country Café (Cajun-themed restaurant), Cajun Confections (candy/bakery), and Houma Grown (salsas & pepper jellies); retail and production businesses- Cedar Chest Boutiques (thrift stores), Buy-U Beads (Mardi Gras bead business), and Grand Designs (t-shirt production). TARC’s labor industries include The Bayouland Yard Krewe and the Lagniappe Cleaning Company (full janitorial service) while overseeing one of Louisiana’s best community day programs. TARC’s social enterprises have earned more than $1.5 million in revenue and pay people with I/DD minimum wage in community settings.

By enhancing and creating new programs/businesses, and being committed to TARC individuals and their families as well as staff, Mary Lynn has tremendously improved the services provided by TARC. In the next couple of years, she is focusing on building a new production manufacturing facility for Houma Grown’s salsas and pepper jellies, creating a Discovery and job exploration program as well as enhancing and partnering with our local district for internships in our social enterprises and teaching our local community about employment for adults with disabilities. 

With her endless dedication and passion, vision for the future, and enormous heart, Mary Lynn’s momentous transformation of TARC has irrefutably changed the lives of all individuals served.  Because of her leadership, the community of Terrebonne Parish in Houma, Louisiana has come to expect and receive outstanding benefits for its citizens with intellectual and developmental disabilities.