Introduction
“ If you don ’ t know where you are going , you will end up someplace else .” Yogi Berra would be pleased to know that his astute observation does not apply to The Faison Center . In 2016 , we defined a vision for the future of Faison and created a roadmap of where we wanted to go , how we would get there and when we would arrive . In the pages that follow , we look at that journey and celebrate the successes along the way .
Where did we want to go ? We wanted to create a campus in Richmond where all of our programs were in one location , a campus that allowed our programs to grow and expand , a campus that was welcoming to all who we served and all who visited , a campus with facilities that were as exceptional as our services .
How would we get there ? We knew that our vision was bold and would require a tremendous amount of support from donors . Therefore , we began our Forward Into the Future campaign in 2017 to raise the funds necessary to make our vision a reality . From the moment this campaign began until the moment it concluded in 2022 , our donors rallied to the call and generously invested in our mission .
When would we arrive ? In 2018 , we opened a new wing of Kirshner Mihaloff Hall to increase our enrollment capacity of The Faison School . In 2019 , we opened the Flo and Tony Guzman Community Center to focus on health and wellness for those we serve . In 2020 , we opened Markel Hall to house our innovative Early Education Center for the toddlers on our campus . In 2021 , we opened our unique Outdoor Learning Center to provide additional outdoor space for education and fun . Finally , in 2023 , we opened Pioneer Hall for our Adult Services programs and Behavioral Health Clinic .
These are all visible measures of our success , but everyone who supported this campaign understands that this was not about beautiful new buildings . Instead , it was about what goes on inside of these buildings that matters most — pursuing our mission to provide children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities the best opportunity to improve their life ’ s journey . Thank you all for investing in our mission and supporting those who we serve .
Sincerely ,
W . Brian McCann President and CEO
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