By Laurie Ritter and Natasha Sigoloff

Meet Mark Satterwhite, Director of Boone County Family Resources Life & Work Connections (LWC) program. Mark has been with BCFR for 30 years and says he really enjoys being a part of a team that supports individuals served with living the lives that they want to live while also contributing to their greater communities. Mark attributes his passion for working with the intellectual and developmental disabilities community to his mother, who was an active supporter of providing services and awareness of developmental disabilities. Mark also shared that in the 1960’s his late brother was institutionalized due to a lack of services resulting in Mark never getting to meet him.

Mark’s enthusiasm for what he does is evident to those around him. Mark is not only the Director of LWC, but also serves as the agency’s Utilization Review chair person, is the advisor for the Boone County chapter of People First, and he serves on the Arc of Missouri Board of Directors. Mark has assisted BCFR in piloting multiple programs to help those served by the agency over the past 30 years with the latest program being the Individualized Placement and Support (IPS) employment program. Mark says he enjoys exploring new approaches to supporting people and thinking outside of the box. His future vision for his department is to continue to expand the employment program.

Mark shared that he enjoys being outdoors, hiking, biking and camping. He also enjoys playing music with his band members and spending time with his family. When asked what his dream job would be, Mark replied, “I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up” but ultimately it is happening right now. BCFR is proud to help Mark celebrate his 30 years of service and is looking forward to see what his continued leadership brings to the Life & Work Connections program.