JEFFERSON, Iowa — Terry L. Johnson, longtime chief executive officer of Genesis Development, announced his retirement this week after 40 years at the helm of the not-for-profit rehabilitation organization that provides support for people with physical and intellectual disabilities.
“It has been my pleasure to work for a dynamic organization which lives and practices its mission on a daily basis,” Johnson said in a statement issued Saturday. “Our premise is that every life matters. The years I have spent at Genesis have reinforced this time and time again. I look forward to the future of Genesis Development and the progress they will make in the lives of people with disabilities.”
The Board of Directors for Genesis Development said Johnson would officially step down Wednesday, July 31. The directors had high praise for Johnson, a fixture in the organization since its earliest days.
“Over the past 40 years, Terry has helped build Genesis Development into a leader in mental health services for the state of Iowa, and we thank him for his many contributions,” said Tim Heisterkamp, president of the Genesis Development Board of Directors. “We are profoundly grateful for the visionary leadership Terry has provided to Genesis and to our industry, and we wish him well in his future endeavors.”
Heisterkamp said the Genesis Board has begun a comprehensive search for a new CEO and is lucky to have a talented leadership team already in place that “can execute on our strategic initiatives” while seeking a new leader.
“As our industry continues to evolve and we look to the future, we are focused on aligning our resources and programs to best serve our members and are excited about the many opportunities ahead,” Heisterkamp said.
Genesis began in 1973 under the name of the Greene County Sheltered Workshop. The non-profit changed its name to Genesis Development in 1988 and has undergone several mergers and expansions over the decades.
With a staff of nearly 500, the organization now serves more than 4,750 people annually across Iowa, with facilities in 16 locations: Adel, Ames, Belle Plaine, Boone, Clarinda, Grinnell, Guthrie Center, Indianola, Jefferson, Lenox, Perry, Pocahontas, Storm Lake, Toledo, Winterset and Woodward.
