July 31, 2018
Ross Kigner ’08 Is Helping People Reach Their Dreams
After graduating from MPA in 2008, I continued my academic and athletic careers at the University of Minneosta-Morris, graduating in 2012. Following graduation, I resumed my direct support professional work for New Directions, Inc., while preparing for my first year coaching football at Roseville Area High School. New Directions, Inc. is a family-run organization that provides support for adults with disabilities. Our purpose is to assist and support individuals in forming and achieving a life of their own choosing; that they may have personal well-being, satisfying personal relationships, participation in community life and engagement in preferred pursuits in their home and community. I gradually increased my responsibilities at New Directions including expense management, team management, and property management. Time has flown by, but I love my work because of the reward that comes with helping people reach their dreams.
The major hurdles we face at New Directions include staffing and providing the same support with decreased funding from the government. In my leadership role, I don’t have as many hands-on opportunities with the people we support as I once did, as my focus has shifted to big-picture topics centered around upholding the standard of support our organization has provided since 1981.
One of the more recent and successful adjustments our leadership team has made is paying for the health benefits of full-time employees. To make this feasible, we increased the full-time requirement from 68 hours bi-weekly to 80 hours bi-weekly. This change increased the utilization of our most valuable resource–our staff–while working within our budget due to savings from reducing temporary services and lowering hiring expenses.
Hands-on work with clients is still the most rewarding part of the job. Highlights include Yahtzee games after individuals arrive home from work, connecting with the Hennepin Theater Trust and procuring 20 donated tickets to the first ever Broadway Adapted showing of “The Lion King” in the State of Minnesota, which provided a special opportunity for the people we support, and hosting our annual company picnic every August, where we grill over 200 burgers and hot dogs–rain or shine!
With my father’s retirement in October 2017, I’ve put on a new hat and become the CEO. Even though these are difficult times for our industry, I’m excited for New Directions’ future and confident in where we are headed. I’m very thankful for the support I receive from my wife, Lauren, whom I was privileged to marry in January 2017.
I also continue in my role as varsity football coach for Roseville. Four years ago, I added shot put and discus to my coaching repertoire. This was a special year in both sports as we went to the section championship in football, our free safety received All-State recognition, and a discus competitor advanced to the State Tournament.
On another note, New Directions, Inc is hiring for part time and full-time positions, where you can earn a paycheck for positively impacting people’s lives in immeasurable ways! Scheduling with us can be extremely flexible. Find out more about NDI at www.newdirectionsmn.com!
