On Tuesday June 11th Dr. Al Condeluci addressed a group of attendees at an event hosted by Whole Life Services, Inc.Dr. Al spoke on the topic of "Building Community" which is the initiative of introducing the individuals that we serve into the community around them by creating "Social Capital" and building relationships with people within the community around them. In turn, this provides avenues for individuals to feel accepted as an integral part of their communities where they are valued and have purpose.
Dr. Al Condeluci is a life-long resident of Pittsburgh, PA. He received his Masters & Doctorate degrees at the University of Pittsburgh and for the past 47 years, was associated with CLASS, a full-service, non-profit organization supporting people with disabilities, retiring in January 2019. Holding faculty appointments with the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and School of Social Work, Dr. Condeluci teaches, advises, and mentors students. His books; Interdependence (1991, 1995), Beyond Difference (1996), Cultural Shifting (2002), Essence of Interdependence (2008), Together is Better (2010), Social Capital (2014), and The Micro Change handbook (2015) focus on culture, community, social capital, and macro change and have been used around the world.
In his entire career, Dr. Condeluci has managed a variety of programs and projects and was personally involved in every grant and project of her his years at CLASS, managing an annual budget of $14 million dollars. His supervisory and leadership skills are acknowledged in the greater community having won awards and medals related to his participation in providing supports and services to individuals with disabilities, including in 2018, the Key to the City of Pittsburgh, the highest civilian honor given by the city.
Be sure to view the presentation (minus the Q&A session) below:
Video courtesy of: Laura Kahl, edited by: Geno Blair, Get 2 Work Productions