Leadership
Jonathon Rondeau, Chief Executive Officer
For more than 15 years Jonathon Rondeau has provided leadership across diverse organizations to create opportunities for self-sufficiency and independence for people with disabilities and those traditionally underserved. As the Chief Executive Officer of The Arc Central Chesapeake Region, Rondeau continues that commitment to excellence and achievement.
Prior to joining The Arc, Rondeau was the President & CEO of Family League of Baltimore, the city’s Local Management Board. Under his leadership, Family League developed a bold, robust strategic plan, which resulted in increased grantmaking to $18M annually.
Read More
His previous roles include Vice President, Community Services and then Chief Program Officer of Melwood, the second largest disability provider in Maryland, which provides employment and community support to people with differing abilities; and Director of Camping & Therapeutic Recreation, Autism Services & Transportation for The League for People with Disabilities, which provides a continuum of services to people with disabilities in the greater Baltimore area.
Rondeau has also been recognized for his leadership over the years. Most recently he received the President’s Award for Outstanding Service from the Central Maryland Chamber of Commerce (May 2018), SmartCEO Cornerstone Award (Finalist and Winner 2016), Maryland Daily Record VIP (Success by 40 Honoree 2014), and the American Camp Association Service Award (2004).
Rondeau holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Notre Dame of Maryland University and a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and disability studies from Springfield College.
“The Arc has grown over the years, adapting to meet the growing, changing demands of the community and expanding our footprint to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. But at our roots, we are still the same – an organization that will always challenge the status quo, and will continue to work toward a world where all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are defined by their strengths and abilities.”
Matthew Morgan
Chief Program Officer
“I believe the work we do at The Arc is important because we are working to correct the past injustices of our society in terms of the treatment of people with disabilities, while at the same time supporting people to imagine a bold future for themselves.”
Read Bio
Matthew Morgan has a long history working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and has a strong understanding of services needed, as well as leadership and program operations. As Chief Program Officer, Morgan is a member of the CEO cabinet and senior management team, engaging staff to find innovative, person-centered approaches to serve people with disabilities by expanding results in a cost-effective manner.
Specifically, he oversees The Arc’s key programs and services, and to provide strategic programmatic leadership and direction to empower people with disabilities to live, work and play in the most inclusive environment.
Prior to The Arc, Morgan held the roles of Special Projects Director, Associate Executive Director and most recently Executive Director of The Arc Frederick County. He began his professional career as a service coordinator with Service Coordination, Inc. Morgan received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Towson University and Master’s of Arts in Nonprofit Management from Notre Dame University of Maryland.
Christine Larsen
Chief Strategy Officer
“Our staff possess a unique combination of talent, skills, personalities and passion that drive our mission forward. The culmination of these qualities allow us to make a difference in the lives of the people in our community, each and every day. THIS is why the work we do is so important.”
Read Bio
As Chief Strategy Officer, Christine Larsen is a member of the CEO cabinet and senior management team, supporting the CEO with strategic priorities, and leads activities related to the execution and implementation of The Arc’s strategic plan and growth strategy.
As the previous Senior Director at the University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business, Larsen worked in partnership with the Associate Dean to streamline financial, operational and staff processes related to the development and implementation of the organization’s strategic goals and initiatives, which resulted in a $7.2 million increase in revenue over five years. She has more than 15 years of professional experience and has served as a volunteer for the University of Maryland’s Big Sister program for children with developmental disabilities.
Larsen is a certified trainer for the Guiding Eyes for the Blind and certified mastectomy fitter for breast cancer support programs. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Executive Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Rebecca “Becky” Peter
Chief Financial Officer
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to leverage my expertise for an organization that is providing much-
needed support and programs to our community but also values strategy and innovation as a backbone
to its longevity and success.”
Read Bio
As Chief Financial Officer, Rebecca “Becky” Peter is a member of the CEO cabinet and senior management team, supporting the CEO by ensuring resources are strategically tied to organizational goals. Peter is a highly accomplished senior executive and brings more than 20 years of results-driven financial management to The Arc. As the former controller for Incident Communication Solutions, Chief Financial Officer of Health Integrity, and Senior Financial Manager for ARINC, Peter brings deep knowledge of state and federal audits, corporate finance, internal and external controls, and forecasting.
In addition to decades of experience in corporate finance, Peter also served as the Treasurer for Talbot Hospice for over five years. She received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting, Marketing, and Management from Towson University.
Cindy Lindgren
Senior Director of Person Centered Initiatives
“Choice, it is something that people take for granted. We make dozens of choices a day, from what time to wake up, who to spend time with, where to go to eat, and whom to eat with. Fostering and supporting people with ID/DD to have and exercise this fundamental right—to create the life of their choosing—is the critical work at The Arc.”
Read Bio
Cindy Lindgren is the Senior Director of Person Centered Initiatives, and serves an instrumental role leading the development and coordination of behavioral plans, overseeing resources and benefits counseling, and program admissions and transitions for personal plans for people receiving support services, as well as The Arc’s quality framework.
Lindgren joined The Arc with a professional history working in nonprofit organizations, social services, crisis intervention, program evaluation, and program development. Previously, she was the Statewide Director of Quality Enhancement for the Developmental Disabilities Administration. Lindgren has also held positions with The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region, including Director of Quality Assurance and Psychological Services, and Psychological Services Program Manager previous to that.
Lindgren received her Master of Science in Counseling Psychology and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Loyola University of Maryland.
Shannon Ross
Senior Director of People & Culture
“The work we do here at The Arc is important because we are supporting people to live their best lives and to be recognized by their communities as people — not someone to be brushed off, hidden away, or pitied.”
Read Bio
As the Senior Director of People & Culture, Shannon Ross will provide visionary leadership, direction and oversight of The Arc’s People & Culture. Ross will support the mission and goals of The Arc by constantly striving to promote, improve and support the development, well-being and effectiveness of staff. Ross will have responsibility over talent acquisition, organizational diversity, employee development, compensation management and employee relations. Ross will be active member of the CEO’s cabinet and the senior management team.
Ross has more than 10 years experience working in human resources for Aspect Security, Inc. Specifically, she joins The Arc as the former Director of Human Resources for the company where she led all HR programs, policies and procedures. Previous to that, Ross was the Human Resources and Training Coordinator for Aspect Security.
Ross received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Elon University, and her Master’s of Business Administration in Organization Development from Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School. She is also a Professional Human Resources (PHR) and Society of Human Resources Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP).
Board of Directors
Laura Austin, President
Retired – Anne Arundel County Public Schools
Michele Tharp, Vice President
PNC Bank
Rich Donoho, Treasurer
Retired – Computer Systems Group
Kathy Creighton, Secretary
US Census Bureau
Steve Brennan, Past-President
Iliff, Meredith, Wildberger & Brennan, PC
Jonathon Rondeau, Ex-Officio*
CEO, The Arc Central Chesapeake Region
*Non-voting member
Martha Brown
Clinical Colleagues, Inc.
Glenn Fleureton
Fleureton Financial Solutions
William C. Hollis III
Hollis, Cronan & Fronk, P.A.
Raj Kudchadkar
Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education
Paul Merkle
BB&T
Josh Miller
Self Advocate
Tina Jones
Chesapeake College
Kandy Williams
Infants & Toddlers Anne Arundel County
Lois Williams
Retired – Banking
Jason Weisberg
M&T Bank