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Cynthia Kawa’s
adult life has been dedicated to assisting and empowering people with
developmental disabilities. Her career
trajectory has taken her from being a hands-on practitioner to a well-respected
senior executive in the healthcare field. As the Chief Executive Officer of New Horizons, located in the
North Hills community of the San Fernando Valley,
she currently administers an annual budget of over $12.5 million and has
responsibility for a staff of nearly 300 professionals. Among her additional responsibilities are government
affairs, community outreach, development, and public relations.
Ms. Kawa joined New Horizons in 1988 as the administrator of
the residential services program and created the agency’s first residence that
provided homes for clients with medical concerns. Two years later, as Associate Director, she
opened two additional group homes in the community. And in 1998 she was named Chief Executive
Officer. She was recently honored with the Nonprofit Leadership Award
by the San Fernando Valley Business
Journal as part of its annual Women in Business program. In
addition, in 2010 she received the Jynny Retzinger Legislative Advocacy award
from the North Los Angeles County
Regional Center. She is a member of the California Association of Health
Facilities, California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and the
California Rehabilitation Association.
She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Valley Industry
and Commerce Association (VICA) and serves on its Government Affairs Committee.
Ms. Kawa’s
definition of success for New Horizons is the difference the organization makes
in the lives of those it serves: “Our
clients really are fulfilled here, and that’s a major triumph for us. We’ve created an environment where they can
feel accepted, where they can aspire to a higher potential, and where they can
have friends and be happy.”
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