Arc Connections
November 2025
Wings for All took flight. More on page 4 .
IN THIS EDITION: Arc Welcomes New Chief Financial Officer...............3 Arc Foundation Begins Annual Fund Campaign....5 Gala Details Released.......................................................6 Guardianship Dinner........................................................8
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Arc of Onondaga supports people with intellectual, developmental, and other disabilities in leading meaningful lives in their community.
Arc Welcomes New CFO Arc of Onondaga is excited to announce Kyle Lyskawa as Arc’s new Chief Financial Officer. Kyle brings with him a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and has extensive experience in nonprofit finance and corporate auditing. Prior to joining Arc, Kyle spent four years as CFO for Christopher Community, a local non-profit specializing in facilitating housing for low and moderate income families and seniors, and was also an audit manager and consultant for The Bonadio Group. “I’m looking
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forward to focusing on understanding how our financial resources can best support the direct care professionals who make the mission of Arc possible every day,” said Kyle. “Especially as we advocate for sustainable state funding that reflects the true value of their work.”
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“We’re thrilled to add Kyle’s qualifications and knowledge to our team,” said Ellen Gutmaker, Arc of Onondaga’s Chief Executive Officer. “As we face uncertainty in 2026 on both state and federal funding fronts, having someone with Kyle’s knowledge, enthusiasm and dedication to advancing Arc’s mission and vision for not only the people we serve but the hundreds of people who rely on us for employment in the region is critical for the upcoming fiscal year.” Kyle resides in Camillus, NY with his wife and two children, and enjoys hiking around the area and in the Adirondack. “My goal for the upcoming year is to ensure Arc of Onondaga has the financial foundation to continue delivering life-changing services to the more than 1,000 individuals with disabilities and their family members who depend on us,” he said.
I really enjoyed the job when I was working here. I started in 2017 and stayed for about 7 years. I enjoy taking people out and helping them live a fun life. I worked as a hair stylist, and missed the interaction with the people Arc supports. I feel like the agency cares about the employees – they give us shirts and bags, and that shows that they care for the people we support AND the employees!
I started in July of 2017 and retired in March of 2025. I got tired sitting home with nothing to do. I wanted to come right back to the house where I worked. I love the ladies who live there and now, I’m back!
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From now until the Executive Budget is introduced in January, we’ll be advocating directly with Governor Hochul to include these critical investments: Since 2020, basic costs have risen over 25%, but provider rates increased less than 16%. Without adjustment, agencies cannot sustain services or pay fair wages. The Arc NY launched a one-click campaign to tell Governor Hochul what we need. Click here to lend your voice! Lorem ipsum
Arc of Onondaga was proud to bring the airport rehearsal program, Wings For All, back to Syracuse for a fifth year! Wings for All aims to alleviate some of the stress that people with intellectual/developmental disabilities and their families experience when traveling by air, by providing families with the opportunity to experience and learn about how their loved ones will react to different stimuli in the airport during a real-time airport rehearsal. Due to the overwhelming and unprecedented response we received for the program this year, Arc, along with our partners at Syracuse Hancock International Airport and United Airlines were able to host two back-to-back sessions. The entire airport process was rehearsed by approximately 40 individuals with I/DD and their families, and included parking and entering the terminal, checking in and receiving boarding passes, passing through the TSA security checkpoint, navigating the terminal to their gate, and boarding an aircraft provided by Republic Airways dba United Express. Passengers fastened their seatbelts, sat through the safety announcements, were treated to the airline’s snack and beverage service as if the flight was en route, and for the first time ever , the pilots were able to start the engines, seal the door, and move the plane on the runway (though never taking off) All participants were encouraged to ask questions of the pilot and cabin crew. Thank you to you and all of your collaborators and volunteers for putting on such a wonderful event! Devin and I had a wonderful time -- everyone was so kind and understanding when he had one or two anxious moments, and afterwards, he was so proud of himself for trying something (very) new for him! We can’t say enough to express our appreciation! Jenn (parent) We are so thankful from the bottom of our hearts all the way from Blackwood, NJ. It was worth the five hour trek! Debi (parent) Wings for All Reached Its Destination Safely With some new surprises this year!
Thank you so much, we had a great experience on Saturday. What a wonderful program! Nicole (parent)
Join the Arc of Onondaga Foundation at our 30th Annual Achievement Awards Dinner, celebrating Arc of Onondaga’s 75th Anniversary!
Enjoy cocktails, an elegant dinner, awards, live music, and our best live and silent auctions yet!
Honorees to be announced in December 2025.
For sponsorship opportunities please contact Joanna Jewett: 315-401-0917 or jjewett@arcon.org
Overnight accommodations now available at Marriott Syracuse Downtown. Scan the QR code to book your stay.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO OUR ANNUAL APPEAL
ALL AROUND ARC
Thanks to a grant from the Trustee Management Board of NYSARC Trust Services, Arc of Onondaga was very thankful to be able to host a festive fall dinner and get together kicking off the holiday season with joy and camaraderie. Families, friends and guardians gathered to celebrate good food, fun times and great company. NYSARC Trust Services administers supplemental needs trusts (SNT) and pooled trusts that can make dramatic improvements to the lives of people with disabilities by enabling individuals to maintain financial eligibility for Medicaid and other means- tested government benefit programs. For 2025, NYSARC Trust Services is proud to fulfill its commitment to enhancing the lives of people with disabilities by awarding a total of $1,687,293 to The Arc New York Chapters statewide.
The Minions were out in full force this past Halloween at Queenmar’s Halloween party. And judging from the company they are keeping, we can only assume they were up to mischief!
Roy Gibson was recognized this past Disabilities Employment Awareness Month with the William B. Joslin Outstanding Work Performance Award. Presented by Arc’s Executive Director, Ellen Gutmaker, Roy was honored for his dedication and hard work on preferred source contract jobs. You can read his story here!
Galeville Day Hab took some time out of their busy Halloween party planning schedule to go pumpkin shopping! Nothing says getting into the fall spirit like fresh air, shopping and pumpkins!
If you visited the Enchanted Beaver Lake, the annual celebration with over 400 uniquely hand-carved pumpkins and luminaria that illuminate the nature center’s forest trails for a family-friendly experience unlike any other, then you most likely encountered hand carved pumpkins from none other than Arc’s Pre-Voc crew. They were hard at work creating original masterpieces for the annual event, helping to make CNY a great place to live, work and have fun in!
The Arc Achievers hosted their first self-advocacy workshop, and were thrilled to welcome guest speakers from the Redhouse Arts Center, Syracuse University, and self-advocates from our local community. The goal of the workshop was to empower people of all abilities to advocate for themselves and others, and it did not disappoint! From meaningful lectures, inspiring speakers, and fun activities like creating personal vision boards, the workshop was a huge success!
Arc’s Centralized Plan Coordinators sure do know how to have fun in and out of the office! The crew decided to take some time and celebrate one another by letting loose and knocking down some bowling pins for their staff appreciation celebration! Thank you CPC’s for keeping it real on and off the job! We appreciate you!
FALL INTO YOUR NEW CAREER Join our team, discover your career!
December 6
600 S. Wilbur Ave., Syracuse, NY 13204 www.arcon.org
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