Chuck Klein Brings Project Management Expertise to Hillside House Board

Hillside House, a residential facility and therapeutic learning center serving 59 people with developmental disabilities, is working on a plan to develop its 23 acres into a diverse neighborhood, creating 121 new residential units as well as a new central administration and services building for Hillside House clients. New board member Chuck Klein brings extensive experience in project management, having guided major building projects for numerous non-profits, particularly those in the field of developmental disabilities.

The Community Plan

For many years now Hillside House has been hard at work creating its Community Plan. At the heart of the Community Plan is a need to provide a more integrated and independent living environment for Hillside House residents, as mandated by newer state policies. The current Hillside House facility has aged significantly and requires costly and repeated repairs that the non-profit can ill afford. A new facility is needed in order to continue to provide a safe and welcoming environment for the 59 people who depend on Hillside House for their day-to-day survival and for therapeutic, educational and enrichment programs that help them to live meaningful lives.

Current state policies aim to move people with disabilities out of institutional settings like Hillside House’s current facility into smaller homes that are integrated into the community. Hillside House’s Community Plan would accomplish this, creating its own mixed-income, mixed-abilities neighborhood, while also providing affordable housing for Santa Barbara residents and helping to provide for Hillside House’s long-term financial stability, a need that has become more urgent with recent Medi-Cal cuts. The Plan also calls for the restoration of Arroyo Burro Creek, the long-term preservation of open space, the creation of a public trail on the property, and the creation of a secondary emergency access to and from Hidden Valley. This Plan, which has been many years in the design phase, will soon be reviewed for approval by the City Planning Commission and City Council.

Chuck Klein

After a number of years managing construction projects for major corporations, Chuck Klein was looking for a way to use his skills to make a difference for people in need. For 12 years, he served as National Director of Project Management for Devereux, a leading non-profit in the disabilities field with campuses in 11 states. Klein developed strategic master plans for the expanded use of these 30-40 acre campuses in order to provide optimal services to the developmentally disabled, then hired architects and engineers and managed the construction projects. While at Devereux he came to know Pam Flynt Tambo (Executive Director of Hillside House), as well as others who are now on the staff or board of Hillside House. He also has collaborated as principle project manager with Princeton University and Eden Autism Services in building a 40,000 ft. laboratory school for autism and community-based work training centers in Princeton, New Jersey.

Klein said he was drawn to volunteer for the board and offer his project management background because of Hillside House’s “terrific mission” and the “incredible opportunity” that the Hillside House Community Plan presents. Klein said, “This exciting and important project has the real potential to become a model for other California non-profits in the disabilities field, offering high quality and unique programs delivered in innovative and sustainable facilities.”

Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Chuck Klein and his wife are outdoor enthusiasts, enjoying hiking, biking and kayaking, as well as collecting Japanese antiques. Klein has taught graduate level courses at Antioch University in organizational theory, team development and project management.

About his joining the board, Executive Director Pam Flynt Tambo said, “We are so grateful that Chuck is donating his time and expertise to Hillside House at this exciting time in our development. He will be invaluable to us as we move forward towards helping our residents live fuller, more rewarding lives.”

About Hillside House

Hillside House is a non-profit residential facility and therapeutic learning center, caring for 59 people with developmental disabilities, with levels of disability ranging from moderate to severe. Hillside House offers around-the-clock nursing care as well as physical therapy, independent living skills, recreational and learning opportunities, individualized treatment programs and much more, so that residents can reach for their highest potential and live full lives.

The mission of Hillside House is “to provide a home that supports our residents’ efforts to maximize their physical, cognitive, social and emotional abilities so that they can attain their highest level of independence in an environment where people are treated with dignity and respect.”

For additional information, please contact Pam Flynt Tambo, Executive Director of Hillside House at (805) 687-0788 ext. 12 or pflynt@hillsidehousesb.org.