Latham Profiles: Tim Vaughan, Director of Leadership and Growth

What makes Latham a special place to work?

Latham is doing a lot of things really, really well. I have been here for 8 years and if you have ever looked at my resume, that may seem surprising. Prior to working here, I jumped around a lot and rarely stayed in a job for longer than a year or two. Typically, I wouldn’t feel connected to the Mission, wouldn’t feel that the leaders of the place cared about staff, or there was a lack of real support. At Latham, my experience has been very different. I believe that the work we do is positively impacting lives every single day. My work matters. I have had the privilege of working with and under some really great people and I feel like I have learned a tremendous amount while here. 

Describe your career at Latham.

I believe that Latham is a great place to work for any professional, either new or experienced, who wants to develop their career. When I first began at Latham I was hired as the Day Supervisor of the school program and then moved into being the Residential Director of the Children’s program. Internal promotion is highly valued at Latham and my career has illustrated that.

Two years ago, I assumed the position of Director of Leadership and Growth. My position is focused on ensuring that individuals have opportunities for professional development and that the Agency has a steady stream of potential candidates for internal promotion. We have been able to hire over 90% of our managers in the last two years from within. All of the children’s program department heads are people that have been promoted from within with two of them, Melissa Hyer our Clinical Director and Gina Sheehan our Residential Director, both starting in entry level positions. If you are interested in a career, this is a place with lots of opportunity for you.

What do you enjoy about your job?

My favorite part of working at Latham has always been the opportunity to collaborate with others around some challenging issues. I have never worked with a group of students and adult residents who I enjoy more, but a large reason why I have such a soft spot for them is because they often make it hard to connect with them. To be happy here, you must work to earn your place, but once you build the connections you need there really is nothing better. I find it satisfying to be good at something that most other professionals struggle with. It also is a joy to see how great some of our staff are with the work they do. I have had many great memories at this place and am grateful for being here.

Interested in joining our team? Check out all of our latest job postings HERE.