myPath’s Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson

×

Expand

Photo by Tom Jenz

Dorothy Buckhannan Wilson

In the rolling lake country of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, there’s a company that’s built its name on compassion. It’s called myPath, and its purpose is profound: to help children and adults with behavioral and mental health challenges, including autism and developmental disabilities. 

What began in 1984 as a small effort to support people who were too often forgotten has grown into a statewide network of care. Today, myPath operates more than 150 program sites across Wisconsin and Indiana, serving nearly 2,000 individuals through its specialized schools, residential homes, in-home services, and community programs. 

But myPath isn’t a typical human services company. It’s 100 percent employee-owned, which means every person who works there from the classroom teacher to the residential counselor, has a personal stake in the success of the people they serve. This shared ownership concept builds a powerful sense of pride and accountability, one reason myPath was recognized as Wisconsin’s Employee-Owned Company of the Year in 2021. 

At its heart, myPath is about helping people discover their own way forward one small breakthrough at a time. It’s a place where hope is not just talked about but practiced every day by the people who make it their life’s work. 

I met Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson, president and CEO of myPath, at the company’s bright, welcoming headquarters in Oconomowoc. Tall and spirited, she carried herself with an easy confidence and genuine warmth. Wilson was eager to talk, not just about the work myPath does for children and adults with behavioral and developmental challenges, but also about the remarkable life journey that brought her to lead myPath. 

Tell me about your background, hometown, schools and your parents, also your education path. 

I grew up in South Carolina in the small town of Mayesville. My mother had a lot of children, so my grandparents raised me. When I was nine, my grandmother had a massive stroke, and two years later, my grandfather was diagnosed with dementia.  After that, we four oldest grandkids were thrust into the role of caretakers. That meant I didn’t experience a traditional teenage life because I was a caretaker. But that experience taught me life lessons in leadership because I had to maintain and make sure our family unit stayed intact.  

In high school, did you have a particular career interest?  

I was interested in marketing and business. In high school, I worked in retail at a large department store. I got good grades, and my grandfather encouraged me to go to college. I went to Benedict College in Colombia, South Carolina, a small Baptist college. Out of 34 grandchildren, I was the first to attend college. On the first day of registration, I got a job as a student assistant for College Support Services, did that job for four years. I was involved in every manner of student activity including student government and leadership. I earned good grades and majored in business. I went on to earn a fellowship and get my MBA in business and economics at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta. I interned at Xerox Corporation and ultimately went to work there in Stamford, Connecticut. I was on the sales side for two years. 

What did you do after you left Xerox? 

I got into Brand Management at a job at SC Johnson Wax in Racine. Great company. I was there for ten years. I was part of managing different brands. Around that time, I got married, and we lived in Milwaukee, and I commuted to Racine. I was also involved in Alpha Kappa Alpha, the Black women’s sorority. Years later, I became President of Alpha Kappa Alpha. The sorority is dedicated to service, and we volunteered on the weekends in Milwaukee. I also became a stay-at-home mom for a couple years. I wanted my legacy to be more than just selling products, and I did more volunteering. This led me to Goodwill Industries, and a job to work in Goodwill’s Disability Services. At Goodwill, I got involved in the delivery of meals to senior citizens, the Meals on Wheels program for Milwaukee County. I started as a director, then became a manager, and then vice president of Mission Services and later Workforce Development. I worked at Goodwill for 15 years. 

How did you eventually end up at myPath? 

Backing up to 1984, Jim Balestrieri and the Zilber family founded Oconomowoc Residential Programs Inc., which later became myPath. After Jim retired in 2021, Terry Leahy, who worked with me at Goodwill, became the CEO and later President at myPath. Terry put me on the myPath board of directors, and I also did some consulting. When Terry announced his retirement, I became president and recently CEO. myPath is known for helping people with disabilities, and I knew that was my own career path. 

What general services does myPath currently provide?  

MyPath is the fourth largest employee-owned health and human services company in the nation. We are a private company. We serve young people and adults with disabilities. We run a series of residential adult facilities, and we also run schools and residential treatment facilities for disabled children. We care for about 2,000 individuals across about 140 addresses in Wisconsin and Indiana. 

MyPath is a private enterprise business venture. Does myPath own the schools and residences for the caretaking of disabled people? 

Yes, we do. 

In my research, I found that myPath includes eight companies that serve nearly 2,000 individuals from around the country, in more than 150 program locations based in 41 communities throughout Wisconsin and Indiana. What are eight those companies and what do they do? 

We have eight divisions or companies. The first division is comprised of Homes for Independent Living where we provide services for disabled people that reside in the homes. Medicaid services and other government funding helps pay for their rent. Those homes are located all over Wisconsin. The second division is Genesee Lake School for special education children and some with disabilities. It is located near Oconomowoc. The Department of Education and Medicaid pay the costs. In our third division, we own T.C. Harris School & Academy for special education students in Lafayette, Indiana. The fourth division consists of Prader-Willi Homes in and near Oconomowoc to treat children with Prader-Willi Syndrome.  

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by a combination of physical, intellectual and behavioral symptoms. These can include short stature, obesity and obsessive-compulsive behavior.    

And what are the other four myPath divisions? 

Fifth division is Paragon Community Services, day services for children and adults with developmental disabilities. Sixth is the Richardson Schools, which are located in five different Wisconsin cities. The staff works with children with behavioral and emotional issues, including autism. The seventh division, Genesee Community Services, works one on one in-home with children who have severe developmental issues. Our eighth division is Transitions Academy of Indiana which addresses social, emotional, and behavioral impairments for youth ages 10 to 21 who have suffered abuse or have committed juvenile offenses. The treatment takes place in a 24-hour structured residential setting.   

Those are a lot of responsibilities. You are doing important work. 

We serve some of hardest people to serve in our communities. 

 Residential Care Homes Similar to Traditional Family Homes 

MyPath services for adults include community-based residential services for people with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities, brain injury, mental health and other behavioral impairments, and the medically fragile. MyPath provides independent living settings, supervised apartments and community-based supports for adults in mental health crisis, and day service programs. Can you elaborate? 

Homes for independent living is our largest division, making up half our value as a company. 

You have several programs, which can mean homes, schools, and community services. 

When you look at where we are as a society, we’d like every child and frail adult to be at home with their families, but we know that in many cases that is not possible. Our residential care homes are as life-like as traditional family homes. We make them as close to their normal living family settings as possible.   

You have a wide variety of skilled employees to care for your clients. 

Our staff includes educational professionals, support services, therapeutics, teachers, therapists, social workers, anyone who can support individuals with developmental issues. 

If I or my family members are in need of some type of myPath care, how do apply to myPath? 

You would be referred by a case worker from a city, county or federal agency. It’s a process of referral. 

MyPath is a private enterprise and owned by employees. How does that system work? 

Each employee who works at myPath has a certain amount of stock. As myPath grows and becomes more profitable, each employee’s stock becomes more valuable. Presently, we are about eleven years into the Employee Stock Ownership Plan. 

That is a very good incentive for caregivers to work for myPath. 

Absolutely, especially for young people. And it’s doubly rewarding because our young people are caregivers.