Keystone Human Services

Key Human Services, Inc.

Agency Leadership Biographies

Mark Ritter, President
E-mail: mritter @ keystonehumanservices.org
Mark Ritter began his employment with Keystone Service Systems in 1980 and in the ensuing years assumed the duties of Vice President, responsible for large division of the agency providing community residential services to several hundred children and adults. Among other activities, Mr. Ritter participated in the development of the first small ICF/MR programs in central Pennsylvania and was instrumental in assuming responsibility for services provided by several failing agencies, turning them around, and successfully incorporating them within Keystone.
In 1989, Mark developed proposals which resulted in contracts with the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services. As Keystone's lead person in Connecticut, he was personally instrumental in incorporating Key Human Services, Inc., acquiring properties, hiring staff, training personnel, licensing three homes and ultimately taking eight people with extremely challenging behavior out of Mansfield State Center within a six month period.
Today, Key is a comprehensive provider of services and essentially looks like and functions as a microcosm of Keystone. The agency operates a variety of programs including group homes, a supported living program, early intervention services, foster care, and a home health agency, which exclusively serves people with mental retardation. Key also subcontracts specialized nursing services to fifteen other non-profit organizations.
Mark has served as the Chairman of the Board of the Connecticut Community Providers Association (CCPA), the principal trade association of Connecticut's mental retardation, behavioral health, and medical rehabilitation organizations. In that capacity, Mark took a lead role in this sector's managed care activities and facilitated CCPA's merger with another trade group. He also is manager in Residence for DDS's Waiting List Task Force.
Mark holds two graduate degrees from Pennsylvania State University, including a degree in rehabilitation.
Mark E. Kovitch, CPA, Chief Financial Officer
E-mail: mkovitch @ keystonehumanservices.org
Mark began his employment with Key Human Services, Inc in March of 2001 as the Chief Financial Officer. His responsibilities include financial management of Key; monitoring adequate internal accounting controls and compliance with financial, State, and Federal regulations; and coordinating all financial aspect of proposals to funding sources. Mark has also served as the HIPAA Privacy Officer for Key.
Mark is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Mark came to Key from the public accounting firm environment specializing in providing accounting, auditing, and consulting services to not-for-profit, higher education, and governmental entities. These eight years of experience provided the solid background and knowledge in financial reporting; individual and corporate tax filing; State and Federal regulation compliance, and the internal financial operation of a not-for-profit that Key requires.
Mark is a serves on the steering committee of the Connecticut Community Providers Association/Connecticut Association of Nonprofits' Business Manager's Forum. As part of this leadership position, Mark meets with State officers regularly to present private providers' point of view on various fiscal matters and was part of the committee of state officers and private providers that created the regulations for individual living in Community Living Arrangement to have portability of funding.
Mark is also a member of the American Institute of CPA's, National Society of Accountants, and Connecticut Society of CPA's. Mark serves on Not-for-profit Committee of the Connecticut Society of CPA's, Saint Maria Goretti Church Parish Council and Finance Committee.
Gregory J. Damato, Vice President - Community Living Arrangement
E-mail: gdamato @ keystonehumanservices.org
Greg has many varied experiences working with people who have developmental disabilities. Currently, he is Vice-President for Key Human Services in Farmington where he manages twelve group homes statewide. Previously, Greg worked for the Connecticut Department of Developmental Servicesfor 31 years. During his employment with DDS, he held such positions as Director of Quality Enhancement and Director of Training and Staff Development for the North Central Region. As the Director of Staff Development, he was instrumental in developing and teaching a course based on the principles of adult learning for Abuse and Neglect Investigators. In addition to his teaching experience, Greg brings extensive experience conducting investigations to this course. He has a Master's degree in Special Education from Central Connecticut State University and resides with his family in West Hartford, where he coaches several teams including baseball and basketball.
Joyce Lewis, Service Director
E-mail: jlewis @ keystonehumanservices.org
Joyce Lewis came to Key Human Services, Inc. in 1993 after 10 years with the Department of Developmental Services. She was a State Schoolteacher, primarily in the Eastern Region Early Intervention Program. She has a Master's Degree in Special Education with a concentration in Infant and Toddler Development from the University of Connecticut. Shortly after her first child was born with a congenital syndrome severely affecting both her health and development, Ms. Lewis left her employment. She stayed at home with her medically fragile daughter until she passed away. During this time she experienced Birth to Three services as the parent as well as benefiting from parent groups.
In 1993, Ms. Lewis developed the Birth to Three programs for Key under a fee for service model. She participated in the transition process with the new lead agency, DDS. At that time Key became one of 11 comprehensive programs in the North Central Region. Under this system, the agency provides for all of the identified needs of each child and family for one set rate.
Mary Beth O'Neill, Executive Vice President
E-mail: moneill @ keystonehumanservices.org
Mary Beth O’Neill began her employment with Key Human Services, Inc. in January 1997 as a program director for the Supported Living department. Before coming to Key, she worked as a lobbyist and advocate in Boston while attending Merrimack College. Upon graduating in 1992, she returned to Connecticut to support individuals residing in Supported Living programs in two other non-profit organizations.
Since 1997, she has worked to broaden the support services offered by Key Human Services to include young adults who desire independence and families who require support to maintain their home. In 2008, Key began providing supports to individuals with autism under a new State of Connecticut pilot program.
To support and enhance services to other individuals with disabilities, Mary Beth is pursuing a master’s degree in occupational therapy at Bay Path College in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. She continues to lobby and advocate strongly for all individuals.
Mary Pelletier, Director of Health Services
E-mail: mpelleti @ keystonehumanservices.org
Mary Pelletier, RN, CDDN joined Key Human Services, Inc. in 2001 with more than 20 years of nursing experience. In her position as Director of Health Services, she continues to develop and oversee nursing and health services for Key’s Community Living Arrangements, Individualized Homes, external nursing contracts and RN on Call.
Early in her career, she traveled throughout North America and Europe as the Health Services Coordinator for Up with People, where she examined health care systems and services for individuals with developmental and physical disabilities. She has continued to study developmental disability nursing and has achieved national certification through the National Developmental Disability Nurses Association. In 2005, she was elected Vice President of the Connecticut Developmental Disability Nurses Association, and in 2008 she received the President’s Award.
Mary continues her unwavering support of access to healthcare for individuals with disabilities by her involvement with the State of Connecticut Nursing Standards and Medication Administration Curriculum Revision Committees. She is also an endorsed medication administration instructor for the State of Connecticut Department of Developmental Services and the Department of Children and Families.
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This page last updated on:
June 19, 2009