We had the good fortune of connecting with Yvette Plummer Burkhalter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yvette, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
I think people believe that people with intellectual developmental disabilities (I/DD) have their needs met by taxpayers. The truth is that families/caregivers have to fight to get support and services that their loved one with I/DD is eligible to have in order for them to live in the community independently. The crazy bureaucracy, the nonsensical rules that families had no part in creating, the exhaustion and uncompensated efforts families must endure to keep their loved ones from being in an institution are far from equitable or inclusive. Not to mention that BIPOC families that have a loved one with I/DD are not only underserved but many are not served at all. In addition, there is a long waiting list for eligible people with I/DD to receive long-term support and services as well. It’s a broken system that taxpayers pay to keep going.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have been an executive director for 15 years. Our program helps families who have children with disabilities and special health care needs. What sets our organization apart is that we intentionally outreach to Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) families who tend to be under-served, if served at all. I get excited when I am able to help a parent obtain the supports and services they need for their child to be successful. A parent will give our organization a call, feeling hopeless; feeling that the educational and health care systems have failed them and these systems are too big to fight, but after talking to our staff, there is renewed hope. They leave our organization with the tools to navigate difficult systems and to advocate successfully for their child. I was able to get where I am today because I am always learning. It hasn’t been easy. Our organization is small and there were many nights, still are, where I wouldn’t get to bed until midnight because of the workload, and I was raising a child with a disability and for half those years raising him as a single mother. The lesson I have learned along the way is to know your worth. Don’t allow another person to do that for you. I want people to know that I love families and I am here for them.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take her to the mountains for a barbeque, go downtown for a spa day, visit the Denver Museum, either attend a concert at Red Rocks or a play at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. We would hang out at Jazz at Jack’s to hear some jazz and drink some wine. One of the things I like to do is to go to the park and swing on the swings and watch children run around and play. It allows me to be in the moment and what better moment is there than to watch children be free and have fun. My favorite sound are children laughing.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

I want to give a shoutout to the Denver Foundation’s Executive Directors of Color Institute (EDCI). I recently graduated from the 2-year program. There are not many Executive Directors of color in the nonprofit world and you can feel like you are the only person of color in this space. After attending EDCI, I knew I wasn’t alone. It was like being home. I learned how to become a better executive director for my two organizations. There were successful alumni from the program who were guest speakers that presented insightful advice and, gracefully made themselves available to institute participants as mentors. I also learned about how important self-care is if you want to avoid burnout. I am so grateful that I was part of a wonderful program.

Website: https://weshowandtell.org/ and https://www.thrivectr.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weshowandtellorg/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvette-plummer-burkhalter-04382121/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thrivectr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weshowandtellorg/

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.