History
South King County Activity Center (SKCAC) was organized in 1967 as a not-for-profit corporation with the goal of helping people with disabilities become an integrated part of our society. During our history, SKCAC has changed and grown in how it delivers on its mission to provide adults with disabilities skills and assistance to meet their individual employment goals as full members of the community.
The First Big Change
In 1984, government funding for social services to people with disabilities was dwindling & the objectives for how the limited resources were to be focused were changing as well. These changes meant that SKCAC needed to reinvent itself if it were to continue with the tremendously important mission of providing employment opportunities to individuals with disabilities & remain a successful and viable business.
Transition to Manufacturing-Based Business
A group of citizens volunteered to help SKCAC make this transition & restructure the organization into a self-sustaining viable business. A new Board of Directors instituted a major cost-cutting program, raising enough funds to stabilize finances & provide resources. The board hired Bob Swartout as the new Director to lead the transition from a social service organization into a manufacturing-based businsess. Bob served SKCAC for over a decade before retiring. Upon his retirement, SKCAC had built & owned its 33,0000 square foot manufacturing facility in Kent, Washington and established customer partnerships that continue today & solidified the company’s balance sheet for the future.
SKCAC Reinvents Itself for the New Millennium
As 2000 saw the local economy begin to decline into a severe recession, SKCAC’s Board of Directors hired Ray Coleman as the new Executive Director. Ray previously had a successful career as a correctional system director & broughta wealth of knowldge in working with political action groups. Ray helped SKCAC build & strengthen relations with its government partners, while working as an advocate of our local, state, & federal government officials. During Ray’s tenure, SKCAC successfully instituted new programs for providing employment services for both individual employment in the community as well as work group opportunities at Safeco Field. By 2001, SKCAC was recognized by the Kent Chamber of Commerce as the winner of the ‘In the Pursuit of Excellence Leadership’ Award.
2006 Brought New Opportunities
With the retirement of Ray Coleman in 2005 the Board of Directors hired Mark Kantonen. Mark explains, “It is imperative that SKCAC finds new and better ways to bring value to our customers. Our customers are committed to the social value of SKCAC’s mission of empowering our workforce through gainful employment, but our customers also need to know they will receive an uncompromising quality producer.”
Renewed Community & Commitment
In 2010, SKCAC’s Board looked within for experience and leadership and found Debbie Meyers, employed with SKCAC since 1981. Debbie began running operations and was appointed as Executive Director in 2011. SKCAC then changed to their name to ‘SKCAC Industries and Employment Services’ to better reflect the full range of services provided. With Debbie’s history & experience — production supervisor, program services manager, and associate director — she brought both passion to providing services for individuals with disabilities and knowledge to manage operations and ensure quality services of a fiscally-sound
organization. With a team of dedicated staff and eager participants, SKCAC was ready to take on new ventures while preserving commitments to all interested parties.
Exciting Opportunity for Growth
In 2023, SKCAC was approached by Puget Sound Personnel, Inc. to acquire their business as their owners were ready to retire. After 40 successful years supporting people with disabilities to find their ‘dream jobs’, Sara McIlvaine and Cathy Ann Mallman sought an organization to provide the continuity, passion and commitment to quality employment services to carry on their mission and values for supported employment. “PSP is excited and grateful to have found a compatible organization such as SKCAC to continue our mission and quality service commitment. Our 40-year engagement with those we serve, their families and employers, demand nothing less.” Click here to view their transition letter. (Message Sara And Cathy Ann please use this letter to click to but will be available after we shut down the PSP website).
