Jonathon Rondeau
In the role of President & CEO, Jonathon partners with The Arc board of directors to set the strategic vision and direction of The Arc to make lasting impact on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Anne Arundel County and Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
Jonathon joined The Arc in 2017 bringing nearly 20 years of experience providing leadership across diverse organizations to create opportunities for self-sufficiency and independence for people with disabilities and those traditionally underserved. His past roles include President & CEO of Family League of Baltimore; Vice President, Community Services and then Chief Program Officer of Melwood; and Director of Camping & Therapeutic Recreation, Autism Services & Transportation for The League for People with Disabilities.
Jonathon has also been recognized for his leadership on many occasions, including the Rising Star Award from The Arc United States (2020), President’s Award for Outstanding Service from the Central Maryland Chamber of Commerce (May 2018), SmartCEO Cornerstone Award (Finalist and Winner 2016), Maryland Daily Record VIP (Success by 40 Honoree 2014), and the American Camp Association Service Award (2004).
Throughout his career, Jonathon has been active in his community serving on many nonprofit and association boards, commissions, and workgroups. Jonathon currently is a member of the board of directors of the Maryland Association of Community Service and is active on several workgroups with the Developmental Disabilities Administration.
Jonathon holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Notre Dame of Maryland University and a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and disability studies from Springfield College. Jonathon resides in Catonsville with his husband, Matt and son.
Interview questions:
Career | Jonathon – can you tell us a little about yourself?
The Arc | For those who are unfamiliar – what is The Arc?
Mission | What is your special sauce? How are you different from other service providers?
Services | Why are the services The Arc provides important?
Challenges | The Arc Central Chesapeake Region is a large organization. Talk about the areas you services, and what are some of the challenges you face in supporting such different communities?
COVID-19 | How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected The Arc? Have you been able to continue services?
Post COVID-19 |What do your services look like moving forward in a post-pandemic world?
History | I understand The Arc has quite a long history. Can you tell me a little about that legacy?
The Future | Where does The Arc go from here – where do you see the organization in 5-10 years?
Equity | When you say equity and access – can you elaborate a little on what you mean? What are some of the barriers people face around equity and access? What does society need to do to help remove some of these barriers?
Involvement | How can people get involved with The Arc?
Connect with Jonathon on LinkedIn
Raj Kudchadkar is currently the Executive Director of National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches. The nonprofit advocates for greater diversity within the leadership of the football industry.
Raj has been an advocate for equity and inclusion his entire professional career – in schools, in the workplace, and in communities. He began his career at the Resurrection Project, a grassroots advocacy organization serving disenfranchised communities on the southside of Chicago. In this role, Raj served as an advocate for affordable housing and quality education. He then transitioned to Communities in Schools, where he advised low-income schools in Chicago on securing critical state and local resources.
In law school, Raj served as an editor of the American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy, and the Law. He was also awarded an Equal Justice Fellowship to conduct legal research and published a report with leading legal scholars on ending discrimination of women in the workforce. Raj was also awarded a Marshall-Brennan Fellowship, through which he taught U.S. history and constitutional literacy in Washington D.C. at Joel Elias Spingarn High School. He subsequently served on the Howard County Commission for Women for 8 years promoting the economic, social, and political equality of women in the workforce.
After practicing civil rights and disability rights law, Raj then went on to serve as the executive director of the Base Business Initiative (BBI). The primary objective of this business development program was to help minority businesses navigate the defense contracting environment at the Army’s 2nd largest installation, Fort George G. Meade. In less than two years, Raj helped increase the membership in the program from 20 minority-owned businesses to over 2,000 businesses in the Mid-Atlantic Region. For Raj’s work with the BBI, the Howard County Chamber of Commerce inducted him into its 2011 Hall of Fame as “Government Advocate of the Year.” The Maryland Economic Development Association also recognized the BBI in 2014 as the “Best Economic Development Program” in the state.
Raj was then appointed Deputy Director of the Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning. In his nearly three-year tenure, Raj had oversight over affordable housing, revitalization of impoverished communities, and securing $127 million in tax-increment financing for new infrastructure in developing communities.
Raj has also served as President and CEO of the Central Maryland Chamber (CMC) – the only regional chamber of commerce in Maryland supporting the growth of nearly 500 hundred businesses. He helped form the CMC through leading a merger between the Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber of Commerce and the West Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce.
Most recently, Raj served as Director of the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education (MCIE), a nonprofit dedicated to equity and inclusion in education. He primarily focused on growth opportunities to help MCIE expand its principal services and products promoting inclusion.
Raj has been widely quoted and interviewed by leading news media, including: ESPN, USA Today, The Athletic, CNN, NBC Newsmakers, and numerous radio stations. He serves on the boards of directors for The Arc Central Chesapeake Region and Leadership Howard County.
Raj received a B.A. in Political Science from Carleton College, a joint M.A. in Public Policy and Education from Columbia University, and a J.D. from American University. Raj is married to Sapna Kudchadkar, a physician at Johns Hopkins Medicine. They have two children and reside in Ellicott City, Maryland.
Recent press releases:
The Arc Welcomes New Board Members – Jonathan Barnes and Traci Kodeck
The Bowen Foundation for Autism Donates $19K to The Family Fund In Honor of Bowen Levy
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