STAATSBURG — Anderson Center for Autism announced that it has promoted town of LaGrange resident Gina Williamson, RN, BSN to the position of Director of Health and Related Services. In this role, Williamson oversees all health-related care and quality control for residents, students, and staff of Anderson.
A graduate of Purdue University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, Williamson spent the early part of her career in clinics and hospital settings before being named Nursing Supervisor for Children’s Services at Anderson Center for Autism in January, 2016. She was promoted by Anderson in 2018 to Coordinator of Children’s Services. Since that time, Williamson has expanded Anderson’s Nutrition Services program, provided effective and efficient leadership, created and chaired the Senior Care Committee, developed and implemented an in-depth Health Assessment, and helped to launch a new electronic health record, among other achievements. In January of 2020, Williamson took responsibility for the oversight of Related Services and was promoted to Director of Health and Related Services, and has since focused on promoting health and well-being throughout the global pandemic by studying and carrying out Covid-related preventive care measures for residents, students, and colleagues, working with the Department of Health, and more recently, organizing vaccine distributions with Northern Dutchess Hospital (Nuvance Health).
“Gina Williamson is truly deserving of this advancement opportunity,” said Patrick Paul, CEO/Executive Director of Anderson Center for Autism. “She has risen to the challenge of navigating the extremely difficult waters throughout the pandemic, and has done so with an unwavering commitment to maintaining the highest standards of care for our residents, students, and colleagues. We are in awe of her unflappable leadership and dedication, and we’re thrilled to have her leading this department at Anderson.”
Anderson Center for Autism is a nonprofit organization based in Staatsburg that provides educational, vocational, and residential services to people with Autism Spectrum Disorder. According to the Centers for Disease Control (2020), 1 in 54 people are diagnosed with the neurological disorder, which presents with communication, social, and sensory processing challenges. Anderson attracts students from all over the country, and fellows from all corners of the globe.
Noted Williamson: “It is a great privilege to serve in this capacity; I love my work and will continue to do all I can to help carry out Anderson’s mission of ‘optimizing the quality of life for people with autism’, as it has become my passion. Anderson has an exceptionally talented, intelligent, and caring team, and I am very grateful for this wonderful opportunity.