Mission Executive Council
Ms. Heather Ferro is a long time Lasalllian and it all began at Tides Family Services (TFS) in West Warwick, RI, where she first served as a Youth Diversion Student Intern. Since then, Ferro has worked her way up through the Tides organization, and has most recently served as the Vice President of Quality Management.
Part of her quality management responsiblilities at Tides included assuring that all agency staff, programs, services, policies and procedures meet a level of professional standards in keeping with accepted best practices in the field. For Ferro, that’s not just meeting standards for the Council On Accreditation (COA) standards, or overseeing Quality Improvement Activities (QIA), but also making sure that staff members are engaged in the charism of our founder, St. John Baptist de La Salle. Ask any of her colleagues, and they will tell you that for Ferro, her work with Tides youth is her life’s vocation; the Lasallian mission is part of her.
Since 2000, Tides Family Services has been partnered with La Salle Academy in Providence, RI, providing services for students and families, with Ferro supervising the process. In 2006, Ferro took on site directorship responsibilities for Tides, providing guidance and support for the Lasallian Volunteers who have given dedicated service to so many Tides students and families throughout the state.
It’s clear that Ferro cares about the Lasallian mission and continually looks for new and creative ways to get as many Tides staff involved in activities and formation programs. Even before the District of Eastern North America was formed, Ferro was on legacy Long Island-New England District boards and advisory committees, helping to shape the Lasallian mission. One colleague noted that anyone can tell how devoted Ferro is to her work with at-risk kids,
“When she talks about a Tides’ client or case, you can feel the passion in her voice, and how dedicated she is to making sure kids are being taken care of. She’s hands down, one of the most Lasallian among us!”