Laura Brown-Yadlosky

What’s your current position?  How long have you been in this position?  Can you give me a brief overview of what it is you do in your work?

I have been with KCR for 20 years over the years working my way up in the organization; in 2015 I became President of the company.  My role is to create an environment for success for our staff and the people we serve.  Every day we work to serve 1300 individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities in PA and NJ.

What would you say most motivates you to do the work you do?  What are you most passionate about? 

I am energized when I hear from families that they are happy with the services their loved ones are receiving or when I hear from a colleague how impressed they were with our staff’s support of our clients.

Where did you grow up and did you go to a college/trade school after high school?  Where did you go, and what was that like? How did you end up in NEPA?

I grew up in western New York State on a dairy farm, and my parents were also caregivers for individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities.  These experiences created a strong work ethic and desire to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves.  I attended Fillmore Central School and went onto the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford (UPB) where I obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.  I furthered my studies at St. Bonaventure University graduating with a Master’s Degree in Education.

I met my husband, Justin while attending UPB and we subsequently relocated to NEPA when I secured my position at KCR.  We are now raising our children here.

Did you have any key mentors or people who deeply influenced who you are?  Tell a bit about them and what they did that influenced you.

Throughout my life I have had many people influence my success.  Every experience has been an opportunity to learn something new, every person important to my story.  In the beginning, my parents were great role models for a strong work ethic and serving others.  A key person during my college years was my boss at my college job, she was a role model for me as she had a great career and was raising a family at the same time.  I saw then that I didn’t have to choose one over the other, I could have a great career and have a great family, if I worked hard.

How did you learn about Leadership Lackawanna? In what class year and program did you participate? Describe your experience. How did the program affect you post-graduation? What has your involvement with leadership Lackawanna been post-gradutaion?

I was in the class of 2009, it allowed me as a professional not living, but working in Lackawanna County to learn more about local businesses and professionals.  I have regularly encouraged my staff to participate in the program as a part of their leadership development as I directly experienced the benefits of the program.  Networking with professionals outside of your industry is critical to leadership development and business success.