Announcement of new assistant director

Stepping Stones welcomes David Stanley as the new Assistant Director - Development and Public Relations! David takes the role previously filled by Corrisa Villeneuve who moved into the Executive Director position in April.

David Stanley comes to Stepping Stones with an abundance of experience and knowledge in community services in the Chippewa Valley. With background in public health, human services, harm reduction, overdose prevention and response, crisis services, community connection, non-profits and peer support, David brings many tools and skills into the organization.

"I have been involved in communities within the Chippewa Valley pretty much since moving here in 5th grade. In my teens, I got involved by filming city council meetings for the local public access tv station and regularly helping to distribute flyers and announcements for local events.

Later in life, I served a term in the US Army shortly after 9/11 during which time I was married and started a family. When I got back, I tried my hand at many professions including food service, iron works, personal security, factory and warehouse work, canine boarding kennel, feed mill and a call center.

These experience built a set of very diverse skills and, most valuable to me, meeting and connecting with people from many different backgrounds and situations.

I know what affects those who work night shifts and weekends because I have done so. I know what it means to ask someone to 'just work more hours' in a high demand or hazardous job, or on the other end, be told that a project has ended so you're unemployed now or have to figure out how to pay bills with reduced hours.

In 2017 I decided to go back to school since I had the federal GI Bill to use. I enrolled in the Criminal Justice program at CVTC. To supplement income in a more flexible way than traditional employment, I joined AmeriCorps (I was also a volunteer disaster responder with the Red Cross at this time) and was placed with the Eau Claire City-County Health Dept. My first service year I was trained as a Volunteer Coordinator through Marshfield Clinic AmeriCorps and my second service year I was trained as a Community Health Liaison through WI Health Corps.

When my second service year was up, I took a position with Vivent Health in Eau Caire as a Prevention Specialist (providing services for a 13 county area) where I learned about harm reduction, overdose prevention, STI's, and educational presenting! The Covid Pandemic hit during this time and I took the opportunity (while continuing services as an essential worker)to learn how to become a Certified Peer Specialist and took on the role of Community Coordinator at WIMA, where I was part of the non-profit leadership team for Monarch House and Kaleidoscope Center in Menomonie while also doing on-call mobile mental health crisis response with Northwest Connections in Dunn County.

I went on to use my lived experience and peer specialist certification to work as a Peer Support Specialist with the Crisis team, behavioral health division, of Eau Claire County Human Services where I provided support services in collaboration with crisis workers, social workers, law enforcement, EMS, Comprehensive Community Services and Community Recovery Services.

Through the last several years I have been involved in several committees, boards and workgroups at state and more local levels. These range from peer support, crisis services, harm reduction, lived experience, housing, substance use, and recovery services. I stay as involved in these because I, myself, have struggled with many of these things at various times in my life and I feel that I have the privilege to be in positions where I can bring those experiences and those of peers I have met to decision and policy making circles to truly change things for good and for effectiveness.

Off hours, I enjoy collecting books, music, nature, techy gadgets, moderate gaming, science fiction, going to the gym and movies (please don't let movie theaters or any more drive-ins close!!!). My family consists of 3 children (2 adults and 1 teen), my partner Trista, 3 cats, a bearded dragon and a green cheeked conure named Ianto Jones.

I have lived here in Menomonie for about 5 years now and have grown to love the community and atmosphere here. What I have seen is a community that truly cares about it's neighbors and wants to be known as fairly independent and caring.

I see Stepping Stones as a great example of this and intend to help bridge connections and understanding of the organization's efforts and programs to the community and partner organizations so we can improve and maintain charity and independence in Dunn County while truly helping those who come to our doorstep.

I am truly excited to work with such an amazing team and group of volunteers here at Stepping Stones and continue to serve communities in the Chippewa Valley!"

David Stanley, Assistant Director Development & PR