Arc and Seacorp agencies to join forces

The Arc of New London County and Seacorp Inc. said Friday they will merge their operations to better serve the needs of those with intellectual and related disabilities in southeastern Connecticut.

The merger of the Norwich-based Arc with Seacorp of Uncasville will create a combined agency with an annual operating budget of more than $9 million and 265 full- and part-time associates.

"Nonprofits have to work as aggressively as possible to deliver quality services as efficiently as possible," said Kathleen Stauffer, who will serve as chief executive of the newly merged organization. "Our shared vision and similar genesis make this a natural partnership, both in terms of continuing service quality and expanding targeted services for our participants," she said.

Both the Arc of New London County and Seacorp were established as grass-roots movements by families seeking more involvement and greater opportunity for their loved ones with intellectual and related disabilities. The agencies are licensed private providers who primarily support those served by the state's Department of Developmental Services.

The merger creates a nonprofit agency with a combined 86 years of experience. Seacorp, which employs 65, serves 40 individuals in eight community-living homes in the region. The Arc of New London County is one of 22 Arc agencies around Connecticut. It employs 200 full- and part-time associates and serves nearly 500 participants through its in-home support services, employment services, community-living homes and summer and winter programs held at Camp Harkness in Waterford.

The agencies did not disclose any financial terms of the merger.

While Stauffer will serve as the chief executive, Laurie Herring-Sylvestre, Seacorp's executive director, will serve as a senior executive of the merged organization with the title of chief quality assurance officer. Eventually, the combined groups will be known as The Arc of New London County.

Stauffer said the merger of the Norwich and Uncasville agencies is expected to produce long-term efficiencies, including offering a larger on-call staffing pool, which will reduce overtime costs, and new scheduling improvements.

She said the merger will make the combined organization one of the largest providers of community-living arrangements for those with intellectual and related disabilities in southeastern Connecticut.

Roberta Hublard, president of Seacorp's board of directors, said the merger will make the agencies stronger. "It makes us better able to support the people we serve," she added.

John Fournier, who heads the Arc's board of directors, agreed. "We are doing more than establishing a smarter, leaner platform," he said. "We are positioning ourselves for change and growth, despite a challenging economic climate."