This year, Fello is celebrating 65 years of impact, advocacy, and inclusive community-building alongside people with disabilities across Maryland. To mark this milestone, Jonathon Rondeau, President & CEO of Fello, joined the Fello Thinking Differently podcast to reflect on Fello’s 65-year legacy in our communities and how it continues to shape our work—today and beyond.
In this episode, “65 Years of Impact: The Story of Fello”, Jonathon shares how Fello began, what has guided our work for more than six decades, and why those values guide our work today. From our earliest days advocating for inclusion to the person-centered services and inclusive communities we support today, Fello has always been shaped by listening to people and building the services people tell us they want and need.
As we celebrate Fello’s 65th anniversary, take a few minutes to listen as Jonathon details how it all began and why it still matters for the people we support and our communities today.
Listen Now: YouTube – https://bit.ly/44ZeaJ5 | Apple Podcasts – https://bit.ly/4973P0e | Spotify – https://bit.ly/4973P0e
A Legacy of Excellence & Possibility
For 65 years, Fello’s work has been guided by a simple but powerful idea: people with disabilities deserve the same opportunities, access, and connection as anyone else. From advocacy and direct services to housing and community development, Fello’s approach has always centered the voices, goals, and choices of the people we support.
“The people we support—their ideas, stories, needs, and best interests—are at the heart of everything we do,” said Jonathon Rondeau, President & CEO of Fello. “We have been creating the services people tell us they need for 65 years, and we are continuing that legacy in our 65th year and beyond.”
Over the last six and a half decades, Fello has grown in scale and reach, but many of the values that guide our work—choice, inclusion, opportunity, and access—continue to define who we are.
Innovation Rooted in Community
Building on a 65-year legacy of listening and inclusion, Fello continues to evolve by responding to real community needs. Today, our person-centered services champion the rights of people with disabilities and invest in what matters most: real opportunities, strong relationships, and inclusive, equitable communities.
“Fello wasn’t started necessarily to be a provider of services,” said Jonathon. “Today we provide a whole array of services, but really at the beginning, it was, ‘How do we change what’s happening in our community so children and adults with disabilities can be fully included?'”
Fello’s commitment to innovation, thoughtful growth, and strategic risk-taking has shaped Fello into the organization it is today—one that continues to challenge assumptions, create new opportunities, and build inclusive communities where people with disabilities can thrive.
How Fello Innovates & Creates What’s Next
In this episode, Jonathon explores Fello’s reputation for innovation and improvement and how our choices as an organization keep us responsive, competitive, and leaders in the community.
Jonathon Rondeau: So, our focus on equity and inclusion and creating communities that people with disabilities can be fully included in is the foundation of who we are today.
Alex: Right.
Jonathon: But as an organization that’s 65 years old, of course we’ve evolved, we all evolve over time–we better! But I think our core of who we are hasn’t changed. I think we are a lot more focused on our values, and what those values mean for both the people we serve and our employees.
Check out the full conversation with Jonathon Rondeau to learn more about Fello’s future wherever you get your podcasts.
YouTube – https://bit.ly/44ZeaJ5 | Apple Podcasts – https://bit.ly/4973P0e | Spotify – https://bit.ly/4973P0e