By Eric Hess, CEO
The Dreams That Shape Us
Every one of us dreams of things in our life.
As I sit here writing this, I’m looking at a montage on my wall—family portraits from when my kids were very small. My mom, who has now passed away, is in these photos. My wife’s parents, who we are blessed to still have with us, are there too. My sister, and my three kids.
These photos remind me that ever since I was a little kid, I have dreamed of having a family.
A Dream That Guided My Life
Growing up, it was just me and my mom. I never knew my dad—and still don’t to this day. I didn’t grow up with siblings; my sister was born when I was 20.
Because of that, I always dreamed of having a family of my own one day. That dream influenced so many decisions in my life.
The dream of having a thriving family shaped the kind of person I chose to become. It shaped how I would show up as a husband. I was motivated to be the best husband I could be—loving, faithful, and supportive—so that my wife and children would have a healthy, stable home to grow in.
And amazingly, that same dream led Sadie and me to work together full-time, leading Compass.
The Growth That Dreams Require
That dream has also challenged me to grow—sometimes in hard ways that love requires. It pushed me to change, to stretch, and to become better than I was.
And today, I can honestly say my family dream has been fulfilled far beyond anything I could have imagined.
A Bigger Dream at Compass
In the same way, Compass has a dream.
We dream of impacting 1 million people with disabilities by 2031. That dream moves me. Almost every time I talk about it I get emotional, because we truly believe that people with disabilities deserve the very best support—from every agency, every organization, every system they encounter.
Leaning Into the Dream
As we celebrate Compass’s 30th year, we are leaning into that dream in a bigger way.
We are taking on hard challenges.
We are stretching ourselves to reach new communities.
We are improving systems—like Recruitment and our QSP software—so we can be more efficient and more effective in solving real problems.
We’re also building services that help other agencies grow and thrive, so they can better serve their clients. Because when those other agencies succeed, more people experience a better quality of life—and more dreams become possible.
A Culture of Dreaming
In 2026, we’re again leaning into our dream culture.
We’re encouraging our team members and our clients to declare their dreams and take real steps toward them—to step into the purpose on their lives.
Compass has always had a dream culture at its core, and we intend to keep it that way.
The Courage to Keep Going
One of the things I admire most about the people we serve—and the teams who support them—is their willingness to keep going.
Progress isn’t always flashy, but it’s real. And when you stay with the process long enough, the results start to show.
The Seasons of Growth
Spring is a good reminder of that.
It follows Winter—a time when it looks like nothing is growing, but actually roots are going deeper to support new life. That means growth takes time and faith.
And sometimes, it takes more patience than we expected—but it’s worth it.
Declaring Our Dreams
In the fall of 2025, we held a leadership event where 40 of our leaders stood in front of each other and declared their most precious dream.
I sat there listening, honestly amazed—by their vulnerability, their courage, and their passion. Some shared dreams about education, promotions, family reconciliation, health, and even writing their own books. Every single one of them shared something deeply personal—something they had been carrying in their heart.
Dreams in Action
Our clients do the same thing.
Each year, they work with their support teams to articulate and declare the dreams in their hearts. In our industry, we call it an ISP—but to me, it’s a dream board. It’s their written declaration of their desired future.
That’s why dreams are so central to who we are at Compass.
Keeping Dreams Alive
So we’re going to celebrate—with joy and passion—the many dreams we will see fulfilled in the years ahead.
And I hope you will too. I hope you take time to articulate, declare, and pursue your own dreams in this season.
Because at Compass, our role isn’t just to help people reach goals. It’s to help keep those dreams alive—through every season, especially the winter ones where progress feels slow.
We believe people deserve support that is patient, consistent, and hopeful enough to keep moving forward, even when the path takes time.
Spring Always Comes
Because the truth is, dreams don’t expire.
Spring always comes.
And at Compass, we are committed to keeping dreams alive—no matter the season.