By Sadie Hess, Compass Founder and CEO
Celebrating 30 Years of Compass
Compass is approaching our 30-year anniversary, and it is wild to think we have been doing this for 30 years! This month we are celebrating together while also dreaming about what is ahead for the next 30 years of Compass.
Truthfully, I’m a little embarrassed by how big we are celebrating. Compass Con was completely off the hook. Being dubbed the “Queen of Compass” for our Renaissance theme may have been just a tad over the top. But in all seriousness, I am deeply grateful and humbled by all the moments that have made up Compass.
A Journey Worth Celebrating
It has been quite a journey – one filled at times with sadness, loss, grief, worry, and pain, but also one filled with excitement, joy, vision, direction, and destiny. It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to watch it all unfold. I never could have imagined, as a 23-year-old setting out to start Compass, that it would grow into the Compass we know today.
I am incredibly grateful for the clients who have been with us for nearly our entire journey, people like BJ and Steve, who has been with us for 30 years, since the beginning. There are so many others who have also been with us for more than 20 years, including Jenelle (22 years), Jamie (25 years), Nicole (25 years), Richard (23 years), Karen and Rodney (25 years), Daniel, James, and Richard U (25 years), Ryan (20 years), and Cathy Jo (26 years).
There are also many clients we have lost along the way, and we want to honor and remember every individual we have had the privilege to serve. At Compass Con, we created a memorial wall because those individuals are an important part of our foundation and legacy.
We remember the trust they placed in us over the years, and we are deeply grateful for the impact they left on our lives and for all they taught us about person-centered care.
The People Who Have Carried the Mission
There are also many field staff who have been with us for decades. Some of BJ’s staff have been with her for more than 25 years. For most of my career, these individuals have faithfully shown up to serve Compass clients day in and day out. I am humbled, and I am filled with gratitude that they have given such a meaningful part of their lives to this work and to the people we support.
We also have many administrative staff who have been with us for 10, 15, and even 20+ years. I am so grateful to the people who have dedicated what has become so much of their life to this organization, to our mission, and to this dream we all share together.
A Compass Con to Remember
We truly do love to celebrate at Compass, and celebrate is exactly what we did at Compass Con. We dressed up, got silly, laughed, played, cried, and reflected together. We laughed with Zach Anner, the master of wit, were dazzled by Cody Clark, the wizard of wonder, entertained by the knights of Compass, and delighted by the royal Renaissance banquet. It was a chapter in Compass history. It felt like the culmination of 30 years of grit, hope, perseverance, and dreaming big dreams together.
And we will continue celebrating all year long. We have more events planned throughout the year because we believe in celebrating both the big moments and the small ones. We are celebrating you – the clients who have chosen to place their trust in us, the staff who continually show up with dedication and heart, and the administrative teams who have led so faithfully for so many years.
The Best Is Still Ahead
This is not just my celebration. It belongs to all of us. You are all so worth celebrating, and I truly cannot thank each of you enough for what you bring to our world at Compass. Compass would not be the same without you; I would not be the same without you. Thank you for being part of the story of Compass. Whether you have been here for 30 years or 30 days, you matter deeply to this organization, and I truly believe the best is still ahead of us.