The man who has been at the helm of the Thames Valley Children’s Centre (TVCC) for the past 25 years will ride off into the sunset next year.
Dr. John LaPorta has announced plans to retire in June 2019.
As the TVCC's chief executive officer, LaPorta increased the centre's annual clientele from 3,600 to over 9,000 and boosted the number of frontline staff to 345. LaPorta was also instrumental in the establishment of a Southwest Regional Autism program and led a campaign to add a 30,000 sq ft third-floor to the head office in London to accommodate growth.
The centre operates 14 locations throughout southwestern Ontario and offers a variety of services to children with special needs, including physical disabilities, communication disorders, developmental delays, and autism spectrum disorders.
The search for LaPorta's successor is expected to begin this fall.