L.E. Phillips Career Development Center - WI - Eau Claire

Our mission is to be a viable business enterprise as a means to provide meaningful and appropriate vocational services and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities or disadvantages.

On July 1, 1959 the organization was incorporated under provision of Chapter 181 of the Wisconsin Statutes, without stock and not for profit. Attorney Victor Tronsdale assisted with the incorporation of the organization, along with the five incorporators- Vera Affet, Margaret Bucy, Melvin Chada, Charles Powers and Charles Safford. The first Board of Directors was established during the same year with Charles Powers as the president. The organization was known as The Shelter for Handicapped, Inc. and was located in the McDonough School. A more suitable building with 2,300 square feet was purchased on 9th Avenue in the fall of 1959.

In 1963, the organization leased a city recreation building on Gibson Street. The shelter experienced two unfortunate losses in 1965. Bob Southard, a man who had been with the shelter for five years, passed away on January 3. He had served as Board President and Executive Director. He had also been named Wisconsin's Handicapped Man of the Year in 1960 and was one of the early supporters of the organization.

On May 28, the recreation building purchased two years earlier was destroyed by a fire. The shelter had very little money to work with after the fire and a debate on whether to build, buy or lease a new center ensued. The debate was short-lived, thanks to the generosity of Lewis E. Phillips who donated the old Ed Phillips building at 223 Dewey Street, along with a $32,000 grant for remodeling purposes. This grant was supplemented by a $68,000 grant from the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. The remodeled building with 23,000 square feet was occupied in 1966. During the interim, space was obtained on North Barstow.

Further misfortune struck in February 1969 when Phil Breitman who had been with the Center almost since its inception passed away. He had just completed two years as president of the Board of Directors. In May of 1969, the Presto Foundation donated graphic arts equipment in excess of $20,000 to create a Phillip Breitman Memorial Graphic Arts Department. On January 27, 1970, the cooperation was legally changed to Career Development Center, Inc.

In December 1975, National Presto Industries donated to the L.E. Phillips Career Development Center Inc. it' Ball Street plant which was valued in excess of $450,000 and had approximately 106,000 square feet of floor space located on 3.4 acres. Remodeling of this facility was done during 1976 and officially began operating on January 2, 1977 and is still the present day location.

We work with clients in a variety of different ways, from providing in house employment, job coaching for those employed in the community, guardianship, and many others. We contract with other community businesses for our production. We work to motivate our clients, better our community and empower everyone.