There are two kinds of people who give their time to organizations they are passionate about: Those who volunteer in their free time and those who make it their life’s work. It takes both types of people to make the world a better place. Born and raised in Florida, Michelle Turchetta’s career in education and business has prepared her to champion the underserved members of our community as area director for Easterseals Florida, Inc.
What is your background? After I graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in exceptional education, I moved to Georgia and taught middle school students with mild-to-moderate intellectual disabilities in a small group setting. I stopped teaching when my daughter was born. Soon after starting graduate school, my inevitable divorce happened, after which I moved back to central Florida to be closer to my family. My career took a detour during this time when I went to work for my mom, who owned a net branch of a mortgage company. I also completed my master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. My mortgage career ended abruptly when the market collapsed and I went on to work in various capacities in Fort Myers, Orlando, Austin (Texas), and Naples. Every experience along the way has prepared me for my current position as the area director for Easterseals Florida, Inc.
Tell us about your family. I met the love of my life in early 2007 – right before the housing market tanked. He was a single dad with custody of his two young kids. We officially became a family of five on August 2, 2008. At that time, our three kids were just 4, 5, and 7 years old. We have never done “steps”. We are all one family; our kids just have some extra branches in their family tree! My husband, Greg Turchetta, has been the executive director of Communications and Community Engagement for Collier County Public Schools since 2014. Right now, our three kids are all teenagers attending Naples High School: Maddie is a freshman, Joey is a sophomore, and Marina is a senior. We also have two very entitled dogs and a spoiled rotten bearded dragon.
Tell us about your role at Easterseals. I oversee Easterseals Academy and LEAP in Naples. Easterseals Academy in Naples prepares young people with special needs to successfully transition to post-secondary education, work and/ or a living situation that maximizes their
independence for the next stage in their life. It also provides high-quality academics, job readiness training, and life skills training for students in middle and high school (ages 11-22) who have autism and/ or development disabilities. The Easterseals LEAP (Life Skills, Employment Readiness, Advocacy, and Participation) program is an Adult Day Training program for individuals with developmental disabilities ages 18 and up. LEAP members learn important life and social skills, community-based job skills, and other unique, individualized programming.
What is something that would surprise us about your work/the community you serve? Students with disabilities “age out” of school at age 22. This is a very challenging time for the students and their families. Many important decisions must be made. Parents must decide if their child’s transition will be to participate in a social- recreation program, volunteer, hold a full- time or part-time job, or some combination of these things. Is post-secondary education a possibility? Being a resource for families during this time is very important to us.
What do you want us to know about that community? Unemployment for people with a disability is three times as high as it is for people without a disability. Creating unique opportunities in the community is an important focus for all of our programs in Naples.
What is a typical day for your family? Greg and I work as a team to navigate through the logistics of every day – school, appointments, extra-curricular activities, meetings, etc. This school year will be very different for us because all three kids will be attending the same school and our oldest daughter drives! We are extremely fortunate to have “date nights” every Wednesday.
What does your family like to do on the weekends when you are together? Our kids grew up boating just about every weekend. We’ve really enjoyed water sports, spotting dolphins, and going to restaurants by boat. We are often pulled in many directions and therefore often “divide and conquer” our weekends.
How does working in education make both of you better parents? We are very open to talking about whatever challenges come our way. We face the same struggles and fears that other families face. Parenting is quite the journey!
What are your biggest challenges right now as a mom? Walking the fine line between holding on and letting go. I remind myself regularly that our goal has always been to raise adults – not children. We want them to grow up to be healthy, loving, and functional adults. High school is such a formative time in life, and we are really enjoying watching each of our children grow up to be unique individuals.
What are your goals for this stage of your life? Maintaining a healthy work- life balance is my focus these days. And although I have no idea what it would look like, I’d like to create a business with my husband that combines our talents and interests.
Best parenting advice? This quote always stands out: “Behind every great kid is a mom who is pretty sure she’s messing it all up.”