Rappahannock Area Community Services Board selected Joseph Wickens to be the agency’s Executive Director. He succeeds Jane Yaun, who retired April 1.
“Community services boards are facing unprecedented pressures, so we were happy to choose someone who has decades of experience,” Board of Directors Chairperson Kheia Hilton said. “That experience will help us make a smooth transition in leadership while providing important services to our community.”
Wickens began working at RACSB as a residential counselor in 1997. He expected to find a part-time job to support him as he attended what was then Mary Washington College. He found a passion for helping individuals with developmental disabilities and a career that has spanned 24 years.
“I started at Wolfe Street Group Home, and I saw that the services provided changed the lives of adults with disabilities and their families,” Wickens said. “I saw that we do important work in our community, and I wanted to be part of that.”
Wickens went on to manage group homes, oversee residential services and direct community support services for RACSB. He graduated from Mary Washington College in 2001, and then earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Mary Washington in 2010. Throughout his career, he has received many honors, including a Virginia Housing Award, and was chosen as one of the region’s Top 40 under 40 in 2012. He is a 2016 alumnus of Leadership Fredericksburg.
He takes the over the helm of an organization that served nearly 25,000 individuals in Fiscal Year 2021. With a staff of 550, RACSB provides behavioral health and developmental disability services, including outpatient therapy, emergency services, day support, residential programs, prevention, early intervention, crisis intervention and more.
“RACSB has a long tradition of evolving to meet the changing needs of our community while staying steadfast to our mission,” Wickens said. “I am proud to be part of that and committed to our vision of supporting education, recovery, treatment and wellness of the individuals in our community.
Wickens lives in Spotsylvania County with his wife and four children.
