Jonathan Sailer
Age:38.
Job: Educational consultant for University of the Child and director of the Rochester Center for Autism.
Company:My wife, Bobbie Passe, and I opened the University of the Child this month. It has long been a dream of ours to open a child care center that can provide quality, affordable care in an accepting environment. My work at the Rochester Center for Autism has opened my eyes to how difficult it can be to find child care when your child has special needs. This year, we were finally able to open the University of the Child. With the help of our director, Liz Mangan, we are providing a nurturing and accepting environment for every child who enters our doors.
Education:Bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's in education.
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Experience:I worked at Wisconsin Early Autism Project, New England Center for Children and Boston public schools.
What book, website, television show or movie has left a big impression on you within the past year:I just finished reading "Half a Life" by Darrin Strauss. It is a memoir about how the author accidentally killed a teenage classmate in a car accident when he was 17. It details to great effect the struggles the author faced after such a traumatic event.
Do you use social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter?I am on Facebook, but I don’t use it much. It is fun to see pictures of friends, but for the most part I see and talk to everyone in my life who I want to.
What’s your business philosophy, if you could distill it to one paragraph?I never imagined myself running a company, so I would say my philosophy is constantly evolving. I treat people with respect. I come to life and business as a learner, and I strive to educate myself as much as possible to make the best decisions.
How did you get into the child care business?As a parent and professional, I have seen a real need for child care services that are focused on the unique characteristics of each child. My work with the Rochester Center for Autism has made it possible for us to branch out with this new endeavor.
What differentiates your new child care center from others?Our center offers an inclusive setting for children of all abilities. We aim to provide superior and developmentally focused quality of care for the children we serve. We offer an inclusive environment for children of all ability types. Our staff is trained in elements of applied behavior analysis in order to best serve the children we work with.
What do you most enjoy about your job?I love seeing the progress our students make. There is nothing more gratifying in the world than helping a child succeed.
