February 10, 2025
Sarah Stortz, Carroll Times Herald
Jan. 23, 2025
NEW HOPE VILLAGE
During the final months of 2024, New Hope welcomed two additions to the organization’s leadership team.
Scot Aden and Toni Crocker recently stepped-in as the new Chief Operations Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer respectively. Aden joined on Dec. 17, 2024 and Crocker started on Nov. 18, 2024.
SARAH STORTZ | TIMES HERALD Scot Aden, the Chief Operations Officer of New Hope, and Toni Crocker, the Chief Human Resources Officer of New Hope, recently joined the leadership team in late 2024.
Both having roots in Carroll County, Crocker is an IKM-Manning High School graduate and Aden is a Kuemper Catholic High School graduate.
Crocker holds an associate’s degree in early childhood education from Iowa Western Community College. Crocker then attended Buena Vista University, earning a degree in Business Management and an emphasis in Human Resources.
Aden obtained his undergraduate degree from St. Ambrose University. He later went to Drake University to earn a master’s degree in Education.
“My educational journey has provided me with both a strong foundation and leadership and a deep understanding of how education and development can enrich lives, which aligns perfectly with the mission of New Hope Village,” Aden said.
Aden said he was drawn to the position because of the organization’s commitment towards making a positive impact towards the individuals they serve.
“The mission of the organization aligns perfectly with my values, and I was excited about the opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of such a well respected community organization,” Aden said.
Throughout most of her career, Crocker said she’s worked in a Human Resources position in the healthcare field.
“I do have a passion for working for organizations that make a positive impact on someone’s life on a day-to-day basis,” Crocker said.
Lately, Aden said his day-to-day at New Hope is quite dynamic, with each day looking different. Inside of his office, Charli, a certified therapy dog, can occasionally be spotted accompanying Aden to work.
“I wear a lot of different hats,” Aden said. “Right now, I’m spending a lot of time meeting with staff, reviewing the operational processes and ensuring that we’re maintaining high standards of care for the individuals we serve.”
Aden said he’s also spending a lot of time collaborating with the leadership team to identify areas of improvement.
Similarly, Crocker said her schedule is often prone to changes. Crocker may have a day dedicated to policy reviews and employee handbook updates. However, she could be pulled into a meeting or receive a call about an employee needing a leave of absence.
“No matter what organization that you know you’re working for, you just have to learn about the organization first. You know where their strengths lie and where their needs are coming from,” Crocker said. “My day so far can change so much, I just have to be very flexible and able to adapt to who needs my assistance at the moment.”
So far, Aden said he’s been impressed with the dedication and passion from the workforce. In terms of the services they provide, Aden said he clearly sees the pride from the employees.
“The collaborative spirit and positive attitude within the team makes it a pleasure to come to work every day,” Aden said. “Everybody I interview, that’s the one thing that comes out all the time, is pride in the people we serve and the services we provide.”
As she’s growing to know of the employees at New Hope, Crocker said she sees their dedication from all levels.
“New Hope truly does have an amazing group of employees, from the executive team down to our direct support professionals, because they all have such a passion for what we do and for the [people] that we serve, knowing that we are all here for the same mission and that’s to enrich the lives of those that we care for and serve,” Crocker said.
After joining New Hope, Crocker reports New Hope now has witnessed a decline in its vacancy rate.
“Our turnover rate and vacancy rate has really, really improved in the last three months since I’ve been here, so it’s a really good positive thing to see for the organization,” Crocker said.
Stacey Vonnahme, the Chief Public Relations Officer for New Hope, said one reason employee retention is improving is because the organization has a full executive team again.
“Every position is full and everybody’s got someone to talk to,” Vonnahme said.
In their roles, Vonnahme said the executive team not only serves individuals with disabilities, but also family members, employees and the community as a whole. Last summer, Vonnahme said New Hope changed their mission to “Enriching Lives” to reflect this idea.
“They wanted to say we’re enriching the lives of our employees and our communities as well as the people we serve,” Vonnahme said.
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