Chet Doheny
Chairman, and Executive Director
ICES Inc., Connecticut Transportation Solutions LLC, SAKE LLC, and 440 Chase LLC
ICES Inc., Connecticut Transportation Solutions LLC, SAKE LLC, and 440 Chase LLC
Chet Doheny took an unusual route to the human services field. Originally from Wisconsin, he came to Connecticut to pursue a cook’s position at the Southbury Training School where he served intellectually and physically disabled individuals. When a direct support professional position was available at the school, he jumped at the opportunity. Chet was able to thrive in this role due to his intuition and ability to develop innovative solutions enabling him to change processes and procedures that had been in place for decades. This greatly benefited his clients in numerous ways. Being self-motivated, caring with a strong aptitude for thriving in high-energy environments, he quickly moved up the direct support professional ladder. While Chet was changing the lives of the individuals he was supporting, he soon realized the impact they had on his life was far more than could be imagined. His experience as a direct support professional had changed his life and future ambitions.
Realizing the challenges adults and children with special needs face, Chet knew he needed to build his own business to truly change the support model and lives of these individuals. Doheny has said, “I realized there was great need for an agency that would provide excellent services to anyone, no matter how challenging the situation.” With this goal in mind, his business model was formed. Chet’s mission is to improve the quality of life while supporting the needs of the individuals in his care. His unwavering commitment to this mission can be seen throughout his companies, his team members, and the many individuals he has supported over the years.
Not only does Doheny have over 30 years’ service in the human services industry, but he also has the rare experience of working in both the private and public sectors. “I understand the challenges the public-sector faces in their duties of both serving and protecting people with intellectual disabilities. As a private provider, I consider it a responsibility to work closely with my counter parts and peers in the public sector to serve an extremely challenging population.”
Doheny is married and has three daughters. Spending quality time with his children is something that is very important to him. “Being a father is the best job in the world and my greatest accomplishment. Being able to raise my daughters is not only a privilege, but an honor.” he says. Being a child raised by a single mother with mental health issues, Chet made it his priority to give his children the best life possible, affording them opportunities he never had.
Having received a GED, Chet had reached a plateau in his career due to lack of higher education. During an interview with Executive Director Michael Richards at the Instituteof Professional Practice (Woodbridge, CT), Doheny was told he was not promotable even though he was the best and most qualified candidate. He was told, “You are so good at this, why don’t you start your own agency?” These words partnered with Chet’s vision of providing a better life to those under his care, fueled him to take a chance on himself and start his own business. Mr. Richards continued to be a great friend, resource and mentor until he sadly lost his battle with cancer.
Day to Day: As a CEO and Executive Director, Doheny continues to navigate an ever-changing political and economic environment that is at times stuck in an outdated mindset. He serves a population that while on the surface is publicly supported, is systematically being decimated in funding and has limited integration into the larger community. He works daily to look for new opportunities to improve his individual lives and to move the industry forward.
Strategic: Doheny is known as a visionary who is constantly looking for new creative ideas to allow individuals with disabilities to lead happy and fulfilled lives. He continues to look to the community and similar populations to maximize services and find new and innovative solutions. For example, noticing an abundance of in-home elder care companies being formed, Doheny became concerned with the lack of/or limited training provided to the support staff servicing the clients. Seeing the connection and overlap in skills his staff possessed, Doheny was instrumental in developing the first and only training approved by the Office of Higher Education for Personal Care Assistants. Leveraging his training model for elder care, the opportunity was right for Doheny to branch out and form a new company called Grand Care Companions, which is a premium care service for the elderly. He is furthering this vision into a state-of-the-art senior living facility which is being developed in Prospect, CT.
Formed Innovative Children’s Environmental Services Inc. (non-profit) in 1998 to teach families skills in working with behaviorally challenged adults and children.· Formed ICES, Inc in 2002. A residential and vocational leader in assisting adults and children with intellectual and mental health disabilities integrate into and become productive members of their community.· Formed Connecticut Transportation Solutions, LCC (CTS) in 2003. CTS assists school districts, state agencies, and private schools with their transportation needs of typical and special needs children.· Formed SAKE, LLC in 1998. A real estate company providing housing for the at-risk population in safe areas. Since the company’s inception, the SAKE model has been instrumental in integrating this population into the community through education and partnership.