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PAUL WEILER TO RETIRE IN
DECEMBER |
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The Board of Directors of Youth Service Bureau (YSB)
announced the retirement of Executive Director Paul Weiler, effective in late
2010. According to Paula
Hemer, YSB’s current Board President, “Paul has provided outstanding leadership
since the founding of our agency more than 30 years ago, and he has effectively
grown the organization from one office of 3 staff in Stillwater to more than 17
staff with additional offices in Woodbury, and Cottage Grove and services in
Western Wisconsin, Oakdale, and Maplewood.”
In 1978, the newly formed St. Croix Valley Youth Service
Bureau hired Weiler to launch programs designed to keep youth out of the courts
in the Stillwater area. Quickly
realizing that some youth needed more than educational awareness classes, he
added family counseling. Prior to
Weiler’s tenure with YSB he worked for a nonprofit serving youth and families
in St Paul.
As the schools and local law enforcement agencies became
more reliant on the effective youth diversion programs available through YSB,
more staff and new quarters were needed.
The County offered affordable space in the newly vacated historic
courthouse, so the St. Croix Valley Youth Service Bureau moved there in
1985. The agency continues to
occupy the former sheriff quarters at that location.
After 17 years of successful services in the Stillwater
Area, the St. Croix Valley YSB merged with South Communities Counseling
Services based in Cottage Grove with Weiler as the new chief executive
officer. The newly combined Youth
Service Bureau, Inc. maintained the two locations, to keep services more
accessible to families. Since
then, a third service center was added in Woodbury.
Under Weiler’s leadership, YSB has stayed true to its
purpose of keeping youth out of the courts. At the same time, he has worked collaboratively with
numerous partners to address the needs of community youth. Recent initiatives include drug prevention
specialists based in several schools, alternative to school suspension programs
and several youth court programs.
Over the years, YSB expanded its reach to now include the
Cities of Oakdale and Maplewood and nearby Pierce County. In 2009, YSB used awareness classes,
restorative justice programs, suspension alternatives; chemical health
prevention, youth development and youth focused family counseling to work with
1,875 youth.
Weiler lives in Stillwater with his wife, Lynn. They plan to stay in the valley after
retiring.
“We’re looking forward to do some traveling and spending more
time at our cabin,” Weiler said.
The YSB Board of Directors has initiated a comprehensive
search process for Mr. Weiler’s successor. “We hope to have the new Executive Director on the job by
December 1, to allow time for mentoring by Paul,” reported Hemer.
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