After nearly 50 years of employment and a variety of roles in the agency, Anitra Wilson has retired from The Arc of Essex County.

Anitra was 19 years old when she first started working in The Arc’s Home Assistance Program (HAP) after seeing an ad in the newspaper in 1974. Soon after, she was promoted to childcare specialist. She has been on The Arc team over the decades since, most recently working as Safety Manager for the Transportation and Property Management department.

In her time working in the HAP, she focused on the babies in Arc programs and assisted families with everyday needs such as food, housing, Social Security, and rental assistance. “I’ve met so many families and fell in love with all of them,” Anitra says. “It’s so amazing to see those babies I met when they were five or six months old to be fully grown adults now. I’ve loved watching them grow.”

Anitra says what she has loved most about working at The Arc has been the way the agency has brought people with intellectual and developmental disabilities out into the community, and she will most miss the consumers and families she has worked with. She will also miss her many friendships in The Arc office.

“Anitra has been a valued and dedicated employee who has touched the lives of countless individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and staff,” says Linda C. Lucas, CEO of The Arc of Essex County. “Throughout her time at The Arc, she has been so much more than her job title—she has also been a good friend to so many. I have had the privilege of working alongside her for more than 45 years and I can truly say that she is one of a kind. We will miss her greatly, but we wish her all the best in her well-deserved retirement.”

Anitra’s last day was May 31. The entire Arc of Essex County family wishes her the best in her new chapter. As Anitra looks back at her nearly half-century with The Arc, she says, “It’s been an amazing journey.”