Empowering Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled Adults: A Conversation with Meg Blackwood, CEO of InCommunity (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 840)
In this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray speaks with Meg Blackwood, CEO of InCommunity, about the organization’s mission to support intellectually and developmentally disabled adults. Meg shares her passion for the cause, driven by a personal connection, and discusses the variety of services InCommunity offers, including residential care, employability programs, day services, and the unique host program. The conversation also touches on the challenges faced by the intellectually disabled adult population, especially in terms of affordable housing and the need for robust support networks. Meg highlights the significant contributions of direct support professionals (DSPs) and calls for increased community support through donations, volunteer opportunities, and corporate partnerships. Listen to learn about the impactful work of InCommunity and how you can get involved.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is recorded and produced by the North Fulton affiliate of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
Meg Blackwood, CEO, InCommunity
Meg Blackwood is the CEO of InCommunity, a leading Atlanta-based non-profit organization with a 45-year legacy dedicated to supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With over two decades of experience advising and defending a wide range of entities, from governmental bodies to Fortune 500 corporations, Meg brings a wealth of expertise to her leadership role at InCommunity.
Before joining InCommunity, Meg had a distinguished career in the legal sector. She began as an Associate Attorney, spending 13 years in private practice at various Atlanta law firms.
In 2015, she was recruited by Colonial Pipeline Company as its employment counsel. Her ability to remain composed under pressure and her strategic approach to crisis management led to her rapid advancement within the company, culminating in her role as Deputy General Counsel. During her tenure, Meg was instrumental in guiding Colonial Pipeline through multiple high-profile challenges, including two major pipeline incidents, and navigating complex government investigations. Her hands-on approach and dedication to field teams earned her the respect and trust of colleagues across the organization.
In 2021, Meg was tasked with establishing Colonial’s Public Affairs function, focusing on building and maintaining trusted partnerships within the communities served by the company. She spearheaded the company’s charitable contributions program, managing the distribution of approximately $1,000,000 in grants annually. In this role, she engaged directly with community leaders and non-profit organizations to identify challenges and develop effective support strategies. Meg also served as a spokesperson for Colonial, representing the company to the media, government officials, and the public.
Meg holds a degree from the College of William and Mary and earned her J.D. from Emory University School of Law. She resides in Buckhead with her husband, Lanny, a teacher and coach at Greater Atlanta Christian School, and their three children: Land (16), Margaret Bailey (12), and Ridge (10). Outside of her professional endeavors, Meg enjoys traveling with her family, especially to the beach, cooking, and volunteering in her community. She and her family are active members of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church.
InCommunity
Originally founded in 1979, InCommunity, a non-profit agency headquartered in Atlanta, was created to provide community-based services and support to people with disabilities and their families.
For almost 35 years, InCommunity has been embracing the abilities in all of us, building an outstanding reputation in Georgia for innovative programs and willingness to take on challenging support situations for people in their communities.
Currently, InCommunity has more than 650 employees who provide all levels of support in the community to people with a variety of needs, including residential support, employment services, respite care, family support, in-home care, and day programs.
To date, InCommunity has provided support and service to more than 10,000 Georgian community members.
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Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:00 Introduction and Welcome to North Fulton Business Radio
01:41 Guest Introduction: Meg Blackwood
01:56 Meg Blackwood’s Background and Role
03:38 Challenges Faced by Intellectually Disabled Adults
06:28 InCommunity’s History and Services
08:30 Residential Care and Housing Challenges
10:57 Employment and Day Programs
13:12 Volunteer and Corporate Partnerships
15:21 Future Goals and Community Engagement
21:04 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio
Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $17 billion in assets and more than 180 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from each banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way to better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
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About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray
With over 800 shows and having featured over 1,200 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!
The show welcomes a wide variety of business, non-profit, and community leaders to get the word out about the important work they’re doing to serve their market, their community, and their profession. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates business by sharing positive business stories that traditional media ignore. Some media leans left. Some media leans right. We lean business.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is recorded and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.
The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.
John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants and bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.
John is the national bestselling author of The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices.
