Jay Allen is the president and chief executive officer of Wayfinder Family Services. Allen, who joined Wayfinder in 2000, oversees the operations of Wayfinder programs and services. He has more than 30 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, including the effective management of residential, rehabilitation, educational and recreational programs. Allen is known for enhancing the quality of services while strengthening the financial viability of agencies and programs. He has led the turnaround of multifaceted organizations and facilitated a number of successful partnerships and mergers.

Prior to joining Wayfinder, Allen was executive director of ResCare California, which serves children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in more than 30 sites throughout Northern California. Also, he led a division of programs serving individuals with developmental disabilities at the Fernald Center in Massachusetts.

Allen received the Massachusetts Governor’s Pride in Performance Award to recognize his participation in the development of an innovative program model for service to people with disabilities. He is a sought-after speaker and trainer on topics including effective leadership, increasing influence, successful partnerships and mergers, innovative communications and superior quality management. In addition, he is a successful public-policy advocate and was a longtime chair of the California Agencies for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Allen has a bachelor’s degree in business management from Lesley University and a master’s in health care administration from Framingham State University.