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October 18, 2023Consumer Directed Choices Announces Key Executive-Level Staffing Changes
Consumer Directed Choices Announces Key Executive-Level Staffing Changes The nonprofit is investing in the growth and success of its executive team as it expands to empower more seniors and people with disabilities to direct their own home care. Albany, N.Y.—Consumer Directed Choices (CDChoices) is growing exponentially, and its executive leadership team’s expanding capabilities are commensurate with the organization’s success. CDChoices, a nonprofit corporation providing payroll and administrative services to seniors and people with disabilities who manage their own home care, has invested in its most valuable resource, its people, by promoting and restructuring the positions of the following executive-level staff.
Hongwei Zhang holds the new title of senior vice president of operations. Zhang joined CDChoices in 2021 as director of operations and made an immediate impact on the organization. Her strategic, day-to-day oversight and leadership earned her a promotion to vice president of operations after just two years. In her current role, Zhang directs, plans and oversees administrative activities, maintains relationships and communications with stakeholders and oversees strategic acceleration of CDChoices’ mission and growth plan. Prior to her role at CDChoices, Hongwei was employed at The Arc of Rensselaer County where she managed a budget of more than $28 million, led strategic planning efforts, managed IT support for a large user base and oversaw diverse programs.
The new director of people operations and risk, Mark Kepner-Clough, joined Consumer Directed Choices in September 2022 as program manager and quickly rose to his current role after demonstrating a keen sense for uncovering and implementing efficiencies. Kepner-Clough is responsible for orchestrating effective compliance programming, overseeing organizational risk management strategies, spearheading human resource operations and tracking legislative priorities. Kepner-Clough previously served as a policy analyst and consultant at Leading Age New York. A registered nurse, he has worked at St. Peter’s Hospital, Whittier Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center and Livingston Hills Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Kristina Hunter has been promoted to director of programs. Since joining CDChoices in October 2022, Hunter has consistently proven herself as a 
dynamic agent of change, embracing innovative technologies to streamline processes and ensure top-notch service delivery for consumers and personal assistants. Her ability to dive deep into programmatic procedures while maintaining a strategic perspective has been a key factor in her success and will undoubtedly serve her well in this new pivotal position. Having honed management skills for over a decade and accrued 15 years of fulfilling nonprofit roles, Hunter’s focus lies on leadership, empathy and an unwavering work ethic. Supported by an MBA in healthcare and a BA in marketing and management, she thrives in strategic thinking, critical analysis and adept problem-solving—always placing leadership at the forefront.
In less than a year with CDChoices, Jocelyn Arndt has been elevated from business development assistant to business development specialist. In her new role, Arndt proactively seeks out opportunities, develops strategic plans and independently executes them. Additionally, her responsibilities include researching and pursuing grants and Requests for Proposal opportunities, placing a greater emphasis on data analysis and program evaluation. Before joining the CDChoices team, Arndt led an independent career as a recording artist, nationally touring and writing eight records of original music, with five consecutive Billboard Top 40 singles. She has also worked extensively as a copywriter and content creator for educational, marketing, business-to-business and creative applications. An Upstate native, Arndt grew up in Fort Plain, New York. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Harvard College in Boston.
“CDChoices is at the precipice of exceptional growth as a result of the incredible dedication and unrelenting hard work set forth by this team of leaders,” said CDChoices CEO Chris Graber CEO. “The unwavering commitment Hongwei, Mark, Kristina and Jocelyn have demonstrated and the support they have for each other, the team and our consumers and personal assistants is unmatched. I am honored to work alongside them and learn from them, while also supporting their upward progress as we continue to evolve and secure CDChoices’ place as an industry trailblazer.”
