Cape Cod Village Welcomes New Center Director

ORLEANS – Jeni Landers has spent so much of her time working with and advocating for local nonprofits that it started to feel like a full-time job.

Now with her recent hiring as the new executive director of the Cape Cod Village Center for Developmental Disabilities, it officially is.

Landers, a Dennis resident, began work as the nonprofit’s new director on May 15. She will succeed Richard Hoffmann, who is retiring as executive director with the organization.

Lauren Jones and her late husband, Bob, founded Cape Cod Village, which provides 16 units of housing on Childs Homestead Road for persons with autism and developmental disabilities. The center opened its doors in 2022, offering a diverse slate of programming for persons with autism and disabilities across Cape Cod and beyond, including art, music, dance and gardening.

“I think it’s the perfect fit for them and for me,” Landers said. “It’s the right size organization, it’s ready for growth. I’m ready for growth professionally.”

Landers grew up in a family that valued community service. A graduate of Smith College and later the Northeastern University School of Law, she spent 10 years in private practice while volunteering for a number of local nonprofits. In 2017, she left private practice and started working as legal counsel for nonprofits, including Mercy for Animals and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

“I was getting to the point where I felt like I was spending a large part of my free time working for nonprofits and giving back to the community, and I needed to find a way to make it my career, to go all in,” she said. “Because it was something I was passionate about.”

When Landers started looking for executive director openings, she said the Center offered an opportunity to grow into a new role with an organization that also is positioned for growth.

“They bought the property and got everything built right as the pandemic hit, so there was not a lot of opportunity for growth,” she said. “They’re coming out of this period of just trying to keep things going, keep things stabilized…and now the Center is growing with more and more activities each day. We’re looking to expand that.”

First and foremost, Landers said, is expanding the center’s reach to accommodate more people in need of its programming. She said the demand is there, noting that there is a waitlist for all of the center’s existing programs. To accommodate that demand, she hopes to bring on more staff and possibly expand programming hours.

“People want to come and participate and do the crafts and come to the dances,” she said. “But we need to be able to support that participation.”

Landers continues her service in other areas, including as a member of the Dennis-Yarmouth regional school committee and the board of directors for Transitions Centers, which works with neuro-diverse individuals. For someone who has long prioritized local service and giving back to the community, she’s ready for her new venture leading the center.

“I’m just excited to make more connections in Orleans with neighbors, families, businesses,” she said. “This is a place where families who have young adults or adult children at home with autism can come and participate. We really want to be a community partner.”