Meet Tom Pendziszewski
VP, Spectrum, Adult Day Services
While Little Friends is celebrating its 50th Anniversary, Tom Pendziszewski just celebrated his 25th
anniversary with the agency this past fall. Tom has seen a lot of changes over his years with Little
Friends, but says the best changes are that there are more opportunities for our client’s to live, work
and be an integral part of their communities. Tom started out as a high school social studies teacher, but
after getting his master’s degree in psychology he became a professional counselor and became more
involved with social services and the non-profit sector. He is now the Vice-President of Adult Day
Services at Spectrum Vocational, a division of Little Friends that is based in Downers Grove. Some of his
proudest achievements over the years were the growth of ColorBurst Screen Printing, a business owned
and operated by Little Friends that employs clients and also offers a real work environment for
vocational training opportunities, adding the Inklude Art Studio, an open, creative, and collaborative
studio environment for adult clients with autism or other developmental disabilities, and adding more
activities and work opportunities at Spectrum.
When asked what Tom’s secret for success at Spectrum is, he said “Hiring great managers, that bring in
dedicated, hard-working support staff, and make sure that everyone has the best interest of the clients
in mind…that makes my job easier.” He said of the staff that he has at Spectrum now, “They all make
sure that the clients are happy, safe, and healthy—it’s a great place to work.” He has too many great
memories over the years to single out just one, but he did add, “Those days when someone gets a job in
the community, everyone is so excited for them. You hear clapping and cheers throughout the
building…those are really good days!”
Bob Hicks, Director of Programs and Services at Spectrum, has known Tom since 1991. Bob is amazed by
Tom’s infinite amount of patience, empathy and understanding nature when it comes to the client’s
needs and concerns. Bob has enjoyed working for Tom over the years because, “He appreciates and
respects those that work for him. He understands and embraces autonomy in the workplace, but is
always there to support us when needed. When I do ask him for something, he knows it is important
and helps in any way he can by providing guidance or resources.”
Kristi Landorf, President and CEO of Little Friends, said that there is a reason you will find Tom under the
presses at ColorBurst fixing a bad wire connection, or pulling weeds around the property in Downers
Grove, or even on a ladder cleaning a ceiling vent. Kristi said, “Tom understands completely that every
single dollar he can save the agency can be used for our clients. If he knows that by saving soda cans he
can get $30 for them, well that’s $30 that can be used for a client outing. Tom is an amazing advocate
for our clients; he knows everyone in his programs, their families and their life stories. He is completely
invested in the people we support from top to bottom.”