Carla Lasley
Director of Research & Development
As Director of Research and Development at Collaborative Industries, Carla helps contracting human services organizations meet regulatory standards and quality improvement goals. She is a staunch advocate for people with disabilities and helps companies raise the bar on their expectations for life quality of those they support.
After graduating from Nebraska Wesleyan, Carla worked with children who had experienced abuse and neglect. She then began a career in the field of developmental disabilities which has spanned more than two decades and included work in a variety of settings. At the Beatrice State Developmental Center, Carla developed training programs to help people learn tasks to become more independent. She then became a Service Coordinator, honing her skills in advocacy and person-centered planning. For many years, Carla worked in Nebraska State government with the Division of Developmental Disabilities, holding increasingly responsible positions from Program Specialist to Service Coordination Manager to Director of the Division. Carla completed provider certification activities, developed a statewide system of service coordination, and, as Director, developed the State of Nebraska’s first self-directed community-based program for people with developmental disabilities.
Carla is a past recipient of the Nebraska Chapter of the American Association on Mental Retardation’s Professional of the Year award, has served as chair of the local developmental disabilities council, and has been involved with other advocacy and planning groups.
In 2004, Carla began working with Developmental Services of Nebraska, Collaborative Industries’ contractor that provides services to people with developmental disabilities, and has served as Collaborative’s Director of Research and Development since the company was formed in 2006.
The other side of Carla >>
Carla Lasley
Director of Research & Development
Carla enjoys indoor and outdoor cycling, hiking, and most any other outdoor recreational activity, no matter the weather. She likes the solitude of life at home with her books and cats, but also greatly appreciates time spent in the company of friends and family. There may be no greater fan of farmer’s markets than Carla; she enjoys cooking up great vegetarian fare using ingredients grown close to home. Carla is pursuing a lifelong dream to learn to play piano, and while she says she will never be a virtuoso, she appreciates the fact that practice is still the only thing that will bring her close to being able to play a piece perfectly. She loves visiting big cities, the mountains of Colorado, and has an appreciation for all things French.
Carla participates in an annual Arts and Crafts boutique with friends and sometimes spends weekends in the pursuit of odd and interesting things to fill up her 1950’s ranch home.
The other side of Carla >>