Aspire Living & Learning adds healthcare leader John Flynn to board

Aspire Living & Learning named John Flynn to its Board of Directors as the nonprofit deepens work across behavioral health, education and disability services. The appointment brings transformation and growth experience from UConn Health, Mass General Brigham and CareCentrix.

Why it matters: - Aspire Living & Learning is leaning on outside leadership to help strengthen services for people with disabilities and their families. - Flynn brings experience in innovation, operational improvement and organizational change across healthcare and mission-driven organizations. - The board addition comes as Aspire works to expand access, build partnerships and prepare for future demand.

What happened: - Aspire Living & Learning appointed John Flynn to its Board of Directors. - Flynn currently serves on the leadership team at UConn Health. - He previously held leadership roles at Mass General Brigham and CareCentrix. - Aspire said the appointment supports its work across behavioral health, education and disability services.

The details: - Flynn has led organizational transformation, operational improvement and growth initiatives in healthcare, nonprofit, government and mission-driven settings. - Aspire CEO Erica Hare said the disability services sector cannot rely on “yesterday’s thinking” to solve current challenges. - Hare said Flynn’s background will help Aspire ask better questions, build stronger partnerships and create new opportunities for the people and families it serves. - Board chair Katie Franco said Flynn has experience navigating complexity, building alignment and leading through change while keeping people at the center. - Franco said his perspective will strengthen the board as Aspire expands its community impact. - Flynn earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and an MBA from the Yale School of Management. - Flynn is an advocate for autism and neurodiversity. - Flynn lives in West Hartford, Connecticut, with his wife and three children.

Between the lines: - Aspire is signaling that board-level expertise in healthcare transformation is becoming more important as disability services grow more complex. - The hire also suggests the nonprofit wants stronger strategic capacity, not just governance oversight. - The focus on partnerships points to a broader push to connect behavioral health, education and disability support in one ecosystem.

What's next: - Aspire says it will keep strengthening its capacity to serve and expand access to high-quality services. - The nonprofit also plans to build the leadership and partnerships needed to create lasting impact for people with disabilities and their families. - Flynn’s appointment is part of that long-term effort.