Robles eager to carry on OneEighty tradition of excellence

Bobbi Douglass has been executive director of OneEighty for four decades, and during that time she has guided the Wayne and Holmes county organization through some unparalleled growth.

During that time OneEighty has expanded from its initial concept of helping women struggling through domestic violence issues to a more comprehensive outreach for those facing hardships in many other areas, providing emotional support, crisis intervention and practical assistance to victims of crime, abuse and trauma. They help victims navigate the legal system, connect with community resources and create safety plans.

After four decades of success and blessing, Douglass is stepping down, with Fredy Robles stepping in to serve as her replacement.

“I love what I do and am appreciative of everything OneEighty has accomplished," Douglass said. “We have so many incredible staff members and volunteers who have made my time enjoyable.”

Douglass said she no longer does any of the heavy lifting, instead relying on countless colleagues to run the programs and resources. She said collaborating with those people and other organizations has been a highlight of her tenure.

She said she knew it was time to step down and has been talking to the board about the transition for some time.

“It’s been a time of thoughtful reflection,” Douglass said. “Our board did a great job of leading the process.”

She praised the hiring of Robles, someone she said will seamlessly pick up the mantle and carry the torch of OneEighty to even greater heights.

“He is warm and compassionate and has a great skill set,” Douglass said.

Robles comes with plenty of experience, having come from a background as a trained counselor. He would go from counselor to supervision and then to administration.

His last role in administration was with Catholic Charities of Cleveland, where he was revered by those with whom he worked and served over eight counties.

He said he has been acquainted with OneEighty for many years, having sent his own clients needing treatment there.

“I knew even then that our clients would be well taken care of and treated with dignity and given the skills they would need to thrive,” Robles said of OneEighty. “When I saw the job posting, I felt it was an incredible opportunity because of the wonderful reputation it has as a pillar of the community.”

He also said he has immense respect for Douglass and everything she has achieved during her tenure.

Robles and his wife live south of Medina, and he said he is eager to step into his new role and continue the work Douglass and OneEighty have done.

“This organization has expanded and grown so much over the years,” Robles said. “They continue to meet such a wide variety of important needs to the people of Wayne and Holmes county. The more I get into the weeds of discovering everything OneEighty does, the more I have come to realize that it is so much greater than I ever realized.”

He said the most important thing OneEighty has done is made a positive impact on people's lives who need support, guidance, love and encouragement at a difficult time, and that is what drew him to the organization.

He said those attributes are why he initially invested himself in the world of counseling because he said he has always felt called to serve and help others.

“I can’t think of anything better than reaching out in compassion to help others,” he said.

That is something he will have plenty of opportunity to do as he assumes the role of leadership at OneEighty.