About Us
Background
Imagine Technical Institute (ITI) is the dream of Hollister, Mo. native Tim Connell. His passion for people with disabilities developed as he volunteered for disability-related organizations following his son's Autism diagnosis. His inspiration for the Imagine Institute name struck him while visiting Strawberry Fields in Central Park, a memorial to rock musician and activist John Lennon. Like John, Tim had always been a dreamer, but surviving a horrific car accident at age 50 left him reprioritizing his life. His new goals were to sell his business before age 60 and start a school for those with disabilities. With ITI underway, Tim invites dreamers of all abilities to see where their imaginations can take them.
Leadership
Andy Dominguez is ITI's Director of Competitive Employment.
Andy served as the Program Manager at Developmental Connections in the Branson area, where he worked closely with individuals with disabilities. His role focused on developing their social and personal skills to enhance life skills and promote independence. Joining ITI was a natural step, driven by his belief in everyone's ability to contribute to society. Andy has always had an open heart for individuals with disabilities, valuing their uniqueness and giftedness. He sees beyond disabilities to abilities, recognizing each person's qualities. Inclusion, to him, means acknowledging and celebrating the unique qualities and giftedness that individuals bring to the world. He aims to break down walls and shift paradigms, fostering a truly inclusive society.
Our Blueprint
After a nationwide search for other competitive employment and job training programs to model, ITI selected the BCI Skills Center in St. Peters, Mo. The BCI Skills Center launched in 2019 and has helped hundreds of individuals secure competitive employment. ITI is built on the Skills Center model and partly supported by BCI. Recent Skills Center graduates have an average starting wage of $16.54 per hour and a six-month job retention rate of 87%. ITI's programs and services will more quickly benefit adults with disabilities in Southwest Missouri thanks to the Skills Center partnership.
