Reluctant retiree After 7 years, Hiram G. Andrews Center director steps down

FROM THE TRIBUNE DEMOCRAT IN JOHNSTOWN PA

After 7 years, Hiram G. Andrews Center director steps down

— After a successful career of 30-plus years with the state, seven of them as director of the Hiram G. Andrews Center, Don Rullman has decided to call it a day and ride off into retirement bliss.

The Westmont resident retired June 17, and said it was a decision he wrestled with, but in the end he knew it was time to leave.

“When you really love something and believe in it, it’s hard to walk away,” he said. “After seven years as the director, I started to feel the weight of this awesome responsibility, and the older I got, I physically wasn’t able to give it my all, so it was time.”

The center will always hold a special place in Rullman’s heart because at age 19, he found himself there for rehabilitation following a vehicle accident that left him paralyzed and wheelchair-bound.

“I was there a year and needed a lot of recovery, but when I left I felt it would be a beneficial move for me to return because I believed I could contribute and be a part of the team,” he said.

After finishing his education at Pitt, Rullman worked in public welfare in Somerset County.

In 1986, he gained employment at HGAC and worked his way through the ranks, eventually being named director in June 2004.

“I was hesitant at first because it’s a huge responsibility to take on. It’s complex because you are servicing 300 students with severe disabilities and it becomes more than just a job,” he said.

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