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Businesses and individuals around the state were honored for their employment, leadership and service to Florida citizens with disabilities at The Able Trust Ability Awards luncheon. This years award recipients were nominated by members of their community for going above and beyond the legal compliances of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and demonstrating a clear and conscious effort to be disability-friendly.
The 2009 Ability Awards winners are listed below by category:
Mark Kamleiter
An Attorney at Kamleiter & Kirk, Mark Kamleiter has provided employment and natural support for an individual with disability in his office. He has worked hand in hand with The Lighthouse Team for accommodations of speech coach and office skills. He is leveraging this employee experience in his company’s newsletter so that others may learn from his office’s experience. Mr. Kamleiter represents that it takes the effort of all, large or small, to be a leader in providing employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, one job at a time.
Lockheed Martin and Roxane MacGillivray
Lockheed Martin, a Fortune 100 company has been working to become a model company in the hiring of people with disabilities. As one of the first companies in Florida to embrace that concept, Lockheed Martin is often used as a model for other large companies. Roxane MacGillivray, Ethics Investigator for Lockheed Martin, is very dedicated to the mission, and is a champion within her company on implementing policies that benefit traditionally under-represented groups such as those with disabilities. Roxane has been very active with the Orlando Business Leadership Network, sharing her company’s best practices to accommodate employees with disabilities. Lockheed Martin is striving to become a “worldwide employer of choice” for people with disabilities.
Gratitude House, Inc.
In 2007 with a grant from The Able Trust, Gratitude House started providing an onsite employment skills and vocational counseling service for women receiving rehabilitative service for chemical addiction and co-occurring disorders. Essential to maintaining a successful recovery for anyone is the ability to gain and retain employment suited for an individual’s career plans. Gratitude House has provided a tailored employment skills and computer instruction program based on each woman’s needs, so that confident and skilled clients could gain the jobs they seek. Many clients found success at competitive job fairs and gained employment near their homes earning aboveentry wages. Gratitude House has been successful in making a difference in the lives of many through rehabilitative service and employment training and placement. Founded in 1968, Gratitude House is led by Gail Dempsey’s dedication to recovery and to women suffering from the disease of addiction. The Able Trust applauds their commitment to employment for all.
Donna Fassett of ARC Gateway
The Dr. George Spelios Leadership Award is named after the founding Chairman of The Able Trust who prized creative and innovative leaders of community organizations who assisted in employment for individuals with disabilities. Donna Fassett of the ARC Gateway in Pensacola represents such a leader. She started from the ground up at Gateway as a case manager in 1979 working to encourage individuals with disabilities to be a part of their community and workforce, at the same time engaging the Pensacola area community to open doors to her clients. Throughout her career at ARC Gateway and with each promotion she had her eye on expanding employment opportunities for everyone, based on their abilities not their disabilities. She has been the Executive Director at ARC Gateway since 1993 and has been the catalyst for promoting the abilities of all in her community.
Don Chester
Don Chester is the Assistant Administrator of St. Mary’s Medical Center in Palm Beach, where he has worked since 1973. He has been Chairman of the Board of eight organizations, and currently serves on nine local boards in his community, including among others Palm Beach County Medical Society Services, Palm Beach Community Health Alliance, Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies, and Palm Beach County Homeless Advisory Board. Seriously injured in a jogging accident, he is also dedicated to mentoring those who are newly injured so that they can believe in the small victories that will lead to large victories that are in their future. Don continues his profession at the Medical Center with the support of assistive technology and his service dog, Pollyanna.
Anthony LaCava
Anthony is the kind of person we hope to see all Youth Leadership Forum delegates grow into—a vibrant person, successful employee and inspiring mentor. From a novice delegate to a skilled Junior Staffer, Anthony has grown in confidence, leadership and abilities, taking on the volunteer position of Program Manager. As manager, he has persistently sought ways to help make the forum more successful and memorable for all of the participating delegates each year. He organizes the program PowerPoint for the “Reflections” at the end of each Forum taking care that each delegate, junior staff and volunteer is included. Anthony has recently taken a new employment opportunity in Boston, Massachusetts but made sure in accepting the job offer to secure time off this July to join us again for Youth Leadership Forum 2009.
University of Florida
The University of Florida exemplifies quality one-on-one mentoring for young adults with disabilities. Since 2002, University of Florida professionals have provided job shadowing and internship experiences for multiple students through Florida Disability Mentoring Day and High School High Tech in 15 departments, including: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Health Science Center/Information Technology, Police, and Okaloosa County Agriculture Extension. A special thanks to Mr. Carl Crane (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dept.) for his leadership in mentoring activities.
W. Drew Andrews
Over the last decade The Able Trust’s Youth Leadership Forum has had the fortunate honor of the volunteerism of Drew Andrews. He has made the forum part of his summer vacation each year; choosing to lead home-groups, sleep in a dorm, and work for 4 days straight with the Delegates and Junior Staff. Drew is renowned for his humor, smile and knowledge about education, career planning and transition services for young adults with disabilities. His disarming manner and charm can make even the most shy or nervous new delegate comfortable and ready to participate in this new experience. Drew Andrews volunteers because he truly wants to help make today’s youth tomorrow’s leaders.
JR Harding
The Able Trust has been the recipient of the successful and dedicated effort of Dr. Harding to secure donations, sponsorships and other resources for its programs and services. He truly believes in the value of the youth programs, and asks for nothing in return for his promotion of the programs and fundraising. It is not unusual for JR to just send The Able Trust an email with a notice of another new supporter, with a simple request that staff send the supporter a thank you. He is a shining volunteer leader, and the quality of several of our youth programs depends on his efforts.
Paul Martell
An employee of Volunteer Florida, The Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, Paul is committed to bridging the gap between communities and government with the service and talents of volunteers, Paul’s leadership has been instrumental in the creation of Project Impact. This program links high school and college students with disabilities to mentoring, leadership development and service learning experiences. Paul has been a leader by igniting the spark of volunteerism in Florida’s communities to include everyone, including people with disabilities.
Florida Public Radio and Tom Flanigan
Florida Public Radio is the nation’s oldest public radio network, with 13 stations located from Pensacola to Miami. Its mission is to provide public radio listeners with in-depth coverage of the Florida Legislature, state government and issues that affect the state. Florida Public Radio is also the home for NPR programs, many of which speak to different disabilities, helping to erase incorrect perceptions and address discriminatory practices and barriers. Excellent programs have been aired on topics from autism, severe mental illnesses, learning disabilities, dangerous school discipline methods for children with disabilities, care for caregivers, and even Wheelchair Tai Chi. As FPRN’s news director, Tom Flanigan is a friend and supporter of The Able Trust, often highlighting people with disabilities, or the wonderful programs that serve them. He gives his reporters free reign to pursue these important stories so they in turn can spread the news about all Floridians, including individuals with disabilities.
Florida Crown Workforce Board
Florida Crown provides HS/HT services to students with disabilities throughout Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist and Union counties. Through Florida Crown’s quality services, students can earn a free computer and increase academic achievement by several grade levels. In 2008, 30 students received paid summer internships and every high school senior secured employment or post secondary education upon graduation. This year, the program provided 23,000+ services to at-risk students, resulting in quality mentoring relationships, FCAT successes and academic achievement of grade level completion, paid summer internships, employment and college entrance.
Panhandle BLN
SINCE 2005 this BLN chapter has been generating support among businesses in Pensacola and surrounding counties for the hiring of persons with disabilities. Under the constant direction of Lara Burnside who has been its Chair since 2005, this BLN continues to grow in membership and volunteer support for accomplishing its mission. The Panhandle BLN has maintained its growth in spite of devastating hurricanes in the area, the depressed economy, and the challenges of a workforce that includes many rural areas. The members support each other in their efforts to assure that people with disabilities are welcome employees and valued staff in the regions business operations. Since 2005, members of this BLN have helped approximately 200 persons with disabilities obtain employment!
Senator Stephen R. Wise, Ed.D
As a Representative in 1990, he was instrumental in moving the legislation that created The Able Trust, believing that employment was critical for people with disabilities. Motivated by friends with disabilities, he has continued, throughout his term in the House of Representatives and his current tenure as a Senator, to support and protect the work and mission of The Able Trust. In the past two years, he has worked hard to continue the support of the High School High Tech program within the state appropriations process, and was also the key legislative force behind the Personal Care Attendant Program, expanded last year to include coverage of more disabilities.
Representative Will Weatherford
Elected to the House of Representatives in 2006 and representing District 61 in Pasco County, Rep. Weatherford has proven to have the interest of persons with disabilities at heart as he guided The Able Trust’s High School High Tech program through the legislative appropriations maze, the pre-session and the 2009 session. Instrumental in protecting the funding for the program, he worked tirelessly to make sure that the program would continue, to ensure the best possible futures for well more than 1,000 high school students with disabilities across the state of Florida.
Fonda Lee
Countless hours of her time and expertise have been devoted to The Able Trust Annual Gala, which includes extensive fundraising, work on pre-Gala events, and an energetic hand on the evening of the Gala. Fonda yields her positive attitude and can-do spirit to assist The Able Trust in accomplishing its mission. She was one of the top fundraisers for the Gala in both 2008 and 2009 and organized the Bridgebuster 5K run as an additional fundraiser in the fall of 2008. She also donated significant time to help Youth Leadership Forum students ready themselves for their appearance at the 2007 and 2008 Galas.
