Florida BLN Steering Committee
CHAIR
Sue Moore
Walt Disney World Co
PAST CHAIR
Sharlyn Lauby, SPHR
ITM Group, Inc.
VR LIAISON
Eladio Amores
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
HR FLORIDA LIAISON
Catherine Mallozzi, SPHR
Florida Metropolitan University
BIG BEND BLN CHAIR
Sarah Butters
Holland & Knight
BREVARD BLN CHAIR
Douglas Barclay
Mercedes Homes, Inc.
BROWARD BLN CHAIR
Steven McCarty
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
EMERALD COAST BLN CO-CHAIRS
Sheryl Hollarn
MTI/MTC Technologies
Gail Waller
Ft. Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce
FIRST COAST BLN CHAIR
John Wagner
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida
FT. MYERS BLN
Erin Wilkinson
SunTrust Bank
GREATER ORLANDO BLN CHAIR
Mayra Hernandez
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida
MIAMI-DADE BLN CHAIR
Bob Bromberg
Bromberg & Associates
PALM BEACH BLN CO-CHAIRS
Rita Barreto Craig
The Craig Group
Rose Lee Archer
Rose Lee Productions Inc.
PANHANDLE BLN CO-CHAIRS
Lara Burnside
The Studer Group
Jennifer Grove
Gulf Power Company
POLK COUNTY BLN CHAIR
Karen Mitchell
Lakeland Regional Medical Center
TAMPA BAY METRO CHAIR
Angela M. Rosario
JOBING.com
About the Florida BLN
The Florida Business Leadership Network is a peer-to-peer membership group of employers seeking resources to recruit, hire and market to persons with disabilities. Members include small and large businesses who recognize that success in the 21st century hinges on a diverse workforce that includes employees with disabilities. For more information about the Florida BLN, visit www.floridabln.org. To suggest an article or upcoming event to be included in this newsletter, e-mail the editor at kristen@abletrust.org.
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Message from the Chair
In this month's newsletter The Able Trust is proud to have reached a $2 million milestone with our fourth quarter grant awards. This issue also includes information about a variety of upcoming disability related events, including the 7th annual Disability Mentoring Day and its corresponding student career fair, as well as the US BLN national conference that will take place in my hometown of Orlando.
Now is also an opportunity to nominate an outstanding employer, media representative or other organization for their best disability hiring pracices. The Able Trust Ability Awards will take place in conjunction with the USBLN conference and nomination forms are available online at www.abletrust.org. This is a great way to showcase the important strides your company has made to improve the employment of Floridians with disabilities. As usual, we want to continue to keep you informed about the many activities of the Florida BLN local chapters as well, so we've listed several upcoming meetings and you can also find more details on the Florida BLN website.
Please be sure to visit our Florida BLN website at http://www.floridabln.org/ for additional helpful resources and information. If you have an event or best disability employment practice you'd like to share with the membership, please email or call Kristen Knapp at the Florida BLN at Kristen@abletrust.org or toll-free 888-838-2253.
2007 Disability Mentoring Day National Kick-off to Feature Student Career Fair (DMD LOGO)
The 2007 Disability Mentoring Day kick-off celebration and student career fair will take place Monday, September 24, 2007 at the Lake Buena Vista Palace in Orlando, Florida from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will welcome students, national employers and career speakers from Florida and throughout the nation. Informative workshops and hands-on resume and interview reviews are just a few of the features of this event.
The DMD celebration will feature career booths from national employers such as: IMB Corp., Best Buy, SunTrust Bank, the Office of Disability Employment Policy and many more. Featured session topics will include ÒHigh Tech Jobs of the FutureÓ, ÒBuilding a Budget and Financial Planning for Your FutureÓ and a discussion about disclosing a disability to an employer.
The career fair is a two-part event, with morning workshops geared towards high school students and afternoon seminars targeting college students. The event is free to all participants who pre-register.
To learn more about participating in the career fair, including online registration for students, visit http://www.floridadmd.org/.
The Able Trust Now Accepting Nominations for the 2007 Ability Awards
The Able Trust is now accepting nominations for the 2007 Ability Awards. These annual awards recognize exceptional individuals and organizations from across the state for their contribution to the employment and advocacy of Florida's citizens with disabilities. Award recipients are recognized for going beyond satisfactions of the ADA laws and making a genuine effort to support the employment of people with disabilities. Award winners are recognized at the Ability Awards ceremony, which is hosted in conjunction with the US Business Leadership Network National Conference on Tuesday, September 25, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at the Lake Buena Vista Palace in Orlando, Florida.
Some of the Ability Award categories include Employers of the Year, Outstanding Entrepreneur, Media Representative and the Youth Leader Award. Additional awards are also given.
The Deadline has been extended until Friday, August 17, 2007. Send nominations to The Able Trust headquarters in Tallahassee. For more information or to donwload a nomination form, visit http://www.abletrust.org/.
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao recognizes 17th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
In corroboration with the 17th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao plans to make a new video available promoting the employment of persons with disabilities. The video will focus on the benefit to small businesses and how they can save time and money and increase productivity all while demonstrating their leadership and commitment to hiring persons with disabilities.
"This year [on July 26], we are celebrating the 17th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. While much progress has been made in the last 17 years, still more needs to be done to help workers with disabilities be fully recognized as integral members of our workforce," said Secretary Chao. "To help Americans with disabilities access greater opportunities in our workplaces, this video promotes the fact that recruiting workers with disabilities is a smart business strategy."
To obtain a copy of the video, visit the US Department of Labor website at www.dol.gov/odep.
ODEP Announces Theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2007: "Talent for a Winning Team" (DEAM POSTER)
U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao has selected the official theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) 2007, "Workers with Disabilities: Talent for a Winning Team."
The 2007 poster depicting this yearÕs theme is now available. In addition to its representation of the national NDEAM theme, this poster is popular throughout the year in connection with events that foster employment opportunities for workers with disabilities. For copies of the poster, visit www.dol.gov/odep.
The Able Trust Reaches $20 Million Milestone in Grant Funding
The Able Trust recently reached a milestone achievement, awarding over $20 million in grants to non-profit organization and individuals with disabilities since the establishment of the organization.
This year's fourth quarter grants were awarded to 11 different organizations in Florida dedicated to improving the lives and employment of citizens with disabilities. ARC of Martin County, Big Bend Business Leadership Network, Easter Seals, ECHO Outreach, Florida Lions Conklin Centers for the Blind, Florida State University, Goodwill Foundation, North Florida School, Rotary Youth Camp, The Center for Independence, Inc., and University of North Florida all received awards making 2007 fourth quarter total over $481,000!
"The Able Trust is proud to champion employment opportunities for more than 22% of Floridians with disabilities" said Sharon Griffith, President and CEO of the Able Trust. "We will continue to work diligently to support more organizations that give individuals and youth with disabilities the opportunity to pursue their employment goals and career dreams,Ó Griffith continued.
To learn more about The Able Trust Grants Program, please visit www.abletrust.org.
Upcoming Events
JAN 2007 Conference
The Job Accommodations Network (JAN) will hold its annual conference on August 6-7, 2007, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Crystal City, Virginia. This conference provides employers, service providers and individuals everywhere an opportunity to gain valuable disability information from the JAN staff. Visit http://www.jan.wvu.edu/ for more information.
2007 USBLN Annual Conference
The USBLN Annual Conference will take place on September 24-26, 2007 at the Lake Buena Vista Palace in Orlando, Florida. The theme will be Building the New Workforce-Inclusion and Innovation. It will also feature a career fair for high school and college students with disabilities, hosted by The Able Trust. Visit www.usbln.com for more information.
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