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
I hope everyone is having an enjoyable summer. After a break in July we are back with a newsletter issue jam-packed with upcoming events and activities designed to provide our members with important information, as well as, recognition opportunities related to employing people with disabilities.
The next few months will offer exciting events in which Florida BLN members can participate, including the USBLN national conference and DMD kickoff event and career fair, both taking part in Florida in September. There is also an opportunity for you to nominate individuals and organizations for The Able Trust Ability Awards that have made outstanding efforts to hire people with disabilities. Local BLN chapters can also submit their chapter reports to receive recognition for their efforts throughout the year.
Next month, the Florida BLN steering committee and local chapter chairs will come together for our annual meeting to discuss best practices and upcoming goals for the Florida BLN. We look forward to sharing our plans with you to ensure we continue meeting your member needs.
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.
Big Bend BLN Receives $65,000 Grant from The Able Trust
The Able Trust recently awarded the Big Bend Business Leadership Network (BBBLN), $65,000 in grant funding, during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year. On July 12, 2007, The Able Trust President and CEO, Sharon Griffith, presented board members Jeanne Kimball and Ron Baker of the BBBLN with funding to aid in the expansion of its Paid Internship Program.
"The Able Trust looks forward to seeing this program develop and help people with disabilities gain meaningful employment," said Sharon Griffith, President and CEO of The Able Trust.
Founded in 2004, members of the organization share a tremendous committment to educating employers to recruit and retain employees with disabilities to promote good business practices.
"Our Big Bend BLN members continue to tell us that Ôattitudes at all corporate levelsÕ are the leading impediment to their employment of people with disabilities," said Sarah Butters, president of the Big Bend BLN and an attorney for Holland and Knight LLP. "The solution to this attitudinal barrier, according to the responding employers, is training and exposure to people with disabilities in their workplaces."
The BBBLN Paid Internship Program is a designed to provide 30 individuals with disabilities the chance to gain work experience through a 12-week internship to increase their job skills, as well as, their value to prospective employers.
To learn more about the Big Bend BLN, visit www.floridabln.org. To receive additional information about The Able Trust Grants Program, please visit www.abletrust.org.
2007 Disability Mentoring Day National Kickoff and Career Fair Taking Shape
The 2007 Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) national kick-off celebration and student career fair will take place Monday, September 24, 2007, at the Lake Buena Vista Palace in Orlando. Scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4:30 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: IBM 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.
The Able Trust Ability Award categories include: Employers of the Year, Outstanding Entrepreneur, Media Representative, George L. Spelios Leadership Award, Beverly Chapman Award for Outstanding Employment Placement Program and the Youth Leader Award. Additional awards are also given.
The deadline for nominations is Friday, August 17, 2007 to The Able Trust in Tallahassee. For more information or to download a nomination form, visit http://www.abletrust.org/.
ODEP Announces Theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2007: "Talent for a Winning Team"
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 year's 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.
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.
Local Chapter News
Broward BLN Chapter
The Broward BLN Chapter will host its meeting on Wednesday, August 29th at 8:30 a.m. at the Center for Independent Living. The chapter has been actively working on creating a new logo, website and other activities to promote chapter membership and job opportunities for people with disabilities. For more information, email Steven McCarty at smccarty@erac.com.
The Broward Chapter will also host its 3rd annual Connections Expo on Friday, October 12 at Nova Southeastern University - H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business. The event is part job fair, part educational series for employers and job seekers and part networking for attendees. For more information, email Steven McCarty at smccarty@erac.com.
Panhandle BLN Chapter
The Panhandle BLN Chapter will host a series of training events in the coming months. The following events will take place at the downtown campus of Pensacola Junior College, unless otherwise noted, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. For more information about these events, email Lara Burnside at lara.burnside@studergroup.com.
August 29 - Training Topic: Cerebral Palsy
September 19 - Extended Learning Session (over lunch hour), to include working with people with disabilities 101, how to eliminate fear, recruiting people with disabilities, workplace accessibility
October 4 - Wheelchair Basketball fundraiser
October 31- Training Topic: Employer Success Stories
November 28 - Training Topic: Blind Services
Upcoming Events
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. The Annual Conference & Career Fair is the preeminent national event for business, community leaders and BLN chapters that have an interest in hiring, retention and marketing to people with disabilities.
This year's event promises to provide informational and educational opportunities of the highest quality. The USBLN is pleased to announce its scheduled keynote speakers for its Annual Conference & Career Fair. The conference keynotes include:
- Karen Czarnecki of the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), U.S. Department of Labor
- Andy Imparato of the American Association of Persons with Disabilities (AAPD)- invited
- Olegario "Ollie" Cantos of Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice
- Thomas Kuntz of Sun Trsut Bank
- Dinah Cohen of the Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP), U.S. Department of Defense
- Christine Griffin of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
- Luke Visconti of DiversityInc Media
- Randy MacDonald of IBM
- Daniel Gade of The White House Domestic Policy Council - invited
- The Honorable Ric Keller, U.S. House of Representatives - invited
To learn more about the USBLN Annual Conference go to http://www.newworkforceconference.org/.
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