Welcome to the 2012 National Employment Conference
“The New Economy: Rethink, Realign, Reinvent”
Sponsored by: The George Washington University National Technical
Assistance Partnership (GW-NTAP)
Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation
And The National Council of State Agencies for the Blind
(NCSAB)
Page 1 of 78
Renaissance Arlington Capital View
Hotel Floor Plan
Fragrance Free Policy: A growing number of people are hypersensitive to everyday chemicals/products. Conference attendees are requested not to use strongly scented personal products during their attendance in order to facilitate access to our programs by the widest number of people. Thank you for your cooperation. 2012 Planning Committee
*Cover photo courtesy of http://www.pachd.com/free-images/washington-dc.html
Page 2 of 78
We would like to thank all the individuals who gave their time to help make this year’s conference such a huge success. It would not have been possible without your dedication and hard work.
Greg Alleyne Supervisor for Employment Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs RoseAnn Ashby Chief, Training Programs Unit Rehabilitation Services Administration U.S. Department of Education Patricia Bennett Education Specialist Office of Vocational and Adult Education U.S. Department of Education Eleana M. Boyer Business Development Manager Division of Rehabilitative Services Leslie J. Caplan, Ph.D Rehabilitation Program Specialist National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research U.S. Department of Education Randee Ellen Chafkin, M.A., M.P.A. Senior Program Specialist for Disability Programs Employment and Training Administration U.S. Department of Labor Susan Chung Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs David J. De Notaris Director, Pennsylvania Bureau of Blindness & Visual Services Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
Melissa Diehl Vocational Rehabilitation Program Specialist, Vocational Rehabilitation Program Unit U.S. Department of Education Thomas Finch, Ph.D. Director, Training and Service Programs Division Rehabilitation Services Administration U.S. Department of Education Jesse Frank Program Coordinator/Diversity Assistant Office of Diversity and Inclusion U.S. Office of Personnel Management Melodie Johnson Management and Program Analyst, Office of Policy and Planning Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services U.S. Department of Education Jamie Kendall Deputy Commissioner, Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Administration for Community Living U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Hae Min Lee, LGPC, NCC Program Specialist, Training Programs Unit Rehabilitation Services Administration U.S. Department of Education Sharon Lewis Administration on Intellectual Developmental Disabilities Administration for Community Living U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
2012 National Employment Conference Planning Committee
Page 3 of 78
Serena Lowe Senior Policy Advisor, Workforce Development Office of Disability Employment Policy U.S. Department of Labor Maureen McGuire-Kuletz, Ed.D, CRC Co-Director/Associate Professor The George Washington University Center for Rehabilitation Counseling Research and Education and TACE 3 Suzanne Mitchell Chief, Technical Assistance Unit Rehabilitation Services Administration U.S. Department of Education Michael Murray Diversity Program Manager Government-Wide Disability Programs Office of Diversity and Inclusion U.S. Office of Personnel Management Kristen Rhinehart-Fernandez Program Specialist, Training Programs Unit Rehabilitation Services Administration U.S. Department of Education Jenn Rigger Social Insurance Specialist, Office of Employment Support Programs Social Security Administration
Cassandra Shoffler Rehabilitation Services Administration U.S. Department of Education Beverlee Stafford Consultant Ralph Vigil Director, New Mexico Department of Education Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Michelle M. Washko, Ph.D Administration on Community Living Center for Disability and Aging Policy U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Kathleen West-Evans, MPA, CRC Director of Business Relations The NET: The National Employment Team Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation
Page 4 of 78
Agenda At-A-Glance
Wednesday, December 5 10:00-1:00pm Registration Reception Desk, 2nd Floor 1:00-1:15pm Welcome and Introductory Remarks Salons 1-4 1:15-1:45pm “A Better Bottom Line” Salons 1-4 1:45-2:00pm “Rethink, Realign, Reinvent” Salons 1-4 2:15-3:30pm “The New Economy” Salons 1-4 3:45-5:00pm Introduction to Café Conversations Salons 1-4 5:30-7:00pm Evening Activities Ballroom Salon 4 Thursday, December 6 8:15-9:15am Federal Panel Salons 1-3 9:15-9:30am Memorandum of Understanding Salons 1-3 9:45-10:45am Concurrent Sessions See Program Book 11:00-12:00pm Concurrent Sessions See Program Book 12:00-1:45pm Working Lunch Salons 1-3 2:00-3:00pm Concurrent Sessions See Program Book 3:15-4:15pm Concurrent Sessions See Program Book 4:30-5:30pm Concurrent Sessions See Program Book 5:30-7:30pm TACE Regional Meetings Friday, December 7 8:15-8:20am Welcome Salons 1-4 8:20-8:45am Remarks by Office of Salons 1-4
Personnel Management 8:45-9:00am Remarks by Office of Salons 1-4
Disability Employment Policy 9:00-10:00am Federal Contracting Panel Salons 1-4 10:15-11:00am The Affordable Care Act and Salons 1-4
Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities
11:00-12:00pm Call to Action Salons 1-4
Page 5 of 78
2012 National Employment Conference “The New Economy: Rethink, Realign, Reinvent”
Sponsored by The George Washington University National Technical Assistance Partnership (GW-NTAP),
Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) and
The National Council of State Agencies for the Blind (NCSAB)
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM REGISTRATION RECEPTION DESK, 2nd Floor 1:00 to 1:15 PM Welcome and Introductory Remarks SALONS 1-4
Edward Anthony, Ph.D., Acting Commissioner Rehabilitation Services Administration U.S. Department of Education Michael Yudin, Acting Assistant Secretary Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services U.S. Department of Education
1:15 to 1:45 PM A Better Bottom Line: SALONS 1-4 Employing People with Disabilities Governor Jack Markell State of Delaware 1:45 to 2:00 PM The New Economy: SALONS 1-4 Rethink, Realign, Reinvent Thomas E. Finch, Ph.D., Director Training and Service Programs Division Rehabilitation Services Administration 2:00 to 2:15 PM BREAK
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2012
Page 6 of 78
2:15 to 3:30 PM The New Economy SALONS 1-4 Paul Harrington, Ph.D., Director Center for Labor Markets and Policy Drexel University 3:30 to 3:45 PM BREAK 3:45 to 5:00 PM Introduction to Café Conversations SALONS 1-4 Thomas E. Finch, Director Training and Service Programs Division Rehabilitation Services Administration Michele M. Martin, President/CEO The Bamboo Project, Inc. Kathy Krepcio, Executive Director John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development 5:00 to 5:30 PM BREAK 5:30 to 7:00 PM Evening Activities SALON 4 BALLROOM Rebecca Soto DARS Division for Blind Services Christine Ha, 2012 MasterChef Winner
Christine Ha is the first blind contestant to win MasterChef. In 1999, she lost sight in one eye due to neuromyelitis optica, and was completely blind by 2007. She is an MFA candidate in Creative Writing, but never studied cooking. Her food blog is titled, The Blind Cook: http://www.theblindcook.com/
Page 7 of 78
8:15 to 9:15 AM Federal Panel SALONS 1-3
Moderator: Kathleen West-Evans Director of Business Relations, National Employment Team (The NET), Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation Alison Levy, Departmental Disability Employment Program Manager,
U.S. Department of Agriculture Michael Murray, Diversity Program Manager for Government-wide Disability Programs Office of Diversity and Inclusion U.S. Office of Personnel Management Christine Navarrete-Wasson, Acting Director Wage and Investment, Human Capital Office Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Department of Treasury Inez Uhl, Chief, Office of Diversity and Inclusive Workforce Management U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 9:15 to 9:30 AM Re-Signing of the USDA and CSAVR SALONS 1-3 Memorandum of Understanding
Gregory Parham, Ph.D., Acting Assistant Secretary for Administration
U.S. Department of Agriculture Steve Wooderson, CEO Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation 9:30 to 9:45 AM BREAK 9:45 to 10:45 AM CONCURRENT SESSIONS I Salon 5 C1 – Café Room: The New Economy
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2012
Page 8 of 78
Michele M. Martin, President/CEO, The Bamboo Project, Inc.; Kathy Krepcio, Executive Director, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development
Salon 6 C2 – Fearless: Imagine a Business Partnership Built on Trust,
Responsiveness and Deliverability…It Works!” (NY) Tobi Bickweat, New York State - General / ACCES-VR; Leslie G.
Reis, CVS Caremark; Ralph Roach, Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation; Mary Ann VanAlstyne, New York State Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped
Join your colleagues to discover/review how: 1. Assisting
Businesses in the on-boarding of VR talent must start by listening to and understanding Business needs; 2. Cross-State VR System collaboration can: identify resources; use braided funding to on-board VR talent with the appropriate supports (e.g. accommodations, job coaching, follow-along, OJT, tax incentives); and promote and expand hiring of VR talent. 3. Qualified workers living across state lines can achieve fully integrated competitive employment when businesses partner with the CSAVR NET, state VR agencies, community agencies and other workforce partners to meet businesses needs.
Salon 7 C3 – Stairway to Healthcare Careers VR
Bill Allen, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission; Rick Laferriere, Manager of Workforce Initiatives, CVS Caremark
This workshop will highlight and demonstrate allied healthcare careers within the pharmacy retail sector. As occupations in healthcare continue to change, there are increased growth opportunities in positions as Pharmacy Technicians. CVS, one of the nation’s premier retail pharmacy chains has partnered with the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC). CVS has utilized the MRC "Call Us First" Program to identify qualified candidates with disabilities to be hired into career focused pharmacy technician positions utilizing the MRC On-The-Job Training Program.
Studio E C4 - Employer Perspectives on Retention and Advancement in the New Economy
Susanne M. Bruyère, Director, Employment and Disability Institute, Associate Dean of Outreach, ILR School, Cornell University; Judy
Page 9 of 78
Young, Assistant Director, Employment and Disability Institute, ILR School, Cornell University The purpose of this session is to identify, through leader brief framing of the perceived priorities and challenges of employers in the current economy and participant interaction and discussion, what the significance of the current economy is to what employers are currently encountering, their strategic response to this environment, and ultimately the implications for improving employment outcomes for people with disabilities. The goals of this session are to: 1) To create a forum for discussion of the perspectives of employers in hiring and retaining people with disabilities in the current economy; and 2) To identify specific issues confronting employers today that present barriers to employment, and ways for service providers, disability advocates, state and federal government, and employers to work together to address these challenges.
Studio F C5 - Middle Skill Jobs + Employer Focused Services =
Winning Combination for VR Consumers Robert Burns, Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of
Massachusetts-Boston; Ryan Stamm, Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation
This session will focus on a research and demonstration project by the Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation (NVR) and the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston to design, implement, and evaluate a business-focused approach to assure and expand access to middle-skill jobs for VR consumers. The project will build on NVR’s previous experience in developing certificate training programs in partnership with employers and community colleges that lead to middle-skill employment. The NVR/ICI project will build out and expand those efforts focused on a well-documented growth industry - the health care sector.
Studio D C6 - A New Contact Sport: Helping Transitioning Youth with
Significant Disabilities Find and Succeed in Work Through an Innovative Initiative in Delaware
Sandra Miller, Delaware Divison of Vocational Rehabilitation; Dale
Matusevich, Delaware Department of Education; Marissa Catalon, Delaware Division of Developmental Disabilities Services; Katina
Page 10 of 78
Demetriou, Autism Delaware- Productive Opportunities for Work & Recreation
On a national level, thirty years of effort have gone into preparing hundreds of thousands of special education students to make the transition from school to adult life. Scores of curricula have been developed, numerous professional conferences held, strong legislation enacted. But let’s face it. Our efforts far outweigh our outcomes: youth with significant disabilities continue to be one of the most unemployed groups in the United States, in spite of the fact that they want to work and have the talents to do so. They are more likely to be isolated, disconnected, and marginalized. In Delaware, a statewide consortia is taking on the challenge, through its Early Start to Supported Employment initiative (ESSE), which stresses the importance of brokering the relationships between these individuals, business people, and community members who provide creative and effective supports.
10:45 to 11:00 AM BREAK 11:00 to 12:00 PM CONCURRENT SESSIONS II Salon 5 C7 – Café Room: Preserving What Works and Letting Go of
What Doesn’t Work
Michele M. Martin, President/CEO, The Bamboo Project, Inc.; Kathy Krepcio, Executive Director, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development
Salon 6 C8 – Collaborating with Business: A Survey of Employers
Participating in PWDNET Carol Ruddell, Project Director, Utah Department of Health, Work
Ability Utah, Medicaid Infrastructure Grant; Leah Lobato, Business Relations Specialist, Utah State Office of Rehabilitation; Sherry Neal, Civil Rights EEO Specialist, Intermountain Region, U.S. Forest Services; Shannon Cassias, Human Resource Consultant, Division of Human Resource Management, State of Utah
Collaborating with business means meeting their needs. Utah’
PWDNET is one model to effect the bottom line of successful businesses by linking business with qualified candidates, and providing supports and services to both the business and the employee. PWDNET began in 2005 as a MIG/USOR partnership. In
Page 11 of 78
2011, Utah conducted a survey of PWDNET business partners to determine 1) what services are used, useful and most valued, 2) changes to employment practices and 3) recommended program improvements. Strategies to meet business needs in order to effectively partner will be shared.
Salon 7 C9 – Orchestrating Success: Creating Talent to Meet Industry
Needs Alice C. Hunnicutt, New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
Services; Jeffery Stoller, New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development, Labor Planning & Analysis; Mary Ellen Clark, New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development
Any successful effort to assist jobseekers must begin with an
understanding of the workforce and the skill needs of employers. New Jersey has identified seven industries that provide the foundation for the State's economy and labor market. New Jersey has begun to focus talent development efforts on these seven key industries and will continue to expand this initiative. To truly ensure that the workforce development system is responsive to the needs of jobseekers and employers and that it produces results, New Jersey has prioritized the development of an enhanced set of performance metrics and processes that will increase accountability and transparency, and improve customer service. The DVRS is an important partner in these efforts.
Studio E C10 – Beyond Experimental Design: Lessons from Three
States on Implementing Employment Practices in the Real World
Nanette Relave, American Public Human Services Association; Millie
Ryan, Alaska Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education; Jade Gingerich, Maryland Department of Disabilities; Eric Blunt, Interwork, San Diego State University
Implementing promising and evidence-based employment practices
in real world settings takes more than a sound research design. This session will draw on the experiences of three states (Alaska, California and Maryland) that have leveraged their Medicaid Infrastructure Grants to build systems-level practices to support implementation of promising and evidence-based practices. This session will also explore the interplay of research and practice in regards to adapting existing practices and fostering new practice
Page 12 of 78
models. Presenters will address several promising and evidence-based practices including supported employment, customized employment, customized self-employment, and benefits/work incentives planning.
Studio F C11 – SSA’s Employment Support Programs and the Youth
Transition Demonstration Project Joyanne Cobb, Analyst, Office of Program Development and
Research, Social Security Administration; Marie Parker Strahan, Program Policy, Office of Employment Support Programs, Social Security Administration
The Social Security Administration's (SSA) Office of Employment
Support Programs and Office of Program Development and Research will present data, analysis and research findings regarding the youth population on SSI/SSDI disability benefits. SSA is working to improve employment outcomes for these youth. Over 1.5 million youth ages 13 to 30 receive SSI/SSDI benefits based on disability. We will present VR and Ticket program data and SSA's Youth Transition Demonstration findings to date. The role that collaboration with VR played in the Youth Transition Program Models will be discussed.
Studio D C12 – Employer Chats: The VR Community and Business
Community Learning Together Rick Laferriere, Manager of Workforce Initiatives, CVS Caremark;
Oswald “Oz” Mondejar, Vice-President of Human Resources, Community Relations and Communications, Partners Continuing Care; Michelle Crabtree, Area Director of Human Resources, Hyatt Regency Crystal City; Michael Wheeden, Director of Business Development, Mortgage Bankers Association
What factors contribute most towards the employer's decision to
offer the job? What vocational rehabilitation strategies and supports contribute most towards the success of the company's business? Come to the "Employer Chats" to get these answers and more from employers; and to share your effective employment practices and more with business representatives from various industries. The "Employer Chats" are focused but engaging conversations among employers and conference participants to learn specific ways to improve employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
Page 13 of 78
12:00 to 1:45 PM WORKING LUNCH SALONS 1-3 “Technology Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond”
Gregg Vanderheiden, Director, Trace R&D Center and Professor, Industrial & Systems Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin—Madison
Gregg has been working on technology and disability for just under 40 years. Many of the accessibility features that are now built into every Macintosh, Windows and Linux computer were created by his group in the 1980s. He will discuss the future of the economy and how technology can/will change accessibility and the way people with disabilities work.
1:45 to 2:00 PM BREAK 2:00 to 3:00 PM CONCURRENT SESSIONS III Salon 5 C13 – Café Room: Dilemmas and Opportunities
Michele M. Martin, President/CEO, The Bamboo Project, Inc.; Kathy Krepcio, Executive Director, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development
Salon 6 C14 – How Legislation and Technology Drive the Way
Employers Connect with Jobseekers Jolene Jefferies, DirectEmployers Association; James D. Van Erden,
Senior Policy Advisor, National Association of State Workforce Agencies
The growing burden of employment laws and regulations, including the recently proposed §503 amendments to The Rehabilitation Act, are changing the employment landscape, driving significant changes in employers’ recruiting practices. At the same time, technology is also changing the nature of work and how employers seek talent. Jobseekers’ increased use of search engines for job hunting has resulted in over 226 million job searches done monthly on Google. The use of social media and mobile devices is also skyrocketing. Responding to these legislative and technology trends, our nation’s employers have created diverse strategies in
Page 14 of 78
finding and recruiting their workforce. How well is your State’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Agency prepared to respond to these same trends and better support individuals with disabilities in using current technologies to find work? Learn how your VR agency can implement no-cost technology solutions by partnering with the US.jobs National Labor Exchange, through its Disability Outreach and Employment National Partnership program, to help employers effectively target, reach and hire individuals with disabilities.
Salon 7 C15 – Demand-Side Employment Research: Implications for
Improving Vocational Rehabilitation Service Delivery Practices Fong Chan, Director of Clinical Training, Co-Director, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center-Effective VR Service Delivery Practices, University of Wisconsin The purpose of this presentation is to provide an overview of the concept of demand-side employment and job placement for people with disabilities. Specifically, we will review recent research related to attitudes toward people with disabilities and people from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds, analysis of workplace discrimination based on EEOC data, and surveys of employers’ perspective on the employment of people with disabilities. We will discuss how this information can be used to formulate targeted strategies and policies for increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Studio E C16 – Middle Skills and Beyond: Building Sector-Based
Partnerships for Free Agent Consumers Matt Bruinekool, Drake University; Robert Stensrud, Drake
University
The presenters will discuss a sector-based demand-side model for building relationships with area business sectors so consumers have the social capital to get middle skill jobs and advance within sectors as economic conditions change. It will stress using social media and describe an existing partnership.
Studio F C17 – Hiring Veterans is Good Business! Ruth A. Fanning, Department of Veterans Affairs, Vocational
Rehabilitation & Employment
Page 15 of 78
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Service will provide session participants with the business case for hiring highly qualified Veterans to meet their staffing needs.
Studio D C18 – Employer Chats: The VR Community and Business Community Learning Together
Bob Foley, Wounded Warrior Program Manager, Global Talent
Acquisition, Raytheon; Ling Peterson, Corporate Recruiter, Acentia; Felipe Cofino, Human Resources Director, Hyatt Regency Bethesda; Alison Levy, Departmental Disability Employment Program Manager, U.S. Department of Agriculture What factors contribute most towards the employer's decision to offer the job? What vocational rehabilitation strategies and supports contribute most towards the success of the company's business? Come to the "Employer Chats" to get these answers and more from employers; and to share your effective employment practices and more with business representatives from various industries. The "Employer Chats" are focused but engaging conversations among employers and conference participants to learn specific ways to improve employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
3:30 to 3:15 PM BREAK 3:15 to 4:15 PM CONCURRENT SESSIONS Salon 5 C19 – Café Room: System Capacity
Michele M. Martin, President/CEO, The Bamboo Project, Inc.; Kathy Krepcio, Executive Director, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development
Salon 6 C20 – Working Partners Program…Think Like an Employer and Perform Like an Olympian
Bill Allen, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission; Oz Mondejar,
Spualding Rehabilitation Hospital Network; Colleen Moran, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Network; Felicia Nurmsen, Manpower
Page 16 of 78
The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) has embarked on a business to business journey. The journey has incorporated a very innovative employer account system. The MRC Employer Account System utilizes a team of Employment Service Specialists and Job Placement Specialists who are embedded in the business community. The design and scope of this program allows qualified candidates with disabilities to be hired and retained into competitive employment options. The employer account model also adopted a "Call Us First" approach which leverages the business strategy saving time and money for the employer. National, regional and local employers have participated in this unique collaboration. Employers such Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Network, Manpower, and CVS have integrated the Call Us First Program into their business model.
Salon 7 C21 – Promoting Evidence-based Vocational Rehabilitation
Practice John W. Lui, Executive Director, Vocational Rehabilitation Institute, University of Wisconsin-Stout; Cayte Anderson, Vocational Rehabilitation Institute, University of Wisconsin-Stout What are the incentives, barriers, and specific training needs of vocational rehabilitation counselors related to using evidence-based practices (EBP) within a state-federal VR system? We will share findings from a recent survey of vocational rehabilitation counselors in the state-federal VR systems conducted by the RRTC-Evidence-Based Practice in Vocational Rehabilitation (RRTC EBP-VR) followed with an open-forum discussion to explore the challenges and opportunities in incorporating evidence-based research information that is accessible and usable to develop Individual Employment Plans (IEPs) that may help to increase successful employment outcomes for consumers.
Studio E C22 – Scaling the Cliff: Helping VR Clients Receiving SSDI
Achieve SGA Joe Marrone, RSA SGA PROJECT- Institute for Community Inclusion,
University of Massachusetts Boston; Robert Burns, RSA SGA PROJECT- Institute for Community Inclusion, University of Massachusetts Boston; Julisa Cully, RSA SGA PROJECT- Institute for Community Inclusion, University of Massachusetts Boston; Rob Groenendaal, RSA
Page 17 of 78
This session will focus on the early results of ICIs RSA funded SGA project. Analysis of RSA and SSA data and interviews with several states provided information that allowed ICI to develop an intervention model that has the potential to assist SVRAs help more SSDI clients achieve SGA. This program model that will be described involves clinical and system interventions that have been developed as a result of this initial analysis. Successful implementation of these approaches has the potential both to assist people on SSDI succeed in financially more rewarding employment and SVRAs gather increased SSA reimbursements.
Studio F C23 – Intersections with the Administration for Community Living, Opportunities in the Aging Network
Michelle Washko, US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living; Elizabeth Leef, Aging Services Program Specialist, Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,; Richard Nicholls, Aging Services Program Specialist, Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services The mission of the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living is to maximize the independence, well-being, and health of older adults, people with disabilities, and their families and caregivers. Presenters will provide an explanation of the genesis of this new federal agency and the history of its programs. This will include an in-depth description of the Aging Network and ways which it has connected with the VR network at the State and local level to provide employment supports for individuals seeking to maximize their self-sufficiency and independence in the community.
Studio D C24 – People with Autism Achieving Career Success Valerie Brooke, Virginia Commonwealth University; Jennifer
McDonough, Virginia Commonwealth University; Alissa Molinelli, Virginia Commonwealth University
The number of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders entering the workforce is exploding yet the employment outlook for these individuals is grim. Virginia is fortunate to be on the cutting edge of services for people with ASD. Through collaboration and research, the Commonwealth is leading the way to supporting individuals with
Page 18 of 78
ASD in the workforce and educating the community and service providers on how best to do this.
4:15 to 4:30 PM BREAK 4:30 to 5:30 PM CONCURRENT SESSIONS Salon 5 C25 – Café Room: Finding the Will Michele M. Martin, President/CEO, The Bamboo Project, Inc.; Kathy
Krepcio, Executive Director, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development
Salon 6 C26 – The NET: Branding VR as a National Resource for
Business
Kathleen West-Evans, Director of Business Relations: The National Employment Team; Harley Engelman, Marketing Consultant; John P. Evans, Employer Relations Manager Through the National Employment Team (NET), VR continues to use the input of business to support a national group of business/employer consultants that work directly with private and public sector businesses. The goal of the NET is to meet the employment needs of business by referring qualified applicants with disabilities from the national VR system and capitalizing on the expertise of professional staff to assist the business is hiring and retaining a work force that is inclusive. This session will focus on the development of a national branding strategy for VR based on input from business customers, a marketing consultant, and the 80 agencies under the public VR system. The presenters will facilitate a discussion and brainstorm with participants about how they are reinventing their message and realigning their marketing strategy at the state, regional and national level through The NET. As VR rethinks the relationship with business, in the new economy, how do we realign our message to business customer?
Salon 7 C27 – A Cross-Systems Approach to Employer Engagement –
Collaborative Strategies among State Workforce Investment Agencies, Vocational Rehabilitation, and Business
Randee Chafkin, Workforce Development Specialist, Office of Workforce Investment, Employment and Training Administration, US. Department of Labor; Wanda Boulden, Disability Resource
Page 19 of 78
Coordinator, Virginia Disability Employment Initiative; Meredith DeDona, Grants Manager, Office of Disability Employment Policy; Belen Burkharter, Business and Employment Services Coordinator, Oklahoma Rehabilitation Services; Shaun McGill, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Disability Employment Policy; Deb Russell, U.S. Business Leadership Network Representative, Walgreen Co. There is a large untapped population of persons with disabilities who are well qualified to meet the recruitment and retention needs of the business sector for qualified employees. The U.S. Department of Labor has invested in a number of systems-change initiatives focused on improving the capacity of various state agencies in developing collaborative partnerships with employers in the hiring and retaining of workers with disabilities. Two specific grant initiatives currently funded by the DOL’s Employment & Training Administration and the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) that include vocational rehabilitation agencies and businesses as strategic partners will be highlighted. Additionally, a variety of effective practices, innovative strategies, and technical assistance resources focused on enhancing employer engagement at the local and state level will be disseminated.
Studio E C28 – Cloud-based Accessibility: Implications for the
Workplace and Employment Clayton Lewis, Consultant, NIDRR Cloud Computing Initiative
The Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure initiative will use cloud computing to make it much easier for people with disabilities to get information and services delivered to them in a manner that automatically matches their individual capabilities, needs, and preferences. In this interactive session, the audience will discuss how this technology can be shaped to best address workplace accommodations and other employment related needs. For example, how can this technology make it easier for people to change jobs, without worrying about negotiating and arranging needed accommodations? More generally, what considerations regarding the workplace and employment should the people who are developing this technology be aware of?
Studio F C29 – Small Investments- Big Savings: A Look at How
Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies Save Money by Partnering with their AT Act Program Entities (AT)
Page 20 of 78
Paul Galonsky, RESNA; Brian Bard, RSA Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies (VR) are finding that working with their Assistive Technology Act (AT) Programs can save the agencies funds. This is why several VR agencies have contracted with their AT Act Programs to provide cost effective services that save VR funds. This Presentation will showcase AT Act Programs and describe how their state VRs have realized agency savings, as well as successful VR client employment outcomes through collaboration and partnership with their AT Act Programs.
Studio D C30 – Success Through Collaboration and Customized
Employment: Three Partners Serving the Most Significantly Disabled
Scott W. Harrington, Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities; Mechelle Merrill, Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation; Maureen Cole, Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation; Stephen Rock, Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities The Rehabilitation Division in Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation (NV-DETR) has taken a leadership role with two other agencies in serving Nevadans with the most significant disabilities. The Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities (NCED) and DHHS-Developmental Services are collaborating together on a pilot project utilizing Customized Employment to serve job seekers with the most significant disabilities. This NTAP presentation will provide attendees with an overview of the Nevada collaboration and in an interactive session, help states to develop a similar successful model by identifying the barriers to collaboration and development of a workplan to overcome the barriers.
5:30 to 7:30 PM TACE Regional Meetings
“Given all we have learned at the conference, what are the next steps that we in our region should take?
Page 21 of 78
8:15 TO 8:20 AM Welcome SALONS 1-4 8:20 to 8:45 AM Remarks from the Office of SALONS 1-4 Personnel Management John Berry, Director Office of Personnel Management Veronica Villalobos, Director Office of Diversity and Inclusion Office of Personnel Management
8:45 to 09:00 AM Remarks from the Office of SALONS 1-4 Disability Employment Policy Kathy Martinez, Assistant Secretary Office of Disability Employment Policy 09:00 to 10:00 AM Federal Contracting Panel Discussion
Moderator: Kathleen West-Evans, Director of Business Relations, National Employment Team (The NET), Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation Bob Foley, Wounded Warrior Program Manager Global Talent Acquisition, Raytheon
Jill Houghton, Executive Director U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN) Rick Laferriere, Manager of Workforce Initiatives CVS Caremark Oswald “Oz” Mondejar, Vice-President of Human Resources Community Relations and Communications, Partners Continuing Care 10:00 to 10:15 AM BREAK 10:15 to 11:00 AM The Affordable Care Act and SALONS 1-4
Employment Opportunities for
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2012
Page 22 of 78
Persons with Disabilities Barbara Otto, Chief Executive Officer Health and Disability Advocates
11:00 to 12:00 PM Call to Action SALONS 1-4 Bob Williams, Associate Commissioner Office of Employment Support Programs, Social Security Administration Michele M. Martin, President/CEO The Bamboo Project, Inc. Kathy Krepcio, Executive Director John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development Thomas E. Finch, Ph.D., Director Training and Service Programs Division
Page 23 of 78
Page 24 of 78
Page 25 of 78
Page 26 of 78
Page 27 of 78
Page 28 of 78
Page 29 of 78
Page 30 of 78
Page 31 of 78
Page 32 of 78
Page 33 of 78
Page 34 of 78
Page 35 of 78
Page 36 of 78
Page 37 of 78
Page 38 of 78
Edward Anthony, Ph.D Acting Commissioner, U.S. Department of Education Rehabilitation Services Administration Dr. Ed Anthony was appointed in June 2006 to be Deputy Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), Department of Education. Prior to that, he was the Director of Policy and Planning in OSERS from 1993 until 2006.
In May 2005, Dr. Anthony was delegated the authority by the Secretary of Education to perform the functions of the Commissioner of RSA and served in that role until 2010. RSA’s mission is to assist individuals with disabilities to achieve employment, independence, and integration into the workplace and the community. In May of 2006 Dr. Anthony was appointed by the President to serve on the Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled as the representative from the Department of Education.
Dr. Anthony has worked in the federal government for 27 years, serving in various positions in the Department and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Michael Yudin Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Michael K. Yudin is the Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. Prior to coming to OSERS, Yudin served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE). In this role, he served as the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary on policy and operations affecting all grant programs administered by OESE. Yudin also helped lead the Department’s efforts on Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA) flexibility. He served as Acting Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education from June 2011 to May 2012.
Prior to joining the Department, Yudin spent nine years in the United States Senate, serving as legislative director for Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, senior counsel to Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, and HELP Committee counsel to Senator Jim Jeffords of Vermont. In these roles, he assisted in developing, promoting, and advancing a comprehensive legislative agenda related to education, children and families, disabilities, and poverty. He also served as director of employment policy for two leading national disability organizations: the ARC of the United States and United Cerebral Palsy (UCP).
General Session Presenters
Page 39 of 78
Governor of Delaware Jack Markell Governor Jack Markell is focused on growing the economy, creating jobs, strengthening schools and protecting taxpayers.
When he took office in 2009, he inherited a record budget shortfall, rapidly rising unemployment, and a stagnant economy. Since then, he has helped open shuttered manufacturing facilities, won President Obama's Race to the Top competition to improve public schools, and signed new laws to drive improvements in the economy, environment, and education.
Governor Markell, 51, was born and raised in Newark, Delaware and graduated from Newark High School along with his wife, Carla. He went on to receive an
undergraduate degree in economics and development studies from Brown University and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Governor Markell is a Henry Crown Fellow and a Rodel Fellow at the Aspen Institute. He resides in Wilmington, Delaware, with his wife Carla and their two children, Molly (19) and Michael (16), along with their puppy Rue (recently adopted), Belle the cat, and Norma the goldfish.
Governor Markell brings innovative public and private sector experience to the Office of Governor. He began his career in the private sector helping lead the wireless technology revolution as the 13th employee at Nextel (a name he coined), where he served as Senior Vice President for Corporate Development. His other business experience includes a senior management position at Comcast Corporation, work as a consultant with McKinsey and Company and as a banker at First Chicago Corporation.
He was elected State Treasurer in 1998, winning three consecutive terms, including his last re-election in November of 2006 with an overwhelming 70 percent of the vote. As State Treasurer, Governor Markell worked tirelessly to improve the lives of Delawareans through innovative programs aimed at cutting spending and improving fiscal responsibility. He has been recognized in Delaware and across the country as a leader in promoting policies to help all people achieve their economic potential.
Governor Markell has also worked to advocate on behalf of Delawareans and bring national attention to his home state through a number of leadership roles:
Chair of the National Governors Association (NGA). Co-Chair of the Common Core Standards Initiative, a joint effort of NGA and the Council of Chief State School Officers to develop Common Core Standards for education. Board Member, National Assessment Governing Board, nominated by US Education Secretary, Arne Duncan. Chairman of the National Board of Directors for Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG). Former Chair of the Democratic Governors Association (DGA). Former Chair of the Education, Early Childhood and Workforce Committee, NGA (July 2010 - Dec 2010). Former Vice Chair of the NGA Economic Development and Commerce Committee (Jan 2010 - July 2010)
Page 40 of 78
Thomas E. Finch, Ph.D, U.S. Department of Education Rehabilitation Services Administration Dr. Finch joined the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) in 1976 in the Evaluation Unit as a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist. From 1978 – 1983, he was assigned to the National Institute on Handicapped Research (now NIDRR) as the Deputy Director for Rehabilitation Engineering programs. In 1983, Tom was assigned to the Office of Special Education Programs as a Branch Chief for the Personnel Preparation for Special Education and Related Personnel, and was later assigned as the Branch Chief for Early Childhood responsible for the Pre-School Incentive Grants, Early Childhood Research and Demonstration program and the Infant and Toddler program. From 1987 – 1989, Tom was detailed to the Office of the Surgeon General, at the Department of Defense, to assist the DoD Overseas School program develop and implement an infant and toddler program. Tom has also served as the Director, Special Projects Division in RSA; the Acting Associate for Developmental Programs in RSA; and, was detailed to the Office on Disability in the Office of the Secretary of HHS for one year. Tom is the former Unit Chief of the Service Programs Unit within the Training and Service Programs Division and is currently the Director of the Training and Service Programs Division.
Paul Harrington, Ph.D., Director Center for Labor Markets and Policy Drexel University Paul Harrington serves as Professor and Director of the Center for Labor Markets and Policy at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Dr. Harrington has been a labor economist for over 30 years. He has authored and co-authored numerous articles, monographs, and books and taught a wide variety of courses in economics and public policy. He frequently serves as a featured speaker at conferences on education and workforce development across the nation and is often cited in media reports on labor market and economic activity. Most recently Dr. Harrington contributed, in both print and video, to a four part series in the Philadelphia Inquirer titled "Struggling for Work: the Broken Dreams of a New Generation"
discussing the economic situation and mal employment of recent college graduates. Dr. Harrington is currently finalizing a series of six papers that examine the U.S. labor market experiences of college graduates with degrees from foreign universities for the U.S. Department of Education.
Page 41 of 78
Kathy Krepcio John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development Kathy Krepcio is the executive director of the Center, responsible for executive management and day-to-day oversight of administration, research, technical assistance, client service, and project operations. Krepcio brings to the Heldrich Center an exceptional track record in government and nonprofit executive leadership, policy and program development. Prior to joining the Center, she served as chief of staff in the New Jersey State Office of Information Technology
managing the key business activities of the state's central information technology organization, and as the Director for Policy and Planning at the New Jersey Department of Human Services where she was responsible for providing policy research, development and analysis on a wide range of human services areas, including development of state welfare reform efforts.
Krepcio appears frequently as a speaker at conferences and public meetings, and played a lead role in managing the Center's intensive technical assistance and program design work for the September 11th Fund's $78 million employment assistance program for dislocated workers in the greater New York/New Jersey region.
In addition to her responsibilities as Executive Director, Kathy leads the Center's disability and employment work and currently serves as the Project Director of the National Technical Assistance and Research Leadership Center to Promote Employment and Economic Independence for Adults with Disabilities (NTAR Leadership Center) - a workforce consortium sponsored by the US Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy and based at the Heldrich Center - whose mission is to build capacity and leadership at the federal, state and local levels to enable change across workforce development and disability-specific systems that will increase employment for adults with disabilities.
She earned a Master of Arts from the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers and a Bachelor of Arts from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.
Michele Martin, President/CEO The Bamboo Project, Inc. Michele Martin is a workforce development/social media consultant with over 20 years experience in human resources and career development. She has worked with numerous Workforce Investment Boards, One Stop Career Centers, state and local government agencies and non-profits to support the employment of disadvantaged populations, including dislocated workers, youth and people with disabilities. Since 2009, she has provided staff training and capacity-building services to DiscoverAbility NJ, New Jersey's Medicaid Infrastructure Grant. Through this grant, she was facilitated World Cafe events for local Workforce Investment Boards and the state's Disabilities Issues Committee. She has also provided staff training and development on issues related to the employment of
Page 42 of 78
people with disabilities. Through the State's Disability Employment Initiative (DEI) grant, she is currently working with four local areas in NJ to better integrate services for people with disabilities into the One Stop Career Center system. With Kathy Krepcio, she recently co-authored "The State of the U.S. Workforce System: A Time for Incremental Re-Alignment or Serious Reform?" released through the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University.
Christine Ha, 2012 MasterChef Winner Christine Ha is a M.F.A. candidate for fiction and non-fiction at the Creative Writing Program at University of Houston. She is currently working on her thesis, a memoir about the autoimmune condition that eventually caused her permanent vision loss. Christine served as Fiction Editor for the nationally distributed literary journal, Gulf Coast. She was also a contributing writer at Eating Our Words, the Houston Press food and dining blog, and her love for food led her to become a contestant on season three of “MasterChef” (USA), a competitive cooking show for amateur home cooks on the FOX network with judges Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot and Joe Bastianich. Despite her vision impairment, she captured the
title of MasterChef USA 2012. As part of the prize, Christine is working on a cookbook to be published by Rodale in May 2013, coincidentally at the same time she will also complete her MFA degree. Christine as writer can be found at christineha.com (@ChristineHHa), as food enthusiast at theblindcook.com (@theblindcook), and as MasterChef at facebook.com/MC3Christine (@MC3Christine).
Federal Panel Alison Levy, Departmental Disability Employment Program Manager U.S. Department of Agriculture Michael Murray, Diversity Program Manager for Government-wide Disability Programs Office of Diversity and Inclusion U.S. Office of Personnel Management Christina Navarrete-Wasson, Acting Director Wage & Investment, Human Capitol Office Internal Revenue Service U.S. Department of Treasury Inez Uhl, Chief Office of Diversity and Inclusive Workforce Management U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Moderator: Kathy West-Evans, Director of Business Relations National Employment Team (The NET) Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation
Page 43 of 78
Gregg Vanderheiden, Ph.D., Director, Trace R&D Center and Professor in both Industrial & Systems Engineering and Biomedical Engineering Departments at the University of Wisconsin—Madison
Gregg Vanderheiden is Director of the Trace R&D Center and a Professor in both the Industrial & Systems Engineering and Biomedical Engineering Departments at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Vanderheiden has been working on technology and disability for just under 40 years. He was a pioneer in the field of Augmentative Communication (a term he coined in the 1970's) before moving to computer access in the 1980s. Many of the accessibility features that are now built into every Macintosh, Windows and Linux computer were created by his group in the 1980s. He has worked with over 50 companies, served on numerous governmental advisory and study committees on both sides of the ocean, and has chaired and/or edited many of the early accessibility standards. He is co-founder of "Raising the Floor" (http://raisingthefloor.net)
and initiated the international efforts to build National and Global Public Inclusive Infrastructures (http://GPII.org).
URL: http://www.engr.wisc.edu/ie/faculty/vanderheiden_gregg.html#summary
John Berry, Director U.S. Office of Personnel Management John Berry is the Federal Government’s Chief People Person. As the Director of the United States Office of Personnel Management, he is responsible for recruiting, hiring, and setting benefits policies for 1.9 million Federal civilian employees. Calling this a new day for the civil service, he is reinvigorating the Federal workforce to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
John is working closely with partners both inside and outside of government to fulfill President Obama’s charge to “make government cool again by developing flexible, results-oriented HR policies and working to change how Americans view their public servants. His goal: build a workforce of dynamic innovators who put serving the American people at the heart of everything they do.
With over twenty years of experience in the Federal government, Berry is a passionate and aggressive advocate for public service and Federal workers. He first developed expertise in Federal employee and retirement issues during ten years as Legislative Director for Congressman Steny Hoyer of Maryland, now the House Democratic Whip.
During the Clinton Administration, Berry served as Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary for Law Enforcement at the Department of the Treasury, where he had direct-line authority over 40% of the Federal law enforcement community, including the Secret Service and the ATF. He then served as Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget at the Department of the Interior.
From 2001 to 2008, Berry pursued his interest in conservation as Director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and then as Director of the National Zoo, where John the Lion is named after him.
Page 44 of 78
Kathleen Martinez Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathleen Martinez was nominated by President Barack Obama to be the third Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 25, 2009. As head of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), Ms. Martinez advises the Secretary of Labor and works with all DOL agencies to lead a comprehensive and coordinated national policy regarding the employment of people with disabilities.
Blind since birth, Ms. Martinez comes to ODEP with a background as an internationally recognized disability rights leader specializing in employment, asset building, independent living, international development, diversity and gender issues.
She was appointed Executive Director of the World Institute on Disability (WID), based in Oakland, California, in 2005. Ms. Martinez directed Proyecto Visión, WID's National Technical Assistance Center to increase employment opportunities for Latinos with disabilities in the United States, and Access to Assets, an asset-building project to help reduce poverty among people with disabilities. At WID, she also led the team that produced the acclaimed international webzine DisabilityWorld in English and Spanish.
In 2007, she was appointed a member of the board of the U.S. Institute of Peace, a Congressionally-created agency dedicated to research and projects in conflict management. In 2005, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appointed her as one of eight public members of the newly-established State Department advisory committee on disability and foreign policy. In 2002, she was appointed by President Bush as one of 15 members of the National Council on Disability, an independent federal agency advising the President and Congress on disability policy.
Federal Contractor Panel Bob Foley, Wounded Warrior Program Manager Global Talent Acquisition Raytheon Jill Houghton, Executive Director U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN) Rick Laferriere, Manager of Workforce Initiatives – Area 1 CVS Caremark Oswald “Oz” Mondejar, VP Human Resources Community Relations and Communications Partners Continuing Care, Inc. Moderator: Kathy West-Evans, Director of Business Relations National Employment Team (The NET) Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation
Page 45 of 78
Barbara Otto, Chief Executive Officer, Health & Disability Advocates Under her leadership, HDA has grown into a nationally known advocacy organization and resource on health care, employment supports for people with disabilities, and inclusive public policymaking. Barbara is a sought-after speaker, giving workshops throughout the United States, and she served as Adjunct Faculty for Cornell University’s Program on Employment and Disability, and was a consultant with the Virginia Commonwealth University, providing technical assistance to states working to increase employment opportunities for people with
disabilities from 2000 to 2006. In 2000, the Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities in Illinois awarded Barbara the Justin Dart Award for Advocacy, and in 2003 she received a national commendation from the Social Security Administration. In 2011 President Obama appointed her to the national Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion and Integrative and Public Health. Barbara’s work prior to HDA was in health policy and welfare issues. She is a graduate of Marquette University.
Bob Williams, Associate Commissioner, Office of Employment Support Programs, Social Security Administration Bob Williams is the Associate Commissioner for the Social Security Administration’s Office of Employment Support Programs. Prior to this, he was the Special Assistant to the Director of the DC Department on Disability Services. He also has advised the Kaiser Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund and others on policy issues affecting the health, independence and economic well-being of Americans with disabilities of all ages.
From 1993-2000, Williams served as Commissioner on Developmental Disabilities and then as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Disability, Aging and Long Term Care Policy in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In 1990, he worked on enacting the ADA and began his career serving on a court appointed
monitoring team charged with closing Forest Haven, the District of Columbia’s institution for people with developmental disabilities.
National Employment Conference An Introduction to “Café Conversations”
How can we enhance our capacity to talk and think more deeply together about the critical issues facing our community and our organizations? How can we access the mutual intelligence and wisdom we need to create innovative paths forward during challenging times?
As we’ve gone around the country, working with our grantees and talking with people who care about the employment of people with disabilities, these are two of the important questions we’ve begun to ask ourselves at RSA. There is no doubt that we are operating in a difficult environment, with fewer jobs available and constant concerns about funding. The nature of work is changing too—more skills are required for many jobs, more work is done on a contingent or part-time basis and skill requirements are evolving more quickly. And traditional funding sources for our work are drying up, forcing us to reconfigure what we do and how we do it. At RSA, these conditions have made us begin to re-think our “charge.” We are raising thought-provoking questions about the nature of our work, today’s economy and its future, the role and impact of technology in our field and what we need to do differently in order to stay relevant and achieve our goal of high quality employment for individuals with disabilities. The need for what we do has not changed—if anything, it has become more important. However what we do and how we do it is necessarily evolving, although at this point, it’s unclear to us where it will land. As we look to help people with disabilities find employment and advance in their careers, we are faced with both challenges and opportunities. How we respond to the changes in our environment depends on the questions we ask ourselves and the conversations that we have about how we can move forward. With these thoughts in mind, as we’ve planned the National Employment Conference, we’ve looked for new ways to spark the discussions that we know lead to renewal and revitalization of our work. We believe that its only by engaging all of us in discussions about the questions that really matter to what we do that we can find solutions and innovative paths forward to achieve our goals. The World Café is a structured conversational process that creates opportunities for people to engage with each other on important questions. It’s been used successfully by businesses, nonprofits, communities and government agencies around the world to get at the deep issues and create the energy for change. During the Conference, we have planned 5 Café Conversation sessions, each one centered on 1-2 critical questions. The goal of these conversations is to reveal the diversity of perspectives around the different issues we face and to uncover the possibilities for creative change and action. We also want to unearth assumptions we may need to test and discover where we may need more information to move forward. These conversations are only the beginning of a process we plan to continue in the weeks and months to come. We believe that is only through these kinds of ongoing discussions, not only with those who attend the
conference, but also within our own local areas and in our communities of practice, that we will begin to discover new paths forward. So we invite you to join us in these initial discussions, not only to share your perspectives and observations, but also to learn more about the process itself so that you can return to your own community and continue these conversations. We will need everyone’s best thinking, energy and resources to find the opportunities in our current environment. The more people we can engage in these discussions, the more we work to find the heart of the matter, the more we will be able to create the impact we all want to achieve.
Café Menu at the National Employment Conference
1: The New Economy (9:45 AM-10:45 AM)
• What are the most important issues/questions we need to pay attention to as we look at helping people with disabilities find work in the new economy? What is our sense of what we mean when we talk about "the new economy?" What do we see as the key characteristics and changes?
• What additional information do we need in order to broaden and strengthen our understanding of the new economy and its implications for people with disabilities?
2: Preserving What Works and Letting Go of What Doesn't Work (11:00 AM - 12:00 PM)
• What do you feel are the most important things to preserve or hold onto from our current system and processes as we look to meet the challenges of a new economy?
• What do you feel are the most important things for us to let go of in our current system in order to meet the challenges of a new economy? For example, many systems are tied to geopolitical boundaries. Is it possible to change that attachment of funding streams to geopolitical areas? Does this strategy allow for starting new programs or funding program infrastructure? Is there a need for some mechanism for funding programs?
3. Dilemmas and Opportunities (2:00 PM - 3:00 PM)
• Given our current sense of the "new economy" and it's impacts, what dilemmas do we see for people with disabilities and our ability to help them find employment?
• What opportunities do we see?
4. System Capacity (3:15PM - 4:15PM) • What capacities do we need to develop within our system to better serve the needs of people
with disabilities in the new economy?
• What capacities do we need to develop within our individual organizations?
• What capacities do we need to develop in ourselves as practitioners?
• What relationships do we need to develop and/or strengthen in order to support people with disabilities in finding employment in the new economy?
• How can we create stronger relationships among ourselves, so that we're better able to serve our customers?
5: Finding the Will (4:30 PM – 5:30 PM)
• What energizes and excites you about all that we are discussing? Where do you feel the most drawn to action and feel the most opportunity for change?
Action Steps
1. Given everything we've discussed over the last few days, if success were absolutely guaranteed, what bold steps are you prepared to take?
Host café conversations in your state, region, or local area! The following materials are available online to support your planning, organizing and implementing in this effort: The Art of Powerful Conversations Café To-Go Instructions for how to host successful World Cafés Leadership in the Age of Complexity: From Hero to Host Launching Inclusive Efforts Through Community Conversations To access these materials, please visit www.gwcrcre.org.
Attendee List 2012 National Employment Conference
David Adams Staff TACE 5 116 N Parrish Lane Carbondale, IL 62901 United States Phone: 6183038657 [email protected]
Mark Adreon Program Specialist Department of Services for the Blind 3411 S. Alaska St. Seattle, WA 98118-1631 United States Phone: 206-906-5502 [email protected]
Elizabeth Alexander Employment Consultant SC Commission for the Blind 202 Victoria Street Greer, SC 29650 United States Phone: 864-877-2384 [email protected]
Greg Allen Sr. Director HR J.Lodge, LLC 12298 Matterhorn Road Fort Myers, FL 33913 United States Phone: 239-494-8894 Fax: 239-494-8894 [email protected]
William Allen Director Statewide Placement Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission 76 Summer Street Fitchburg, MA 01420 United States Phone: 617 645 9142 Fax: 978 343 6949 [email protected]
Greg Alleyne Supervisor, Employment and Outreach Department of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Avenue Washington, DC 20420 United States Phone: 2024619600 [email protected]
Don Alveshere Administrator Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 650 W. State Street, #150 Boise, ID 83720 United States Phone: 208-334-3390 Fax: 208-334-5305 [email protected]
Eladio Amores Corporate Consultant Florida DVR 3660 N. Washigton Blvd Sarasota, GA 34234 United States Phone: 941-359-7811 Fax: 941-359-5633 [email protected]
Cayte Anderson Associate Director UW-Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute 410 N. Livingston Street Madison, WI 53703 United States Phone: 608-213-3547 [email protected]
Holly Anderson Graduate Student Southern University A&M College 1780 North Vega Dr. Baton Rouge, LA 70815 United States Phone: 225-572-5015 [email protected]
Edward Anthony Deputy Commissioner Rehabilitation Services Administration 400 Maryland Avenue SW Potomac Center Plaza Washington, DC 20202 United States Phone: 202-245-6103
Andre Arthur Rehabilitation Counselor MD Division of Rehabilitation Services 2301 Argonne Drive Baltimore, MD 21218 United States Phone: 410-554-347-4136 Fax: 410-347-4149 [email protected]
RoseAnn Ashby Chief, Training Programs Unit Rehabilitation Services Administration 400 Maryland Avenue SW Potomac Center Plaza Washington, DC 20202 United States Phone: 202-245-7258 [email protected]
Debby Austin Staunton Regional Manager Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired 1076 Jefferson Highway Staunton, VA 22030 United States Phone: 804-371-3198 [email protected]
Thaddaeus Babb Administrative Programs Officer Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services 5813 S. Robinson OKC, OK 73109 United States Phone: 405-635-2774 [email protected]
Ronetia Bacon VR Program Specialist Delaware Division for the Visually Impaired
Sylvia Bailey-Charles Supvervisory Business Relations Specialists DC Department on Disability Services,
Karen Bainer Employment Programs Interviewer 3 WV Division of Rehabilitation Services 107 Capitol Street
1901 N. DuPont Highway,-Biggs Building Rehabilitation Services Administration Charleston, WV 25301 New Castle, DE 19720 United States Phone: 302-255-9822 [email protected]
1125 15th Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 United States Phone: 202-442-8494 [email protected]
United States Phone: 304-356-2075 Fax: 304-558-1688 [email protected]
Clara Banks Business Relations Representative Arkansas Rehabilitation Services 1115 S. Waldron Rd. Fort Smith, AR 72903 United States Phone: 479-452-7131 [email protected]
Peter Barcinas Guam State Rehabilitation Council Member DISID - Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 238 AFC Flores Street Suite 602, DNA Building Hagatna, 96910 Guam Phone: 475-5735 Fax: 475-4661 [email protected]
Claudia Barrios Disability Resource Coordinator Servicesource/ Arlington One Stop 2100 Washington Blvd First Floor Arlington, VA 22204 United States Phone: 7032281419 [email protected]
Greco Battles business relations coordinator georgia vocational rehabilitation agency 2 peachtree street, NW 6th floor atlanta, GA 30303 United States Phone: 404-232-1950 [email protected]
Maria Benitez Director of Counseling Services Vocational Rehabilitation Administration R.R. # 10 BOX 5266 SAN JUAN, 00926 Puerto Rico Phone: 787-729-0160 Fax: 787-728-7117 [email protected]
Patricia Bennet Education Program Specialist Rehabilitation Services Administration 400 Maryland Avenue SW Potomac Center Plaza Washington, DC 20202 United States Phone: 202-245-6103
Ken Beurmann Chief Operations Officer Goodwill Industries of South Central California 4901 Stine Rd Bakersfield, CA 93313 United States Phone: 661-978-1707 [email protected]
Ed Bible Director of Training & Employment South Carolina Commission f/t Blind P.O.Box 2467 Columbia, SC 29202 United States Phone: (803) 898-8786 Fax: (803) 898-8882 [email protected]
Tobi Bickweat Statewide Coordinator for Workforce Development and Marketing NYSED- VESID 99 Washington Ave Room 1601 Albany, NY 12234 United States Phone: 518-473-7630 Fax: 518-486-6252 [email protected]
Joan Blake Specialist on Deaf/Blind Oklahoma Department of Rehabiliatation Services 5813 S. Robinson OKC, OK 73109 United States Phone: 405-635-2774 [email protected]
Kristina Blankenship Program Director, Employment Services Indiana Family and Social Services Administration 402 West Washington Street Room W451 MS28 Indianapolis, IN 46204 United States Phone: 317-232-7830 Fax: 317-232-1240 [email protected]
Cynthia Bloom Rehabilitation Counselor MD Division of Rehabilitation Services 2301 Argonne Drive Baltimore, MD 21218 United States Phone: 301-601-1500 [email protected]
Felecia Blyden VR Administrator Disabilities & Rehabilitation Services 1303 Hospital Ground Knud Hansen Complex - Bldg. A St. Thomas, 00802 Virgin Islands (U.S.) Phone: 340-774-0930 Fax: 340-774-7773 [email protected]
Jody Boone Program Manager, Technical Assistance Branch Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) 2301 Argonne Drive Baltimore, MD 21218 United States Phone: 410-554-9451 Fax: 410-554-9412 [email protected]
Wanda Boulden Disability Resource Coordinator Peninsula Worklink 600 Butler Farm Road Hampton, VA 23666 United States Phone: 757-766-4917 Fax: 757-766-4939 [email protected]
Wanda Boulden Disability Resource Coordinator Virginia Disability Employment Initiative 101 N 14th St Richmond, DC 23219 United States Phone: 804-819-1680 [email protected]
Tim Bowens Employment Programs Interviewer 3 WV Division of Rehabilitation Services 107 Capitol Street Charleston, WV 25301 United States Phone: 304-356-2075 Fax: 304-558-1688 [email protected]
Kathy Bowling Employment Programs Interviewer 3 WV Division of Rehabilitation Services 107 Capitol Street Charleston, WV 25301 United States Phone: 304-356-2075 Fax: 304-558-1688 [email protected]
Eleana Boyer Business Development Manager VA DARS 8004 Franklin Farms Drive Richmond, VA 23229 United States Phone: (804) 662-7613 [email protected]
Hugh Bradshaw Employment Services Manager VocRehab Vermont 103 South Main Street Weeks 1A Waterbury, VT 05671 United States Phone: 802-871-3054 [email protected]
Stacey Bragg Employment Specialist Delaware Department of Labor Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 20793 Professional Park Blvd. Georgetown, DE 19947 United States Phone: 302-858-5263 Fax: 302-856-5486 [email protected]
Robin Brandt Director University of Hawaii PBRRTC 1268 Young Street, Suite 204 Honolulu, HI 96814-1801 United States Phone: 808.592.5900 Fax: 808.592.5909 [email protected]
Tracy Brigham Programs Manager Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services 5813 S. Robinson OKC, OK 73109 United States Phone: 405-635-2774 [email protected]
Nick Brooks Rehabilitation Specialist MD Division of Rehabilitation Services 2301 Argonne Drive Baltimore, MD 21218 United States Phone: 410-554-9340 [email protected]
Matt Bruinekool Assistant Professor Drake University 3206 University Ave Des Moines, IA 50311 United States Phone: 515-271-4507 Fax: 515-271-4848 [email protected]
Susanne Bruyère Director Employment and Disability Institute 201K Dolgen Hall Ithaca, NY 14853 United States Phone: 6072559536 [email protected]
Denise Burke Employment Specialist Delaware Department of Labor Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 122 Silver Lake Road Middletown, DE 19709 United States Phone: 302-378-5779 Fax: 302-378-5784 [email protected]
Belen Burkhalter Programs Manager Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services 5813 S. Robinson OKC, OK 73109 United States Phone: 405-635-2774 [email protected]
Robert Burns Research Associate Institute for Community Inclusion 100 Morrissey Blvd Boston, MA 02125 United States Phone: 6172874300 [email protected]
Patricia Burrell VR Senior Counselor DHSS/DVI 13 S.W. Front Street MSSC-Annex Milford, DE 19963 United States Phone: 302-424-7261 Fax: 302-422-1419 [email protected]
Xinsheng "Cindy" Cai Senior Researcher American Institutes for Research 1000 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW Washington, DC 20007 United States Phone: 2024036929 [email protected]
Leslie Caplan Program Specialist Rehabilitation Services Administration 400 Maryland Avenue SW Potomac Center Plaza Washington, DC 20202 United States Phone: 202-245-6103
James Carroll Counselor II Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired 11150 Fairfax Boulevard Suite 502 Fairfax, VA 22030 United States Phone: 804-371-3198 [email protected]
Cheryl Casciano Program Planning& Development Specialist NJ Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 1 John Fitch Plaza PO Box 398 Trenton, NJ 08625 United States Phone: 6092922357 Fax: 6092928347 [email protected]
Marissa Catalon Director, Day & Transition Services Delaware Division of Developmental Disabilities Services 1056 S. Governors Ave Woodbrook Professional Center Dover, DE 19904 United States Phone: 3027449600 [email protected]
Randee Ellen Chafkin Senior Program Specialist Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor 200 Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC 20210 United States Phone: 202-693-2723 [email protected]
Fong Chan Professor University of Wisconsin-Madison 403 Education Building 1000 Bascom Mall Madison, WI 53706 United States Phone: (608)262-2137 Fax: (608)262-8108 [email protected]
Susan Chung Employment Coordinator Department of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Avenue Washington, DC 20420 United States Phone: 2024619600 [email protected]
Mary Ellen Clark Assistant Commissioner New Jersey Department of Labor John Fitch Plaza, 11th floor Workforce Development Trenton, NJ 08625 United States Phone: 609-292-2000 Fax: 609-777-0483 [email protected]
Joyanne Cobb Project Officer Office of Retirement and Disability Policy 500 E St SW 9th Floor, Room #905 Washington, DC 20254 United States Phone: 202-358-6509 Fax: 202-358-6505 [email protected]
Leslie Cohen UCEDD Representative Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council 1740 W. Adams Street. Suite 410 Phoenix, AZ 85007 United States Phone: 602-542-8970 [email protected]
Randall Coleman Employment Programs Interviewer 3 WV Division of Rehabilitation Services 107 Capitol Street Charleston, WV 25301 United States Phone: 304-356-2075 Fax: 304-558-1688 [email protected]
Jonathon Cook VR Counselor Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services 5813 S. Robinson OKC, OK 73109 United States Phone: 405-635-2774 [email protected]
Nikki Cooper Employment Specialist Delaware Department of Labor Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 1114 South DuPont Highway Dover, DE 19901 United States Phone: 302-422-7722 Fax: 302-739-6874 [email protected]
Charlotte Copenhaver Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Bd. of Ed. Services for the Blind 184 Windsor Ave. Windsor, CT 06095 United States Phone: (860)770-9766 Fax: (860)602-4030 [email protected]
Dindee Cordeiro Employment Specialist State of DE - Div. f/t Visually Impaired MSSCA 13 S.W. Front St., Suite 105 Milford, DE 19963 United States Phone: 302-424-7262 Fax: 302-422-1419 [email protected]
Thelma Cox Regional Employment Specialist NC Vocational Rehabilitation 805 Ruggles Drive Raleigh, NC 27699 United States Phone: 919-855-3541 [email protected]
Beth Crain Program Administrator Division of Blind Services 325 W. Gaines Street Suite 1114 Tallahassee, FL 32399 United States Phone: 850-245-0358 Fax: 850-245-0364 [email protected]
Brenda Cronin Chief of Staff Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission 150 E. Campus View Blvd., 3rd Fl. Columbus, OH 43235 United States Phone: 614-507-7462 [email protected]
Julisa Cully Knowledge Translation Coordinator Institute for Community Inclusion 100 Morrissey Blvd Boston, MA 02125 United States Phone: 6172874300 [email protected]
Michael Cush Director of Workforce Development/Adults VISIONS 500 Greenwich St. 3rd Fl New York, NY 10013 United States Phone: 212-625-1616 Fax: 212-219-4078 [email protected]
Patrick Daugherty Business Relations Consultant State of Alabama ADRS / VR 1082 Village Square Drive Andalusia, AL 36420 United States Phone: 334-208-1969 Fax: 334-427-1216 [email protected]
Kathy Davis Program Specialist Employment Services DHHS Div. of Svcs. for the Blind 309 Ashe Ave. Raleigh, NC 27606 United States Phone: 919-733-9822 [email protected]
Linda Davis Vocational Counselor VA Dept for Aging and Rehabilitative Services 2001 Maywill Street, Suite 202 Richmond, VA 23230 United States Phone: 804 5883307 Fax: 804 3671260 [email protected]
Maryann Davis Director, Transitions RTC UMass Medical School CMHSR WSH 8C 305 Belmont Street Worcester, MA 01604 United States Phone: 508-856-8718 Fax: 508-856-8020 [email protected]
Christine Day Counselor II Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired 1076 Jefferson Highway Staunton, VA 22030 United States Phone: 804-371-3198 [email protected]
Chris Dean Program Coordinator Division of Services for the Blind 700 Main St Slot 103 Little Rock, AR 72203 United States Phone: 501-682-0356 Fax: 501-682-0359 [email protected]
Stephanie Decker Rehabilitation Program Specialist WV Division of Rehabilitation Services 107 Capitol Street Charleston, WV 25301 United States Phone: 304-356-2075 Fax: 304-558-1688 [email protected]
Katina Demetriou Director Autism Delaware 928 Old Harmony Road Newark, DE 19713 United States Phone: 302-224-6020
Amber Dennis Employment Programs Interviewer 3 WV Division of Rehabilitation Services 107 Capitol Street Charleston, WV 25301 United States Phone: 304-356-2075 Fax: 304-558-1688 [email protected]
Ted Devore Rehabilitation Technician Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services 5813 S. Robinson OKC, OK 73109 United States Phone: 405-635-2774 [email protected]
Melissa Diehl Program Specialist Rehabilitation Services Administration 400 Maryland Avenue SW Potomac Center Plaza Washington, DC 20202 United States Phone: 202-245-6103
Melinda Dobbs VR Counselor Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services 5813 S. Robinson OKC, OK 73109 United States Phone: 405-635-2774 [email protected]
Greg Dormer Asst. Deputy Director Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission 150 E Campus View Blvd Columbus, OH 43235 United States Phone: 614-438-1468 [email protected]
Robert Doyle, III Division Director State of DE, DHSS, DVI 1901 N. DuPont Highway Biggs Bldg., Door # 3 New Castle, DE 19720 United States Phone: 302-255-9810 Fax: 302-255-9964 [email protected]
Thomas Draghi Program Manager State of Wisconsin - Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 108 W. 2nd St. N. Ladysmith, WI 54848 United States Phone: 715-532-2707 Fax: 715-532-2756 [email protected]
Bobby Druesedow Employment Field Specialist State of Texas DARS Division for Blind Services 4800 North Lamar Austin, TX 78756 United States Phone: 512-377-0583 Fax: 512-377-0588 [email protected]
Karen Dunn Operations Director for DRS State of Texas - DARS-DRS 4900 North Lamar Blvd Austin, TX 78751 United States Phone: 5124244220 [email protected]
Edna Duzant Assistant Administrator Disabilities & Rehabilitation Services 3011 Golden Rock Christiansted, 008020 Virgin Islands (U.S.) Phone: 340-773-2323 Fax: 340-773-3641 [email protected]
Monica Dzialo Workforce Development Supervisor DHS/Office of Rehabilitation Services 40 Fountain Street Providence, RI 02903 United States Phone: 401-421-7005 Fax: 401-222-3574 [email protected]
Melissa Edmiston Senior Research Analyst American Institutes for Research 1000 Thomas Jefferson St., NW Washington, DC 20007 United States Phone: 202.403.5363 [email protected]
Melissa Edmonds Placement Counselor Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitation 6340 Center Drive, Suite 101 Norfolk, VA 23502 United States Phone: 757-451-7081 [email protected]
John Evans Statewide Employer Relations Manager State of Washington - DSHS/DVR 4565 7th Ave SE PO Box 45340 Lacey, WA 98504-5340 United States Phone: 800-637-5627 [email protected]
Tricia Eyerly Team Leader/Program Specialist Department of Services for the Blind 1712 S. 16th Avenue Yakima, WA 98902-5713 United States Phone: 509-575-2420 [email protected]
Cynthia Fairwell District Administrator, Employment Services Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 4425 North Market Street P.O. Box 9969 Wilmington, DE 19809-0969 United States Phone: 302-761-8273 Fax: 302-761-6611 [email protected]
Ruth Fanning Director, VR&E Service Department of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Avenue Washington, DC 20420 United States Phone: 2024619600 [email protected]
Diane Fernandez Associate Project Director Region 2 TACE 316 Parker Hall 3435 Main St. Buffalo, NY 14214-3007 United States Phone: 716-829-2877 Fax: 716-829-3935 [email protected]
Karen Ferrington Manager - Employer Engagement Colorado DVR 1575 Sherman 4th floor Denver, CO 80203 United States Phone: 303-866-3779 Fax: 303-866-4150 [email protected]
Thomas Finch Director Rehabilitation Services Administration 400 Maryland Avenue SW Potomac Center Plaza Washington, DC 20202 United States Phone: 202-245-6103
Genelle Fletcher Sr. Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Delaware Division for the Visually Impaired 1901 North DuPont Highway Biggs Building New Castle, DE 19720 United States Phone: 302-255-9820 [email protected]
Susan Foard Vocational Rehabilitation Assistant Administrator Hawaii Vocational Rehabilitation & Services for the Blind Division 600 Kapiolani Blvd, Rm 304 Honolulu, HI 96813 United States Phone: 808 586-9740 Fax: 808 586-9755 [email protected]
Laurie Ford Program Director UW CCER 6912 220th St. SW #105 Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043 United States Phone: 425-774-4446 Fax: 425-774-9303 [email protected]
Risa Fox Public Health Advisor SAMHSA/CMHS One Choke Cherry Road Rockville, MD 20857 United States Phone: 240-276-1907 Fax: 240-276-1970 [email protected]
Jesse Frank Program Coordinator Office of Diversity and Inclusion 1900 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20415 United States Phone: 202-606-1800 [email protected]
Christine Franklin Rehabilitation Coordinator Dept of Labor, Office of Workers Compensation, DFEC 200 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC, DC 20210 United States Phone: 202-343-5829 [email protected]
Michelle (Micky) Franks Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Alaska Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 1016 W 6th, Suite 102 Anchorage, AK 99501 United States Phone: 907-269-3587 [email protected]
Letitia Freed Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Senior Manager Cook Inlet Tribal Council 3600 San Jeronimo Drive Anchorage, AK 99508 United States Phone: 907-793-3362 [email protected]
Nancy Freeman Trainer TACE Region 8 9900 East Iliff Avenue Denver, CO 80231 United States Phone: 720 244 7210 [email protected]
Robert Froehlich Assistant Director GW CRCRE 2600 Virginia Ave NW Washington, DC 20037 United States Phone: 202-973-1550 [email protected]
Tracey Frye Employment Specialist NH Vocational Rehabiliation 21 S. Fruit Street Suite 20 Concord, NH 03301 United States Phone: 603-271-7093 [email protected]
Maylene Galicinao Employment Service Specialist Hawaii Vocational Rehabilitation & Services for the Blind Division 1901 Bachelot Street Honolulu, HI 96817 United States Phone: 808 586-5261 Fax: 808 586-4143 [email protected]
Casilda Gallegos Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor NM Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 2532 Ridge Runner Rd Las Vegas, NM 87701 United States Phone: 505-425-9365 Fax: 505-454-6120 [email protected]
Paul Galonsky Project Associate RESNA 1700 N. Moore Street Suite 1540 Arlington, VA 22209-1903 United States Phone: 703-524-6686 Fax: 703-524-6630 [email protected]
Cecilia Gandolfo TACE Director University of Massachusetts/ICI 20 Park Plaza Suite 1300 Boston, MA 02116 United States Phone: 6172877640 [email protected]
Diamalyn Gaston Administrative Assistant Bureau of Services for Blind Persons 201 N. Washington Ave. P.O. Box 30652 Lansing, MI 48909 United States Phone: 517 331-0652 [email protected]
Margaret Gilligan Employment Services Specialist Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission 59 Temple Place Boston, MA 02111 United States Phone: 617.308.0390 Fax: 617.482.5576 [email protected]
Jade Gingerich Director of Employment Policy Maryland Department of Disabilities 217 E. Redwood St. Suite 1300 Baltimore, MD 21202 United States Phone: 410/767-3651 Fax: 410/333-6674 [email protected]
Denise Goode Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor White Mountain Apache Tribe Vocational Rehabilitation Program P.O. Box 919 Whiteriver, AZ 85941 United States Phone: 9283381791 Fax: 9283381085 [email protected]
Geri Goshi Employment Supervisor Hawaii Vocational Rehabilitation & Services for the Blind Division 600 Kapiolani Blvd, Rm 304 Honolulu, HI 96813 United States Phone: 808 586-4944 Fax: 808 586-5766 [email protected]
Darline Graham Business Relations and Public Information Coordinator SCVRD 1410 Boston Ave West Columbia, SC 29170 United States Phone: 803-896-6668 [email protected]
Caroline Greene Employment Consultant SC Commission for the Blind 1064 Gardner Road, Suite 109 Charleston, SC 29407 United States Phone: 843-852-4225 [email protected]
Kevin Groben BRS Employment Specialist Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation 314 N. Woodlawn Ave Griffith, IN 46319 United States Phone: (219) 513-6551 [email protected]
Beth Groff Manager Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services 2795 S. Crater Road Petersburg, VA 23805 United States Phone: 804-863-1620 Fax: 804-862-6177 [email protected]
Andrea Guest Director Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 4425 No. Market Street P.O. Box 9969 Wilmington, DE l9809 United States Phone: 302-761-8275 Fax: 302-761-6611 [email protected]
Yegin Habtes Senior Executive Director University of the Virgin Islands 8266 John Brewers Bay St. Thomas, USVI, 00802-6025 Virgin Islands (U.S.) Phone: 3406931323 Fax: 3406931325 [email protected]
Susan Hagen Employment Specialist Nebraska VR 10211 Q St Omaha, NE 68137 United States Phone: 402-595-2655 Fax: 402-595-1727 [email protected]
Kelly Haines Research Associate Institute for Community Inclusion 100 Morrissey Blvd Boston, MA 02116 United States Phone: 6172875907 [email protected]
Peggy Hale Research Associate University of Arkansas CURRENTS 121 Cedar Street Hot Springs, AR 71901 United States Phone: 479-899-6015 Fax: 501-623-7700 [email protected]
Sandi Hanley Director Community Integrated Services 441 N. 5th Street Philadelphia, PA 19123 United States Phone: 215-238-7411
Jim Hanophy Assistant Commissioner State of Texas - DARS-DRS 4900 North Lamar Blvd Austin, TX 78751 United States Phone: 5124244220 [email protected]
Brenton Hard Employment Specialist VISIONS 500 Greenwich St. 3rd Fl New York, NY 10013 United States Phone: 212-625-1616 Fax: 212-219-4078 [email protected]
Helen Harper Vocational Rehabilitation District Adminstrator Division for the Visually Impaired DHSS Campus 1901 N. DuPont Hwy New Castle, DE 19720 United States Phone: 302.255.9819 Fax: 302.255.9388 [email protected]
Loretta Harper-Brown Employment Specialist II Delaware Division for the Visually Impaired 1901 N. DuPont Highway Biggs Building New Castle, DE 19720 United States Phone: 302-255-9786 Fax: 302-255-4441 [email protected]
Paul Harrington Director Center for Labor Markets and Policy 3141 Chestnut St Philadelphia, PA 19104 215-895-2000
Scott Harrington Director Youth Transition Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities-UNR College of Education MS-285 1664 N. Virginia Reno, NV 89557 United States Phone: 775-682-9059 Fax: 775-784-4997 [email protected]
Antonio Harris Chief of Staff Massachusetts Commission for the Blind 600 Washington Street 3rd Floor Boston, MA 02111 United States Phone: 617-626.7504 [email protected]
Robin Harris Job Placement Specialist Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired 6325 N. Center Drive, Ste. 131 Interstate Corporat Norfolk, VA 23502 United States Phone: 804-371-3198 [email protected]
Daniel Haun Branch Manager Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation 1701 Liberty Street SE Salem, OR 97302 United States Phone: 503.378.5343 [email protected]
Jacqueline Haynes Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Department of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Avenue Washington, DC 20420 United States Phone: 2024619600 [email protected]
Maria Heidkamp Project Manager John Heldrich Center for Workforce Dev./ Rutgers Univ. 30 Livingston Ave New Brunswick, NJ 08901 United States Phone: 732-932-4100 Fax: 732-932-3454 [email protected]
Mark Henry Director of Employer Development State of CT / Bureau of Rehabilitation Services 25 Sigourney Street, 11th floor Hartford, CT 06106 United States Phone: 860-424-4859 Fax: 860-424-4850 [email protected]
Tracy Hester Special Projects Officer MS Dept. of Rehabilitation Services P. O. Box 1698 Jackson, MS 39215 United States Phone: 662-842-2144 [email protected]
Pat Hillegass Director of Recruiting J.Lodge, LLC 12298 Matterhorn Road Fort Myers, FL 33913 United States Phone: 239-243-9495 Fax: 239-243-9495 [email protected]
Jimmie Hinson Supervisor V New Hampshire Vocational Rehabilitation 21 South Fruit Street Suite 20 Concord, NH 03301 United States Phone: 603-271-7093 Fax: 603-271-7095 [email protected]
Veronica Hodges Employment Specialist Delaware Department of Labor Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 4425 North Market Street Wilmington, DE 19802 United States Phone: 302-761-8285 Fax: 302-761-6633 [email protected]
Barb Hoelzer Regional Director Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation 3248 Laclede Station Rd St. Louis, MO 63143 United States Phone: 314-877-1910 [email protected]
Tammy Hogan Regional Administrator Vocational Rehabilitation 201 1st St. S., Ste. 2 Great Falls, MT 59405 United States Phone: (406) 454-6060 Fax: (406) 454-6084 [email protected]
Sylvia Hoggatt Rehabilitation Administrator I CA Department of Rehabilitation 721 Captiol Mall Sacramento, CA 95826 United States Phone: 916-558-5406 [email protected]
Linda Holloway Department Chair UNT 1155 Union Circle #311456 Denton, TX 76203 United States Phone: 940.565.3629 Fax: 940.565.3960 [email protected]
Ross Hudson Employment Programs Interviewer 3 WV Division of Rehabilitation Services 107 Capitol Street Charleston, WV 25301 United States Phone: 304-356-2075 Fax: 304-558-1688 [email protected]
Charles Hughes Executive Director-MS DD Council MS Dept of Mental Health 239 N Lamar St. 1101 Robert E Lee Bldg. Jackson, MS 39201 United States Phone: 6013596238 Fax: 6015764040 [email protected]
James P Hughes Executive Director GVRA/Ga Industries for the Blind PO Box 218 Bainbridge, GA 39818 United States Phone: 2292482667 Fax: 2292482669 [email protected]
Alice Hunnicutt State Director New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services John Fitch Plaza, 12th floor DVRS Trenton, NJ 08625 United States Phone: 609-292-7318 Fax: 609-292-4033 [email protected]
Marci Jasper Program Specialist State of Minnesota-Vocational Rehabilitation Services 332 Minnesota Avenue Ste E200 St. Paul, MN 55101 United States Phone: 763-279-4364 [email protected]
Jolene Jefferies VP Strategic Partnerships DirectEmployers Association 9002 N. Purdue Road Suite 100 Indianapolis, IN 46268 United States Phone: 317-874-9026 [email protected]
Nicole Jeffords Counselor II Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired 6325 N. Center Drive, Ste. 131 Interstate Corporat Norfolk, VA 23502 United States Phone: 804-371-3198 [email protected]
Veronica Jenkins Student Southern University 4365 E. Dayton Ct Baton Rouge, LA 70805 United States Phone: 2252059624 Fax: 2257712293 [email protected]
Kimberley Jennings Richmond Regional Manager Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired 397 Azalea Avenue Richmond, VA 23227 United States Phone: 804-371-3198 [email protected]
Karla Jessen Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Department of Services for the Blind 1712 S. 16th Avenue Yakima, WA 98902-5713 United States Phone: 509-575-2420 [email protected]
Courtney Johnson Graduate Student Southern University - Baton Rouge 352 Rivercrest Ave. Baton Rouge, LA 70807 United States Phone: 225-921-1454 [email protected]
David R. Johnson Director Institute on Community Integration/UofMN 102 Pattee Hall 150 Pillsbury Dr SE Minneapolis, MN 55455 United States Phone: 612-624-1062 [email protected]
Joyce Johnson Branch Director MS Dept. of Rehabilitation Services P. O. Box 1698 Jackson, MS 39215 United States Phone: 662-234-0864 [email protected]
Melody Johnson Program Specialist Rehabilitation Services Administration 400 Maryland Avenue SW Potomac Center Plaza Washington, DC 20202 United States Phone: 202-245-6103
Patricia Johnson Director Division of Vocational Rehabilitation WI 1516 S Green Bay Road Suite 100 Racine, WI 53406 United States Phone: 262 638 7201 Fax: 262 638 7227 [email protected]
Tiffany Jolliff Research Coordinator National Industries for the Blind 1310 Braddock PL Alexandria, VA 22314 United States Phone: 7033100583 [email protected]
Leamon Jones Consumer Services Director Bureau of Services for Blind Persons 201 N. Washington Ave. P.O. Box 30652 Lansing, MI 48909 United States Phone: 517 373-0579 Fax: 517 335-5140 [email protected]
Sandy Keesee VR Counselor Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services 5813 S. Robinson OKC, OK 73109 United States Phone: 405-635-2774 [email protected]
Maura Kelley Director WNY Independent LIving 3108 Main Street BUffalo, NY 14214 United States Phone: 716-836-0822 Fax: 716-835-3967 [email protected]
Chip Kenney Director Southeast TACE 1419 Mayson St Atlanta, GA 30324 United States Phone: 904-372-0456 Fax: 904-372-0456 [email protected]
Joan Kester Senior Research Associate GW CRCRE 2600 Virginia Ave NW Washington, DC 20037 United States Phone: 202-973-1550 [email protected]
Bobby Kibe VR Counselor Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services 5813 S. Robinson OKC, OK 73109 United States Phone: 405-635-2774 [email protected]
Sherry Kinney Director of Mission Services Goodwill Industries of South Central California 4901 Stine Rd Bakersfield, CA 93313 United States Phone: 661-201-2785 [email protected]
Kathryn Klammer VR Counselor Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services 5813 S. Robinson OKC, OK 73109 United States Phone: 405-635-2774 [email protected]
Lisa Kramer Council Member Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council 8046 South Ammons Street Littleton, CO 80128 United States Phone: 720 217-2959 [email protected]
Steve Kuntz Program specialist State of Minnesota 332 Minnesota St. Suite E200 St. Paul, MN 55101 United States Phone: 612-302-7063 Fax: 651 297-5159 [email protected]
Janet LaBreck Commissioner Massachusetts Commission for the Blind 600 Washington Street 3rd Floor Boston, MA 02111 United States Phone: 617-626.7504 [email protected]
Russell LaBreck Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Massachusetts Commission for the Blind 600 Washington Street Boston, MA 02111 United States Phone: 617 626 7492 [email protected]
Victoria Lamb Event Coordinator GW CRCRE 2600 Virginia Ave NW Washington, DC 20037 United States Phone: 202-973-1550 [email protected]
Eva Larrauri Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Department of Services for the Blind 3411 S. Alaska St. Seattle, WA 98118-1631 United States Phone: 206-906-5502 [email protected]
Hae Min Lee Program Specialist Rehabilitation Services Administration 400 Maryland Avenue SW Potomac Center Plaza Washington, DC 20202 United States Phone: 202-245-7411
Elizabeth Leef Aging Services Program Specialist U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue SW Washington, DC 20201 United States Phone: 202-690-7000
B.J. LeJeune Training Coordinator Mississippi State University - Research & Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision P.O. Box 6189 Mississippi State, MS 39762 United States Phone: 6623252694 Fax: 6623258989 [email protected]
Shawn Levering Employment Specialist Delaware Department of Labor Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 4425 North Market Street Wilmington, DE 19802 United States Phone: 302-761-8266 Fax: 302-761-6633 [email protected]
Artelia Lewis Coordinator WNY Independent Living 3108 Main St. Buffalo, NY 14214 United States Phone: 716 836 0822 Fax: 716 835 3967 [email protected]
Joe Lewis Trainer/Consultant CTAT at Rocky Mountain Human Services 9900 East Iliff Ave. Denver, CO 80231 United States Phone: 303-636-5730 [email protected]
Leah Lobato Business Relations Specialist USOR 1595 West 500 South Salt Lake City, UT 84104 United States Phone: 801-887-9538 Fax: 801-538-7522 [email protected]
Randy Loss Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation 1521 N 6th Street Harrisburg, PA 17102 United States Phone: 717-787-5136 [email protected]
Maria Loughran Diversity Coordinator Massachusetts Commission for the Blind 600 Washington Street Boston, MA 02111 United States Phone: 617.626.7504 [email protected]
John Ludwig Employment Specialist Delaware Department of Labor Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 4425 North Market Street Wilmington, DE 19802 United States Phone: 302-761-8248 Fax: 302-761-6633 [email protected]
John Lui Executive Director / Adjunct Professor UW-Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute (SVRI) 221 10th Ave., Rm. 101A Menomonie, WI 54751 United States Phone: 715-232-2470 Fax: 715-232-5008 [email protected]
Marion Lynch VR Counselor BESB 184 Windsor Ave Windsor, CT 06119 United States Phone: 860-602-4156 [email protected]
Laura Lyons Rehabilitation Counselor MD Division of Rehabilitation Services 2301 Argonne Drive Baltimore, MD 21218 United States Phone: 410-848-4456 [email protected]
Eleanor Macdonald Statewide Employment Specialist Hawaii Vocational Rehabilitation & Services for the Blind Division 600 Kapiolani Blvd, Rm 304 Honolulu, HI 96813 United States Phone: 808 586-9756 Fax: 808 586-9755 [email protected]
Kathy Malone Counselor II Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired 111 Commonwealth Ave. Suite 200 Bristol, VA 24201 United States Phone: 804-371-3198 [email protected]
Larry Mangrum Assistant Director Tennessee Division of Rehabilitation Services 400 Deaderick Street Nashville, TN 37243 United States Phone: 615-313-4893 Fax: 615-313-5815 [email protected]
Stacey Marbs Program Coordinator Louisiana Rehabilitation Services Post Office Box 91297 Baton Rouge, LA 70821 United States Phone: 225-219-2390 [email protected]
Jack Markell Governor State of Delaware 2600 Virginia Ave NW Washington, DC 20037 United States Phone: 202-973-1550
Joe Marrone Senior Program Manager, Public Policy ICI/ RRTC VR Best Practice UMass Boston 4517 NE 39th Ave Portland, OR 97211-8124 United States Phone: 503-331-0687 Fax: 503-961-7714 [email protected]
Shari Matray Senior Research Assistant GW CRCRE 2600 Virginia Ave NW Washington, DC 20037 United States Phone: 202-973-1550 [email protected]
Gaylin Matthews District Manager Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services 201 Hwy 7 South Greenwood, MS 38930 United States Phone: 662-453-6172 Fax: 662-459-9752 [email protected]
Gaylin Matthews District Manager MS Dept of Rehabilitation Services P.O. Box 1698 Jackson, MS 39215 United States Phone: 662-453-6172 [email protected]
Maureen McAvoy Program Specialist Minnesota Vocational Rehabilitation Services 332 Minnesota St., Suite E200 First National Bank Building St. Paul, MN 55101-1351 United States Phone: 651-501-6392 Fax: 651-501-6377 [email protected]
Katherine McCary Managing Partner C5 Consulting, LLC 4944 Millridge Parkway Unit 2143 Midlothian, VA 23113 United States Phone: 804-402-0038 [email protected]
Barb McClannahan Employment Partnership Consultant Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services 510 East 12th Street Des Moines, IA 50319 United States Phone: 515-281-0264 Fax: 515-281-4703 [email protected]
John McClure Continuing Education Coordinator CCER 6912 220th St. SW #105 Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043 United States Phone: 360-770-3210 Fax: 425-774-4446 [email protected]
Wade McGee Tribal VR Manager Coeur d'Alene Tribe PO Box 408 845 P St. #3 Plummer, ID 83851 United States Phone: 208 686-7216 Fax: 208 686-2059 [email protected]
Maureen McGuire-Kuletz Director GW CRCRE 2600 Virginia Ave NW Washington, DC 20037 United States Phone: 202-973-1550 [email protected]
H.S. "Butch" McMillan Executive Director MS Dept of Rehabilitation Services P.O. Box 1698 Jackson, MS 39215 United States Phone: 601-853-5200 [email protected]
Neil McNeil Program Manager University of Massachusetts/ICI 20 Park Plaza Suite 1300 Boston, MA 02116 United States Phone: 6172877640 [email protected]
Maribelle Mercado Rehab. Counselor Adm. Rehabilitation Vocational PO Box 140631 Arecibo PR, 00614 Puerto Rico Phone: (787) 879-3538 Fax: (787)879-1213 [email protected]
Greg Metsker Training Center Program Manager Idaho Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired 341 W. Washington Boise, ID 83720 United States Phone: 208-639-8394 Fax: 208-334-2963 [email protected]
Jeanne Miller Director University of Arkansas CURRENTS 121 Cedar Street Hot Springs, AR 71901 United States Phone: 501-623-7700 Fax: 501-624-6250 [email protected]
Sandra Miller VR Program Specialist Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 4425 N. Market St. Wilmington, DE 19809 United States Phone: 302-761-8278 [email protected]
Dennis Milton Programs Manager Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services 5813 S. Robinson OKC, OK 73109 United States Phone: 405-635-2774 [email protected]
Mary Mirshekari Employment Coordiantor Department of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Avenue Washington, DC 20420 United States Phone: 2024619600 [email protected]
Natalie Mitchell Rehabilitation Supervisor MD Division of Rehabilitation Services 2301 Argonne Drive Baltimore, MD 21218 United States Phone: 301-749-4660 [email protected]
Patti Mitchell Program Specialist for Employemnt Services NC Vocational Rehabilitation 805 Ruggles Drive Raleigh, NC 27699 United States Phone: 919-855-3541 [email protected]
Rick Mitchell Bristol Regional Manager Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired 111 Commonwealth Ave. Suite 200 Bristol, VA 24201 United States Phone: 804-371-3198 [email protected]
Suzanne Mitchell Chief, Technical Assistant Unit Rehabilitation Services Administration 400 Maryland Avenue SW Potomac Center Plaza Washington, DC 20202 United States Phone: 202-245-6103
Maria E. Montero Rehabilitation Counselor Vocational Rehabilitation P. O. Box 1534 Caguas, 00726 Puerto Rico Phone: 787-704-0428 Fax: 787-703-0910 [email protected]
Patricia Moody Employment Programs Interviewer 3 WV Division of Rehabilitation Services 107 Capitol Street Charleston, WV 25301 United States Phone: 304-356-2075 Fax: 304-558-1688 [email protected]
Jim Moreland Associate Director AR Rehabilitation Services 525 W Capitol Little Rock, AR 72202 United States Phone: 501-683-6052 Fax: 501-296-1301 [email protected]
Jim Moreland Special Programs Manager Arkansas Rehabilitation Services 525 W Captiol Ave Little Rock, AR 72201 United States Phone: 501-296-1600 [email protected]
Michael Murray Diversity Program Manager Office of Diversity and Inclusion 1900 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20415 United States Phone: 202-606-1800 [email protected]
Merisa Musemic Counselor II Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired 6325 N. Center Drive, Ste. 131 Interstate Corporat Norfolk, VA 23502 United States Phone: 804-371-3198 [email protected]
Zafar Nazarov Researcher Cornell University 201 Dolgen Hall Ithaca, NY 14853 United States Phone: 6072553083 [email protected]
Bonnie Newcomb Disability resource Coordinator Goodwill Industries 10304 Spotsylvania Ave Suite 100 Fredericksburg, VA 22408 United States Phone: 540-322-5779 Fax: 540-891-4139 [email protected]
Michael Newman Rhabilitation Counselor Supervisor MN State Services for the Blind 2200 University Ave W Suite 240 St Paul, MN 55114 United States Phone: 7633504704 [email protected]
Richard Nicholls Program Specialist U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue SW Washington, DC 20201 United States Phone: 202-690-7000
Michael O'Brien Executive Director Oklahoma Dept of Rehab Svcs 3535 NW 58th, Street, Suite 500 oklahoma city, OK 73112 United States Phone: 405 623-3079 Fax: 405 915-3529 [email protected]
Kim O'Bryant Employment Coordinator MS Dept of Rehabilitation Services P.O. Box 1698 Jackson, MS 39215 United States Phone: 662-453-7500 [email protected]
Ellen Okimoto Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist State of Hawaii- Vocational Rehabilitation and Services for the Blind 75 Aupuni St Room 110 Hilo, HI 96720 United States Phone: 808 974-6447 Fax: 808 974-6450 [email protected]
Tomeko Olaitiman VR Counselor Aide Government P.O. Box 501521 Saipan, 96950 Northern Mariana Islands Phone: 670 322 6537 Fax: 670 322 6536 [email protected]
Linda Onley Administrative Assistant SC Commission for the Blind 1430 Confederate Ave. Columbia, SC 29201 United States Phone: 803-898-8799 [email protected]
Valerie Oswald Bus. Relations Consultant ME Bureau of Rehabilitation Services 45 Commerce Dr., 150 SHS Augusta, ME 04333-0150 United States Phone: (207) 623-7963 Fax: (207) 287-5292 [email protected]
Megan O'Toole Trainer and Instructor Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired 397 Azalea Avenue Richmond, VA 23227 United States Phone: 804-371-3184 Megan.O'[email protected]
Cynthia Overton Senior Research Analyst American Institutes for Research 1000 Thomas Jefferson St., NW Washington, DC 20910 United States Phone: 202-403-5058 [email protected]
Traci Paige Employment Specialist WorkHawaii 715 South King Street Suite 200 Honolulu, HI 96813 United States Phone: 808-586-4848 [email protected]
Vito Palo Manager NJLWD-DVRS 2600 Mt. Ephraim Ave. Suite 103 Camden, NJ 08104 United States Phone: 856-614-2500 Fax: 856-614-2538 [email protected]
Kristin Panella Customer Service Specialist Division of Blind Services 400 W. Robinson Street Room S-1026 Orlando, FL 32801 United States Phone: 407-245-0700 Fax: 407-245-0706 [email protected]
Tyler Paris Trainer TACE Region 8 9900 East Iliff Avenue Denver, CO 80231 United States Phone: 303-636-5733 [email protected]
Wendy Park Employment Services Specialst Hawaii Vocational Rehabilitation & Services for the Blind Division 600 Kapiolani Blvd, Rm 304 Honolulu, HI 96813 United States Phone: 808 586-4945 Fax: 808 586-5766 [email protected]
Susan Payne Vocational Rehabilitation Director Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired 397 Azalea Avenue Richmond, VA 23227 United States Phone: 804-371-3184 [email protected]
Darlene Peregoy Rehabilitation Specialist MD Division of Rehabilitation Services 2301 Argonne Drive Baltimore, MD 21218 United States Phone: 410-554-9408 [email protected]
Tonian Peterson Rehabilitation Specialist Michigan Rehabilitation Services 25900 Greenfield Rd. Oak Park, MI 48237 United States Phone: (248) 968-3695 [email protected]
Dennis Phillips Rehabilitation Counselor MD Division of Rehabilitation Services 2301 Argonne Drive Baltimore, MD 21218 United States Phone: 301-863-7721 [email protected]
Caren Phipps Norfolk Regional Manager Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired 6325 N. Center Drive, Ste. 131 Interstate Corporat Norfolk, VA 23502 United States Phone: 804-371-3198 [email protected]
Jenny Piatt Vocational Rehabilitation Manager State of MI/Rehabilitation Services 25900 Greenfield Road Suite 400 Oak Park, MI 48237 United States Phone: 248-968-3686 Fax: 248-968-3699 [email protected]
Bruce Powell Job Placement Specialist Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired 11150 Fairfax Boulevard Suite 502 Fairfax, VA 22030 United States Phone: 804-371-3198 [email protected]
Nancy Quisenberry Counselor II Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired 397 Azalea Avenue Richmond, VA 23227 United States Phone: 804-371-3198 [email protected]
Joseph Rehurek VR Counselor SD Rehabilitation Services 3113 Spruce St, Suite 128 Yankton, SD 57078 United States Phone: 605-668-3050 Fax: 605-668-3058 [email protected]
Nanette Relave Director, Center for Workers with Disabilities American Public Human Services Association 1133 19th Street, NW Suite 400 Washington, DC 20036 United States Phone: 202-682-0100 [email protected]
Kristen Rhinehart-Fernandez Program Specialist Rehabilitation Services Administration 400 Maryland Avenue SW Potomac Center Plaza Washington, DC 20202 United States Phone: 202-245-6103 [email protected]
Barbara Riley Program Specialist DE Vocational Rehabilitation 4425 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE 19802 United States Phone: 302-761-8275 [email protected]
Larry Rios Placement Counselor DARS 6340 Center Drive Suite 101 Norfolk, VA 23502 United States Phone: 757-409-3648 [email protected]
Michael Ritter Staff Services Officer DARS 4900 North Lamar Blvd Austin, TX 78751 United States Phone: (512) 4240-4004 Fax: (512) 424-4277 [email protected]
Ralph Roach Employer Outreach Specialist PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) PA Dept. of Labor & Industry/Office of Vocation 1521 North 6th St. Harrisburg, PA 17102 United States Phone: (717)787-3940 Fax: (717)783-5221 [email protected]
David Roberts Director Region VII TACE 98 Corporate Lake Drive Columbia, MO 65203 United States Phone: 573 882-3807 Fax: 573 882-1727 [email protected]
Frances Robinson Regional Employment Specialist NC Vocational Rehabilitation 805 Ruggles Drive Raleigh, NC 27699 United States Phone: 919-855-3541 [email protected]
Kayo Rokumoto First Secretary Embassy of Japan 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, DC 20008 United States Phone: 202-238-6716 [email protected]
Carol Rudell Project Director USOR 1595 West 500 South Salt Lake City, UT 84104 United States Phone: (801) 440-8729 [email protected]
Millie Ryan Executive Director REACH 213 Third St. Juneau, AK 99801 United States Phone: (907) 440-8635 [email protected]
Scott Sabella Director TACE Region 8 Campus Box 82 Univ of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO 80639 United States Phone: 970-351-1321 [email protected]
Cali Sandel Employment Consultant SC Commission for the Blind 1430 Confederate Ave. Columbia, SC 29201 United States Phone: 803-898-8799 [email protected]
Jason Sauer Employer Relations Supervisor State of Arizona DES/RSA/DERS 4620 N 16th Street #A204 Phoenix, AZ 85016 United States Phone: 6022669286 [email protected]
Gwendolyn Scott Placement Counselor Department of Aging and Rehabilitation Services 5904 Old Richmond Highway Ste 410 Alexandria, VA 22303 United States Phone: 703 960-3411 Fax: 703 960-8950 [email protected]
Dana Seaberg Employment Specialist Delaware Department of Labor Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 1114 South DuPont Highway Dover, DE 19901 United States Phone: 302-739-5834 Fax: 302-739-6874 [email protected]
Carlos Serván Deputy Director, V. R. NE Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired 4600 Valley Road Suite 100 Lincoln, NE 68510-4844 United States Phone: 402-471-8104 Fax: 402-471-3009 [email protected]
Benito Servino DISID Director DISID - Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 238 AFC Flores Street Suite 602, DNA Building Hagatna, 96910 Guam Phone: 475-5735 Fax: 475-4661 [email protected]
Dahlia Shaewitz Sr. Research Analyst AIR 1000 Thomas Jefferson Street Washington, DC 20007 United States Phone: 202-403-6840 [email protected]
Tanya Shatz VRC NMDVR 111 Lomas Blvd NE Suite 422 Albuquerque, NM 87102 United States Phone: 505-507-0194 [email protected]
Jennifer Sheehy DAS DOL/ODEP 200 Constitution Ave NW room S1303 Washington, DC 20210 United States Phone: 2026937886 [email protected]
Kathy Skidmore Employment Programs Interviewer 3 WV Division of Rehabilitation Services 107 Capitol Street Charleston, WV 25301 United States Phone: 304-356-2075 Fax: 304-558-1688 [email protected]
Nate Slattengren Business Outreach Specialist Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 1575 Sherman St Denver, CO 80203 United States Phone: 3038662217 [email protected]
David Smith Business Relations Consultant Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development 2200 University Ave W St. Paul, MN 55114 United States Phone: 651-643-3413 [email protected]
Omar Smith Business Relations Consultant Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services 621 Cherry St NE Decatur, AL 35602 United States Phone: 256-552-0744 [email protected]
Apiseka Solofa PAAT Program Manager OPAD 3937 Tafuna Pago Pago American Samoa, 96799 American Samoa Phone: 684-699-2441 Fax: 684-699-7286 [email protected]
Rebecca Soto Manager State of Texas DARS Division for Blind Services 4800 North Lamar Austin, TX 78756 United States Phone: 512-377-0583 Fax: 512-377-0588 [email protected]
Ryan Stamm VR Counselor Nebraska VR 12011 Q St. Omaha, NE 68137 United States Phone: 402.595.1943 [email protected]
Randy Staton Assistant Bureau Chief Illinois Dvision of Rehabilitation 400 West Lawrence 2nd Floor Springfield, IL 62712 United States Phone: 217-241-2063 [email protected]
Bobbi Stephenson Business Relations Consultant Alabama Dept of Rehabilitation Services 236 Goodwin Crest Dr. Homewood, AL 35209 United States Phone: 2052904465 [email protected]
Karen Stevens Counselor Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired 1076 Jefferson Highway Staunton, VA 22030 United States Phone: 804-371-3198 [email protected]
Jeffrey Stoller Assistant Commissioner New Jersey Department of Labor John Fitch Plaza, 5th floor Labor Planning and Analysis Trenton, NJ 08625 United States Phone: 609-292-2643 Fax: 609-777-3623 [email protected]
Tarea Stout VR Office Director MS Dept. of Rehabilitation Services P. O. Box 1698 Jackson, MS 39215 United States Phone: 601-853-5236 [email protected]
Andrew Stowe Lead VR Counselor
Marie Strahan Program Policy
Timothy Stump Employer Coordinator
Dept for Aging & Rehab Svcs Office of Employment Support Programs, State of Arizona Rehabilitation Services 2211 Hydraulic Road Suite 101 Charlottesville,, VA 22901 United States Phone: 434-981-2795 Fax: 434-296-2712 [email protected]
SSA 500 E St SW Room 833 Washington, DC 20254 United States Phone: 202-358-6441 [email protected]
Administration 515 N 51st Ave Suite 250 Phoenix, AZ 85043 United States Phone: 602-771-9263 Fax: 602-353-5707 [email protected]
Faalaga Su'e Senior Accountant Protection & Advocacy P O BOX 3937 PAGO PAGO, 96799 American Samoa Phone: 684-699-2441 Fax: 684-699-7286 [email protected]
Ansha Tang Counselor II Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired 11150 Fairfax Boulevard Suite 502 Fairfax, VA 22030 United States Phone: 804-371-3198 [email protected]
Anna Taylor Business Relations Consultant Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services 560 South Lawrence Street Montgomery, AL 36104 United States Phone: 334-293-7156 [email protected]
Terri Tedeschi Employment Specialist NH Vocational Rehabiliation 21 S. Fruit Street Suite 20 Concord, NH 03301 United States Phone: 603-271-7093 [email protected]
Russ Thelin Director USOR 250 East 500 South PO Box 144200 Salt Lake City, UT 84114 United States Phone: 801-538-7230 [email protected]
Edwin Thomas Employment Coordiantor Department of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Avenue Washington, DC 20420 United States Phone: 2024619600 [email protected]
Patricia Tomlinson Consultant GW CRCRE 2600 Virginia Ave NW Washington, DC 20037 United States Phone: 202-973-1550 [email protected]
Robert Torres Attorney (P&A Board) NMPASI P.O. Box 503529 Saipan, 96950 Northern Mariana Islands Phone: (670) 235-7273 Fax: (670) 235-7275 [email protected]
Darline Tucker Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Division of Services for the Blind 100 Weaver Avenue Batesville, AR 72501 United States Phone: 870-698-1876 Fax: 870-793-9014 [email protected]
Jill Turner Business Relations Representative Arkansas Rehabilitation Services 2807 E. Broad Street Texarkana, AR 71854 United States Phone: 870-773-2807 [email protected]
Jill Turner Business Relations Representative Arkansas Rehabilitation Services 2807 W. Broad Street Texarkana, AR 71854 United States Phone: 870-773-2807 [email protected]
Valencia Turner Rehabilitation Counselor MD Division of Rehabilitation Services 2301 Argonne Drive Baltimore, MD 21218 United States Phone: 301-600-3075 [email protected]
Jenny Tyree Employment Specialist Kentucky Office for the Blind 8412 Westport Road Louisville, KY 40242 United States Phone: 502-429-4460 [email protected]
Patricia Upton Counselor II Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired 6325 N. Center Drive, Ste. 131 Interstate Corporat Norfolk, VA 23502 United States Phone: 804-371-3198 [email protected]
David Valentine Employment Programs Interviewer 3 WV Division of Rehabilitation Services 107 Capitol Street Charleston, WV 25301 United States Phone: 304-356-2075 Fax: 304-558-1688 [email protected]
Mary Ann Van Alstyne State Coordinator, Employment Partnerships NYS Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped 52 Washington St. Room 201, South Building Rensselaer, NY 12309 United States Phone: 518-473-1774 Fax: 518-486-5819 [email protected]
Lynda Van Doran Business Relations Coordinator Oregon Commission for the Blind 535 SE 12th Portland, OR 97214 United States Phone: 971-673-1588 [email protected]
Kellie Van Gerpen Senior Rehabilitation Counselor South Dakota Division of Service to the Blind and Visually Impaired 811 E 10th St Dept. 22 Sioux Falls, SD 57103 United States Phone: 605-367-5330 Fax: 605-367-5327 [email protected]
Greg Vanderheiden Director TRACE R&D Center 2600 Virginia Ave NW Washington, DC 20037 United States Phone: 202-973-1550
Brenda Vennes Business Specialist North Dakota Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 1015 South Broadway Suite 21 Minot, ND 58701 United States Phone: 701-857-8651 Fax: 701-857-8648 [email protected]
Victoria Vigil VR Program Manager N.M. Commission for the Blind 2200 Yale Blvd. SE Albuquerque, NM 87106 United States Phone: 5053832258 Fax: 5058418850 [email protected]
Veronica Villalobos Director Office of Diversity and Inclusion 1900 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20415 United States Phone: 202-606-1800 [email protected]
Julie Wade Job Placement Administrator OVR 902 N Main St Somerset, KY 42503 United States Phone: 606-677-4116 [email protected]
Tammy Wade Regional Employment Specialist NC Vocational Rehabilitation 805 Ruggles Drive Raleigh, NC 27699 United States Phone: 919-855-3541 [email protected]
Michael Wagner VRS Program Specialist Vocational Rehabilitation Services 12 Civic Center Plaza Ste 1600C Mankato, MN 56001 United States Phone: 507-389-5581 [email protected]
Marijane Waldron Rehabilitation Services Manager 3 WV Division of Rehabilitation Services 107 Capitol Street Charleston, WV 25301 United States Phone: 304-356-2075 Fax: 304-558-1688 [email protected]
Michelle Washko Policy Analyst Center for Disability and Aging Policy 200 Independence Avenue SW Washington, DC 20201 United States Phone: 202-690-5566 [email protected]
Lisa Wayman Employment Programs Interviewer 3 WV Division of Rehabilitation Services 107 Capitol Street Charleston, WV 25301 United States Phone: 304-356-2075 Fax: 304-558-1688 [email protected]
Susan Weinberger Rehabilitation Program Specialist WV Division of Rehabilitation Services 107 Capitol Street Charleston, WV 25301 United States Phone: 304-356-2075 Fax: 304-558-1688 [email protected]
Michele Wells Counselor Manager DARS 1351 Hershberger Road, NW Suite 205 Roanoke, VA 24012 United States Phone: 5402049732 Fax: 5407762722 [email protected]
Kathleen West-Evans Director of Business Relations CSAVR P.O. Box 1984 Woodinville, WA 98072 United States Phone: 206-999-9455 Fax: 866-322-4434 [email protected]
Lita Whitaker Employment Specialist Delaware Department of Labor Division of Vocational Rehabilitation 4425 North Market Street Wilmington, DE 19802 United States Phone: 302-761-8120 Fax: 302-761-6633 [email protected]
Angela Wilcher Employment Coordinator Department of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Avenue Washington, DC 20420 United States Phone: 2024619600 [email protected]
Deeda Williams Project Associate NAU/IHD Capacity Building for American Indians Project PO Box 5630 Flagstaff, AZ 86011 United States Phone: 928-523-4956 Fax: 928-523-9127 [email protected]
Lauren Williams Deputy Director State of DE, DHSS, DVI 1901 N. DuPont Highway Biggs Bldg., Door # 3 New Castle, DE 19720 United States Phone: 302-255-9810 Fax: 302-255-9964 [email protected]
Ray Williams Placement Counselor Department for the Aging and Rehabilitative Services 1351 Hersberger Rd Roanoke, VA 24012 United States Phone: 504-204-9736 [email protected]
Terri Williams Field Service Coordinator Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services 5813 S. Robinson OKC, OK 73109 United States Phone: 405-635-2774 [email protected]
Debbie Wilson Assistant Central Region Manager Bureau of Services for Blind Persons 125 E. Union St. Flint, MI 48532 United States Phone: 810 760-2035 Fax: 810 760-2032 [email protected]
Chris Wishon VR Counselor Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services 5813 S. Robinson OKC, OK 73109 United States Phone: 405-635-2774 [email protected]
Tony Woodell COO World Services for the Blind 2811 Fair Park Blvd Little Rock, AR 72204 United States Phone: 501-664-7100 Fax: 501-664-2743 [email protected]
Stephen Wooderson CEO CSAVR 1 Research Court Suite 450 Rockville, MD 20850 United States Phone: 301-5198023 [email protected]
Laura York Director for Consumer Services Support State of Texas - DARS-DRS 4900 North Lamar Blvd Austin, TX 78751 United States Phone: 5124244220 [email protected]
Dorothy Young Regional Manager MS Dept of Rehabilitation Services P.O. Box 1698 Jackson, MS 39215 United States Phone: 601-987-4876 [email protected]
Judy Young Assistant Director, Training and Development Cornell University 16 East 34th Street New York, NY 10016 United States Phone: 917-597-9124 [email protected]
Michael Yudin Acting Assistant Secretary Rehabilitation Services Administration 400 Maryland Avenue SW Potomac Center Plaza Washington, DC 20202 United States Phone: 202-245-6103
Yanan Zhu Rehabilitation Counselor State of Nevada, Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation 1325 Corporate Blvd Reno, NV 89502 United States Phone: 775-823-8139 [email protected]
Lisa Zahralddin One Stop Program Manager Peninsula Worklink 600 Butler Farm Road Hampton, VA 23666 United States Phone: 757-766-4910 Fax: 757-766-4939 [email protected]
Thank you for your participation in the 2012 National Employment Conference. We are delighted that you chose to learn and grow
with us. We hope to see you at the next conference!
December 5-7, 2012 Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel
Arlington, Virginia
