From Harford County government:
(Bel Air, MD) – – The Harford County Commission on Disabilities will host its annual employment awards luncheon on Thursday, October 22, 2009 at noon at the Maryland Golf and Country Club in Bel Air. Johnny Hudson, 2006 luncheon keynote speaker, will be the Master of Ceremonies.
The luncheon’s main purpose is to “celebrate the accomplishments and achievements of people with disabilities who overcome obstacles in their pursuit of excellence,” according to Committee Co-Chair Niki Biggs.
“The Commission also uses the event to recognize contributions made by employers, families, friends and organizations to change attitudes about employees with disabilities in the workforce,” she said. This year’s theme, announced by the U.S. Department of Labor, is “Expectation + Opportunity = Participation.” According to Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathleen Martinez, “…we must create the inexorable expectation that people with disabilities will contribute in every way to our economic successes. Only by nurturing this expectation and providing people with disabilities with unlimited employment opportunities, can we all benefit from their talents.”
Employee of the Year honors will go to Andre Sconion of Office Eagle at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Awards of merit will be presented to Katarina Feuchtenberger, Rite Aid Distribution Center; Irv Johnson, Arrow Electric; Paul Moran, Boyle Buick Pontiac; and Chih Ung, Ruby Tuesday, Riverside.
The 7-11 Store in Belcamp will be recognized as Employer of the Year, while Hampden Moving and Storage and the Royal Farms Store #77 in Abingdon will receive awards of merit.
The Student Worker of the Year Award will be presented to Keith England, an employee of NutraMax; while an award of merit will go to Justin Roberts, who works at the Duclaw Brewing Co.
Rebecca Macek of the Harford County Department of Community Services and Monica Worrell of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office will receive the Media Award for their work on the Disabled Parking Awareness Campaign, and the Accessibility Award will be presented to Susie Mahone of the Bel Air Branch of the Harford County Public Library.
Finally, for the first time, two Ruth Helen Thompson Memorial Awards for Community Service will be presented. Glen Gustafsson, Mark Dardozzi, Don Miller, Colleen Helmlinger, and Tony Corea, volunteers who make up the Micro Enterprise Development Group at the Arc Northern Chesapeake Region, will be honored for their work to develop customized micro enterprises for adults with disabilities. Angela Barnett will be honored posthumously for her lifetime achievements in disability awareness and advocacy.
The Harford County Commission on Disabilities was established in 1995 to serve as the voice of the disability community in Harford County. Members are appointed by the County Executive, with the approval of the County Council.
The Harford County Department of Community Services was established in 1979 via Executive Order and works daily to meet the needs of our seniors, youth, persons with disabilities and those struggling to overcome addiction. The Department works with federal, state, local and private agencies to ensure our county continues to evolve and remains dedicated to providing the best possible services for our citizens and community.
A sign language interpreter will be available at the luncheon. For tickets, which are $20.00 per person, additional information, or to request other disability-related accommodations, call 410-638-3373 voice/TTY or email disability@harfordcountymd.gov.
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