Congratulations to Our 2009 VADCDT Award Winners
The annual awards were presented at the Virginia Transition Forum on Tuesday, March 17, 2009. There were 4 awards presented: Employer of the Year, Student of the Year, Transition Practitioner of the Year and Transition Leader of the Year.
Employer of the Year
The winner of the 2009 Employer of the Year award, recognized for promoting and providing the enhancement and employment of individuals with disabilities is TecAccess of Rockville, Virginia. TecAccess has been actively involved in the employment, training and mentoring in the IT field for students and adults with disabilities. They have provided advocacy, computers, training time and offered internships.
Debra Rue, the CEO of TecAccess, serves on many boards at the state and local levels involved in employment needs of persons with disabilities, and is an exemplary advocate for workforce inclusion of individuals with disabilities.
Back to TopStudent of the Year
The winner of the 2009 Student of the Year award , recognized for exemplifying significant outreach and involvement to achieve his or her transition goals, is Thomas Allen from Manchester High School in Chesterfield, Virginia.
Mr. Allen has been involved in the Self-Determination Project, the Youth Leadership Forum and a VCU “College 4 U” student panel. He is involved in his IEP planning, and has worked hard to achieve academic inclusion. He graduates this year, and has begun applying for local colleges.
Mr. Allen also has been the manager for two school sports teams whose members know him as the “Morale Manager” for the teams. He was voted 2009 Homecoming King.
Back to TopTransition Practitioner of the Year
The winner of the 2009 Transition Practitioner of the Year award, a VADCDT member recognized for demonstrating excellence in providing services to students in the transition process, is Judy Averill, the lead Transition Coordinator at Thomas Fulghum Center in Richmond, Virginia.
Ms. Averill serves on state level transition committees, and has given many presentations at both the state and local levels on transition best practices. She has worked with planning groups for “College 4 U” and the Va, Transition Forum. She has also been instrumental in developing and/or implementing local policies and procedures for transition.
Back to TopTransition Leader of the Year
The winner of the 2009 Transition Leader of the Year award, a VADCDT member recognized for demonstrating excellence in providing support directly to those persons working with youth in transition, is Elizabeth Getzel, a research Associate at Virginia Commonwealth University SOE Spec Ed and DP RRTC in Richmond, Virginia.
Ms. Getzel was instrumental in the development of the 2007 Summit for the Higher Education Leadership partners. She works on several grant projects at the VCU RRTC, and still manages to conduct statewide focus groups, work to strengthen policy and network to bring professionals, practitioners and community leaders together to improve transition programs. She has developed transition outcome surveys, and has worked on a published guide for transitioning to college.
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