Sheryl Mattney Discusses the Importance of Diversity through Outreach
Sheryl Mattney, the technical assistance director of the National Association of Council on Developmental Disabilities, visited the Ohio DD Council in December to discuss the history and role of the national DD Council network, and the Council members' responsibilities during their tenure. She focused on the importance and responsibility of Council to conduct outreach activities to the unserved and underserved groups within the developmental disabilities population. The unserved and underserved includes, but is not limited to, populations from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds, disadvantaged individuals with limited English proficiency, individuals from underserved geographic areas (rural or Urban), and specific groups of individuals within the population of individuals with developmental disabilities.
Sheryl talks about the importance of Council’s work including diversity through outreach activities in a video taken at the December meeting. She stresses how diversity enhances Council’s mission to make the state more inclusive for people with developmental disabilities by not only having a diverse group of members, but also by seeking diverse organizations to apply for grants.
See Ohio DD Council’s Outreach section for more information.
Watch Sheryl's video on DD Council's YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR43ZH2-0sg or click on the video below.
New Year, New Council Members!
Pamela Green (pictured to the right), CEO of Easterseals serving greater Cincinnati (Easterseals GC), was appointed to the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council by former Governor John Kasich before his tenure ended earlier this month.
Green joins the Council as an agency leader of a private, non-profit organization that works on behalf of individuals with developmental disabilities. Employment and economic opportunities have always been a passion for Green. She started her career leading temporary employment services, and her employment journey brought her to work for Easterseals GC.
“I came to Easterseals because of its mission of connecting individuals to employment,” said Green, who has been with the organization since 2003. “Through my work, I became an advocate and have been proud to make positive changes for community employment for people with disabilities.” She was appointed CEO in 2011.
In her role, she managed 14 different Project SEARCH sites. Project SEARCH is a nationwide high school transition program that prepares students with disabilities to be gainfully employed after high school through competitive internships.
Her work also sought to transition three sheltered workshops to more community-integrated models. She opened a social enterprise which hired the individuals who previously participated in the sheltered workshop program, as well as participants from other Easterseals programs serving veterans and low income families. The enterprise focuses on assembling specimen collection kits for clinical trials across North America.
Another integrated program is Work and Grow, which allows individuals with disabilities to work for competitive wages, and then move into community employment.
And now, as an Ohio DD Council member, she hopes to bring more attention to employment.
“Easterseals serves people with disabilities and those affected by poverty,” said Green. “And the Council is such a unique and important avenue that I hope to be able to bring attention to the intersection of disability and poverty.”
Green was appointed November 16, 2018 to the Ohio DD Council, and will serve a three-year term.
“We welcome Pamela with her extensive knowledge of the needs and abilities of those with disabilities,” said Ohio DD Council Chairperson Joanna Spargo. “Her professional experience as well as her strong advocacy for people with developmental disabilities is invaluable as the Council continues to foster full community inclusion of those with developmental disabilities in Ohio.”
Other Member Appointments and Reappointments
In addition, on December 18, 2018, Gov. Kasich made the following additional appointments and reappointments:
Rachel A. Rice of Franklin (Warren Co.) was appointed to the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council for a term beginning January 1, 2019, and ending December 31, 2021. More information about Rachel will be available in the February newsletter.
Blaine P. O’Leary of Sidney (Shelby Co.) and Dara D. Walburn of Athens (Athens Co.) have been reappointed to the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council for terms beginning January 1, 2019, and ending December 31, 2021.
DD Awareness and Advocacy Day to be held on March 5, 2019
The 2019 Developmental Disabilities Awareness and Advocacy Day event is scheduled for Tuesday, March 5th at the Ohio Statehouse. We’ve already reached the registration limit for this event. However, you can ask to be put on a waiting list by emailing Paul Jarvis at paul.jarvis@dodd.ohio.gov. The event is also going to be streamed live on the Internet.
More information about speakers for the program and how to view the live stream of the event will be released soon. You can also follow the event's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OhioDDAwareness/ for updates.