NISH Expertise Assists in Global Employment Growth for People with Disabilities

HOPE Services Expands E-Waste to Wages Programming

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Hosts AbilityOne Day 2012

June 2012

NISH

Workplace

June 2012 | 3

The Nonprofit Agency Link

William Coleman, Jr., Chair

E. Robert ChamberlinPresident and CEO, NISH

NISH Board of DirectorsElmer Cerano, Immediate Past ChairPaul Atkinson, Chair Elect Frederick Beaman, SecretaryBrenda Yarnell, TreasurerJerry Bettenhausen Peter BernsDean EmersonFrederick FreseJim Gibbons David GonzalesStephen Katsurinis Steven KingMike KivitzAmy LuttrellThomas MillerRhea Nelson Barbara NurenbergSteve PerdueBelinda Porras Wes Tyler Frederick Williams

Editorial CommitteePaul AtkinsonMegan BranchNancyellen GentileGisele McAuliffeLisa WardTony Young

Managing Editor Vatrice Jones vjones@nish.org

Contributing Feature Writers Chianti Cleggett Rachel Crowell Sarah Gray Heather Loveridge Gisele McAuliffe

Volume 37, No. 6June 2012Workplace is published monthly by NISH, 8401 Old Courthouse Road, Vienna, VA 22182. NISH is a nonprofit organization that supports the AbilityOne Program to assist nonprofit agencies in employing people with significant disabilities by obtaining federal contracts. If you would like additional information on any subject in Workplace, contact Vatrice Jones at corpcomm@nish.org. Address corrections or additions should be mailed to the managing editor at the above address; please include the old mailing label. Reproduction of material in Workplace with permission is encouraged.

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The Federal Insight

NISH Expertise Assists in Global Employment Growth for People with DisabilitiesNISH is at the forefront of helping organizations in the U.S. and abroad to empower people with disabilities and provide employment opportunities, options and choice. In addition to creating jobs via the AbilityOne® Program and NISH’s network of nonprofit agencies (NPAs), NISH brings its strong expertise in hiring practices for people with disabilities to national and international organizations and Fortune 500 companies. Additionally, NISH provides invaluable funding for research and innovations in recruiting, training and supporting the employment of people with disabilities nationwide.

LAHH Contract Closeouts Lauded As ‘Good Practice’

View from Washington

Job Squad Opens the Door for Contracts with the FBI, Excels at West Virginia Mail Facility

Public Policy Corner

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Hosts AbilityOne Day 2012

Dale Rogers Training Center Continues Building Upon Decades of Success

Chesapeake Center’s Increased Productivity

HOPE Services Expands E-Waste to Wages Programming

4 President’s Message 5 AbilityOne Procurement Champion 13 PL Additions 20 AbilityOne Program Success Story 23 Hats Off

On the cover: An AbilityOne employee with Columbus Community Center, located in Salt Lake City, Utah, handles secure document destruction duties.

President’s Message

E. Robert Chamberlin NISH President and CEO

4 | NISH WORKPLACE

Self-Advocates Express Pride and PatriotismIsn’t the picture of our Grassroots Advocacy participants in front of our nation’s capitol beautiful? Even more beautiful than the picture was the excitement, enthusiasm, messages and unabashed PATRIOTISM that our 37 self advocates brought to Washington, D.C.

Similar to past conferences, almost none of the AbilityOne® employees had ever been to Washington, D.C. before. Only a few had ever even been on an airplane. But to a person, everyone was ready to talk about their job, what they did on their job and what that job

meant to them.

Part of the training they receive is to help them feel comfort-able in speaking to Members of Congress and to use what may be a brief meeting to tell their stories. But one area where they have little need for training is patrio-tism and talking about the pride they feel in supporting the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs and all our other federal custom-ers. AbilityOne employees are among the most patriotic and appre-ciative people I have ever met…and I have found this to be true no matter where I meet them or what product or service they produce.

So when Sergeant Neil Colomac, a Wounded Warrior

and AbilityOne employee, went to the podium during the opening dinner to make remarks as the keynote speaker, there were cheers and then a total, respectful silence. Neil spoke about his experiences in Afghanistan, his wounds and subsequent disabilities and how the AbilityOne Program provided him the opportunity to work again and support his family.

It is our tradition to present the flag of our country to special guests since three NISH nonprofit agencies (NPAs) produce the flag for Veterans Affairs. And, in this season of patrio-tism, when we recognize those who have lost their lives in service to our country at Memorial Day, honor our nation’s flag on Flag Day and celebrate our country’s independence on July 4th, a flag presentation takes on a special meaning, especially when it is done in front of a very patriotic audience.

Neil received a standing ovation for both his remarks related to his recovery from two head injuries suffered during combat as well as when he revealed that just last year he was new to the AbilityOne Program and attending his first grassroots advocacy meeting in Washington. I presented a flag to Neil and also thanked the flag manufacturer North Bay Industries (NBI), whose team members were also participating in their first-ever NISH Grassroots Conference.

Maybe the highpoint of the evening was when Susan Wilson, an AbilityOne employee who actually has been making the flags for North Bay Industries for 14 years, stood up and said, “I am proud to work at NBI and I love making flags for the soldiers. I support the AbilityOne Program and NISH. And I make good money.”

We often hear “people are our stron-gest asset.” Nowhere is that more true than the AbilityOne Program. H

2012 NISH Grassroots Advocacy Conference particpants assemble on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

(Left) Susan Wilson, NBI

employee and (Right) Sgt.

Neil Colomac, keynote

speaker at the 2012 NISH Grassroots Advocacy

Conference hold a flag

made by NBI.

June 2012 | 5

Procurement Champion

Educator Dedicated to Teaching Students about the AbilityOne ProgramHeather Loveridge, contributing feature writer

This is an AbilityOne Procurement Champion!Ellen Klotz Professor, Contract Management Defense Acquisition University, Mid-Atlantic Region California, Md.

As a professor of contract management at the Defense Acquisition University (DAU), Mid-Atlantic Region, Ellen Klotz has a unique opportunity to help expand the AbilityOne® Program. Not only does she utilize her real-world contracting experience to help her students learn and grow, she also ensures her students understand the value of the AbilityOne Program. Thanks to Klotz, many students have left her classes with a new apprecia-tion for the program and a desire to help it succeed.

“Ellen expends extraordinary energy arranging for the DAU students, staff and faculty to be exposed to the AbilityOne Program in a myriad of ways,” said Dave Theimer, NISH’s assistant vice president of Market-ing. “For example, she brings in NISH speakers to deliver training and educational programs (up to two hour sessions), has Wounded Warriors tell their AbilityOne stories to the class and arranges for the class to visit AbilityOne agencies so they can meet the workforce and observe AbilityOne contract performance first hand.”

Since joining DAU in 2009, Klotz has ensured the AbilityOne Program is incorporated into her curriculum. As a former warranted contracting officer with more than 25 years experience in contracting, Klotz has been an advocate of the program for many years.

“When I was first starting my career, I had a strong desire to support the

fleet and warfighter since my husband was activity duty military. When the opportunity was presented to acquire goods and services to support the command, I was fortunate to get hired as a contract specialist to support the needs of the Navy,” she said. “Early on I heard about AbilityOne and, later, when I joined DAU, I was able to broaden my perspective regarding the AbilityOne Program through my contacts with Dave Theimer.”

Currently, Klotz teaches CON 270 Intermediate Cost and Price Analysis; CON 280, Source Selection and the Administration of Service Contracts; and CON 360, Contracting for Business Decision Makers. She’s also involved in mission support activities with Department of Defense Organi-zations and supports Better Buying Power Initiatives through DAU.

“My current position affords me the ability to invite AbilityOne Program representative(s) to speak to our Level III Contracting classes in several separate locations; primarily, Califor-nia, Md.; Norfolk, Va. and Chester, Va.,” she said. “Each class has approxi-mately 30 students which gives them unique insight into the benefits of

using the AbilityOne Program.”

For Klotz, educating her students about AbilityOne offers many benefits.

“By having NISH representatives speak with contract specialists and contracting officers, they learn the capabilities of the program and thus engage in contracts to support the AbilityOne Programs across the Department of Defense,” Klotz said. “I encourage students to consider contracting with AbilityOne because the program provides them with the quality of service they need, when they need it and the process is much faster than a standard procurement. In addition to the great benefits from a quality service and price perspective, the program also allows contracting officers the opportu-nity to make a difference in the lives of AbilityOne employees and help further their careers.”

In the three years since Klotz became a professor, she has effectively educated her students about the program and seen a number of positive responses.

“Ellen is a great American who has a passion for the program and for helping create jobs for those with significant disabilities, especially our Wounded Warriors,” Theimer said. “Her initiatives are now being repli-cated by many other DAU professors at several other DAU campuses.”

NISH extends sincere thanks to Ellen Klotz for her dedication and support of the AbilityOne Program. H

Comments regarding AbilityOne Procurement Champion articles and nominations can be addressed to Rachel Crowell, specialist, Marketing, at rcrowell@nish.org.

Procurement Champion

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NISH is at the forefront of helping organizations in the U.S. and abroad to empower people with disabilities and provide employment opportunities, options and choice. In addition to creating jobs via the AbilityOne® Program and NISH’s network of nonprofit agencies (NPAs), NISH brings its strong expertise in hiring practices for people with disabilities to national and international organizations and Fortune 500 companies. Additionally, NISH provides invaluable funding for research and innovations in recruiting, training and supporting the employment of people with disabilities nationwide.

NISH Expertise Assists in Global Employment Growth for People with DisabilitiesBy Gisele McAuliffe, contributing feature writer

NISH Expertise

June 2012 | 7

NISH’s Global ConnectionsFor more than a decade, NISH has promoted the employment of people with significant disabilities around the world, primarily via its affiliation with Workability Inter-national—the world’s largest body representing providers of work and employment services to people with disabilities with members that hail from 41 nations. NISH President and CEO Bob Chamberlin, serves as a member of the Workability-Americas Board of Directors, an association formed by Workabil-ity International. Workability-Americas supports mission-driven businesses throughout the Americas that provide career employment and/or employment services for people with disadvantages and disabilities in an integrated setting.

“The barriers, challenges and high unemployment facing people with disabilities are not unique to the United States,” Chamberlin said. “These are some of the many problems shared among Workabil-ity International members. Our commitment to international efforts to eliminate the barriers that prohibit persons with disabili-ties to reach their full potential is consistent with our commitment to the AbilityOne Program mission. Our focus is on creating employ-ment opportunities for people with significant disabilities and our

international efforts will further that mission.”

A core activity of Workability Inter-national and Workability-Americas is knowledge sharing. In the global arena, the U.S. is considered on the cutting edge of the implementa-tion of strategies and approaches to support the needs of people with disabilities. It is renowned for its service delivery models, rehabili-

tation programs and government policies. Thus, the U.S. is a study tour destination and NISH is a regular stop on that journey in part because its headquarters is located near Washington, D.C. NISH and its regional offices have hosted visitors from Japan, South Korea, Australia and Ireland, to name a few. NISH also has shared knowledge and best practices at three international conferences on creating employ-ment opportunities for people with disabilities in San Diego, Washing-ton, D.C. and Orlando, Fla.

In 2011, Workability International held its Annual World Conference in conjunction with NISH’s Annual Training and Achievement Confer-ence in Orlando, Fla. enabling members of both organizations to share their experiences and learn from each other.

According to Workability Interna-tional Board of Directors President, Patrick Maher, the simultaneous annual meetings provided Workabil-ity International with its biggest platform ever for exchanging ideas. “People with disabilities must be given employment opportunities in all types of work settings,” Maher said. “Dignity through employment is a common bond that draws us together. NISH is at the forefront in

NISH Expertise continued on page 8

NISH Expertise

“People with disabilities must be given employment

opportunities in all types of work settings,” Maher said.

“Dignity through employment is a common bond that draws

us together. NISH is at the forefront in helping its producing

organizations to empower people with disability and provide

opportunity, options and choice.”

— Patrick Maher Workability International Board of Directors President

8 | NISH WORKPLACE

helping its producing organizations to empower people with disability and provide opportunity, options and choice.”

Advisor to National LeadersOver the years, NISH has advised international leaders on how to increase the employment of their citizens with disabilities.

In April 2012, a contingent from Norway’s Ministry of Labor met in New York City with NISH Presi-dent and CEO Bob Chamberlin and representatives from the U.S. State Department, New York state govern-ment and the NISH-affiliated NPA, YAI Network. The purpose of the meeting was to exchange ideas about how the Norwegian government could better promote the integration of individuals with disabilities in the workplace.

“When it comes down to programs, it’s important for the individual with a disability to have choice in jobs,” Chamberlin said to the group.

YAI’s Senior Director of Employment Opportunities, Michael Kramer, added that creating a corporate culture, where companies embrace diversity is important.” We’ve invited companies of all sizes to visit our employment programs, mentor the individuals and promote personal interactions through volunteer opportunities,” Kramer said. “The best way for someone to learn

about a person with a disability is to work with them side-by-side.”

Partner of Fortune 500 CompaniesThe growth of non-AbilityOne and commercial business is an impor-tant component of NISH’s efforts to create employment opportunities for people with significant disabilities. The NISH Prime Contractor Program Office (PCPO) is responsible for the success of this component. The PCPO develops subcontracting opportuni-ties for NPAs with federal commercial contractors. It focuses on educating contractors about the benefits of the program and strategies for successfully working with AbilityOne NPAs.

NISH prime contractor partnerships include service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and firms of all sizes that have an interest in subcontracting services and products

to NPAs. The PCPO works with federal customers who are interested in adding AbilityOne subcontracting requirements to their solicitations by providing them with AbilityOne subcontracting language and programmatic support.

To date, the NISH prime contractor program has established expanding relationships with Fortune 500 and other large companies such as: Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Hewlett Packard and Booz Allen Hamilton.

Boeing and NISH have a Memorandum of Agreement to identify pathways for engagement and job creation.

Northrop Grumman also maintains a Memorandum of Agreement with the AbilityOne Program, and executed the first mentor protégé relation-ship with an AbilityOne NPA. Since 2010, Northrup Grumman has shared skills and processes that have helped the NPA cut costs and made it more competitive in the pursuit of federal contracts, ultimately creating more jobs for people with significant disabilities. Northrop Grumman also sponsored the first of several planned “Lunch and Learn” sessions nationwide that bring together NISH NPAs, prime contractors and central non-profit agencies to encourage collaboration.

In 2011, General Dynamics and

NISH Expertise continued from page 7

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June 2012 | 9

NISH Expertise

Lockheed Martin asked NISH to provide an AbilityOne overview presentation at their annual supplier diversity meetings. Additionally, NISH has partnered with several divisions of Lockheed Martin on projects that have an AbilityOne requirement or prefer-ence, resulting in long-term subcon-tracts for NPAs.

Hewlett Packard has been very supportive of the NISH mission via subcontracts with NPAs that employ highly skilled veterans with disabili-ties. Hewlett Packard also invited NISH to speak at one of their small business conferences to help educate the firm’s small business partners about the benefits of partnering with AbilityOne agencies.

Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) has reached out to NISH numerous times for referrals to local NPAs who can provide subcontracting support on federal contract opportunities. NISH also is a subcontractor of BAH’s Social Security Administration contract administering the “Ticket To Work” Beneficiary Access and Support Services (BASS). NISH and its affiliate agencies provide BAH with consult-ing services and access to persons with disabilities who are interested in exploring return to work options.

“We want NISH to look to Booz Allen Hamilton as their prime contractor of choice when they look at federal contract opportunities,” said Pat Jackson, associate at Booz Allen Hamilton. “We both share the goal of increasing the employment of people with disabilities and provide a work environment that gives them the opportunity to be successful. Booz Allen Hamilton is in a unique situa-tion because historically we have been very active in hiring people with disabilities. We have worked with NISH for several years to make sure we are tapping into our community resources to recruit the best-quali-fied candidates for the job. We will continue to work in that vein to make certain that we have the best candi-dates.”

Today, commercial federal contractors are increasingly reaching out to NISH to increase their corporate aware-ness of AbilityOne, actively engage in identifying opportunities for partner-ship and request referrals of qualified NPA’s who can perform a wide variety of support services nationwide.

Ideas To WorkIn 2011, NISH expanded its existing financial assistance initiatives by estab-lishing the Ideas To Work Fund (IWF), a matching grant program that encour-ages NPAs to develop innovative job growth opportunities that cultivate the talents of employees with significant disabilities by creating new products and services targeted for customers outside of the AbilityOne Program and

the federal government contract arena. Starting with $300,000, the IWF has given NPAs the opportunity to turn their job growth ideas into reality with individual grants of up to $100,000. The Ideas To Work Fund matches the cost of each approved grant application on a sliding scale up to 100 percent, depend-ing on the size of the NPA.

The response to the first round of the initiative was overwhelming. NISH received 84 applications and an evalu-ation team ultimately funded the most innovative job growth ideas from 14 NPAs. During just the first three months that the selected programs got underway, the participating NPAs created 235 new jobs for individuals with disabilities.

“While the Ideas to Work Fund was designed to assist and incentivize job creation during a challenging environ-ment, we intend to retain it as one element supporting our strategic goal of growing additional NPA capacity and capability,” said NISH President and CEO Bob Chamberlin. “Though sharing best practices and the concepts and businesses developed through this process, we hope to replicate these new capabilities and share new job concepts across the NPA community.” H

The Federal Insight

June 2012 | 11

At Navy Medical Center, San Diego (NMCSD), AbilityOne® Program contract closeouts are making great strides along three different tracks, simultaneously achieving benefits for the federal customer, people with disabilities and U.S. taxpayers.

Model For SuccessContract closeouts are one of several AbilityOne® contract management services that also include de-obligation modifica-tions; digital scanning of contracts; secure document destruction; warehousing; storage solutions and digitized inventories.

Just six months after Los Angeles Habilitation House (LAHH) began performing contract closeout services for NMCSD, a Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Procurement Perfor-mance Management Assessment Program (PPMAP) review of the center described the contract closeouts as “a management good practice.” The designation signals that LAHH’s services are contrib-uting to NMCSD’s contracting process in a significant way—return-ing millions of dollars in unused contract funds to the U.S. Treasury and freeing up government contract-ing officers to focus on their priority responsibilities of procurement and sourcing. Simultaneously, contract closeouts provide a professional career track for veterans and other individu-als with significant disabilities.

“Good practice means that using the AbilityOne Program for closeouts is an intelligent response to a business need. It also indicates an intelligent use of resources; time, labor, and hardware to perform and achieve closeouts,” said Nancy Albin, vice president of LAHH.

Maximizing U.S. Tax DollarsContract closeouts de-obligate huge sums of unused contract funds and return them to the U.S. Treasury where they are available, if necessary, to fund other federal programs. Since the LAHH team began perform-ing contract closeouts at NMCSD in September 2011, more than $3.3 million have been de-obligated—an average of $550,000 per month.

“I believe we are providing a valuable service and making the contract-ing professionals’ job easier,” said Sharon Nielsen, contract support

supervisor at LAHH. “In this time of manpower shortages, AbilityOne provides a valuable service to our federal customer.”

Superior Career TrackLAHH contract closeouts at NMCSD also are a success story in moving an AbilityOne employee into competitive employment. After just a few months performing as an AbilityOne contract special-ist, U.S. Navy veteran Evan Williams recently accepted a permanent position in finan-cial management at NMCSD. “I think it is amazing that Evan was hired fulltime at Navy Medical Center,” Nielsen said. “It is fantastic for his future career. I’m thrilled with our team and our success. We are making a positive difference for the customer and our employees.”

“It is our hope that Evan’s (Williams) success will be inspi-ration for other veterans still struggling with life after war and unemployment,” Albin added.

Williams has been replaced at LAHH by U.S. Navy veteran

Richard Battistoni. He started with the CMS team as a contract specialist in March 2012.

Ruth Deye, veteran job developer at Veterans Village of San Diego, helped LAHH recruit Battistoni for his new AbilityOne job. “I wish we had more programs like AbilityOne,” Deye said. “These men are young and they need a future. AbilityOne offers veterans with disabilities the chance to go to work and also maintain their Veterans Administration appointments without the risk of losing their jobs.” H

LAHH Contract Closeouts Lauded As ‘Good Practice’By Gisele McAuliffe, contributing feature writer

Evan Williams performs contract closeouts duties for Navy Medical Center in San Diego.

AbilityOne contract closeout specialist Richard Battistoni in San Diego.

View from

By Tony Young, senior public policy strategist, NISH; and Danea M. Kehoe, Esq.

Medicare, Social Security Trustees Forecast Solvency IssuesEach year the Social Security and Medicare program trustees issue separate reports projecting these key programs’ solvency into the future. This year’s report, issued April 23, raises cautions about the programs’ long-range (75-year) solvency, but noted the programs’ worsening actuarial bases will not result in insolvency in the near-term. The worsening financial situation is particularly acute, the trustees reports said, for the Disability Income (DI) portion of the combined Social Security trust funds.

The Medicare Part A (hospital) trust fund will be solvent until 2024, the Medicare report said, while the Social Security trust fund will not face shortfalls until 2033. However, both trust funds currently spend from principal—that is, neither program is funding benefits solely with the earnings from investing the taxes and premiums that program participants pay in to the system.

The Social Security program will receive cash infusions from the federal government’s general accounts to make up the difference between taxes paid in, income earned on the trust fund assets, and benefits paid out. Trust fund reserves are projected to be exhausted, the trustees’ report projects, in 2033, three years earlier than projected last year.

The Medicare Part B (physician and outpatient benefits) and D (prescription drug) programs are funded by premiums paid by beneficiaries and those premiums

adjust to reflect costs. However, as is true for the Social Security trust fund, the actuarial data—the growth in the number of beneficia-ries as compared to the lower rate of growth in the number of tax-paying (younger) workers—suggest that the cost per participant is growing faster than per capita gross domestic product. This is contributing to the projected shortfall.

The Social Security and Medicare trustees reports recommend early (current) Congressional action to make programmatic changes to both Medicare and Social Security to avoid worse-than-necessary impact on current and future program beneficiaries. Early action will also help elected officials minimize adverse impacts on vulnerable populations, including lower-income workers and people already dependent on program benefits.” These vulnerable popula-tions include, of course, people with significant disabilities.

Medicare: The trustees report notes that there has already been some Congressional action that has positively impacted the Medicare trust fund. The report acknowl-edges that Medicare trust fund bankruptcy could have come as soon as 2016 without the $500 billion in Medicare spending reductions included in the 2010 health reform law. The Medicare changes enacted in 2010 will yield some $200 billion in Medicare savings by 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported in April. And many more cost-saving Medicare changes will take effect, and result in further savings, in 2014 and beyond.

However, the Medicare trustees cautioned that further statutory changes will be needed to ensure Medicare’s solvency past 2024. Among the possible changes the trustees identified are an increase in the payroll tax from 2.9 percent to 4.25 percent, or a 26 percent cut in Medicare spending. The tax and/or benefit changes could occur gradually.

Social Security/Disability Insurance: The OASDI (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) trust fund raises particular concerns about the disabil-ity insurance program, the trustees’ message noted. The Trustees project that the combined trust fund assets will exceed one year’s projected cost for more than ten years, through 2027.

The trustees noted that exhaus-tion of the OASDI trust fund would result in a 25 percent benefits cut, starting in 2033. The cuts would impact both future and current program beneficiaries.

A summary of the Social Security and Medicare trust funds reports can be found at http://www.ssa.gov/oact/trsum/index.html, and full text of the Social Security report can be found at http://www.ssa.gov/oact/tr/2012/index.html. H

The Federal Insight

12 | NISH WORKPLACE

The Federal Insight

June 2012 | 13

Job Squad was created in 1984 as a job training program at a compre-hensive behavioral health center but was re-established in 1994 when selected as the nonprofit agency (NPA) to fulfill an AbilityOne® contract with the new FBI Center in Clarksburg, W.Va. In 1996, Job Squad separated from the behavioral health center and has been thriv-ing ever since. Currently Job Squad has about 100 employees and total annual revenue of approximately $4 million.

As the first NPA to have an AbilityOne contract with the FBI,

Job Squad paved the way for other NPAs to contract with the Bureau at the FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and at the training academy in Quantico, Va. Job Squad has custodial and grounds maintenance contracts at the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division and has a positive and supportive relationship with the Bureau. “The FBI employees were astonished when they initially saw what great workers our employees were,” says Executive Director Brenda Hellwig. “We’ve been there 18 years now, and I think our employees have done a lot to increase the communi-ty’s awareness about the capabilities of

individuals with disabilities.”

Besides AbilityOne contracts, Job Squad has a presort mail facility in Charleston, W.Va., where automated mail services are provided through West Virginia’s State Use Program. Individuals with disabilities who work at JSI Presort Mail are mail clerks, machine operators, quality control monitors and driver’s assistants. Two years ago, Job Squad formed an

innovative agreement with a former competitor and relocated its mail business to the former competitor’s automated mail facility. Both compa-nies maintain their separate corpo-rate form and identity but share space and equipment, which will allow them to increase cost-savings and expand mail operations. One of the outcomes of this conversion to a “business within a business” is that Job Squad employees share work space with individuals who do not have disabilities.

Job Squad’s cutting-edge Commu-nity Economic Development Program provides services that include Social Security benefits analysis and planning, discovery, job matching and analysis, person-centered job development, support with interest-based negotiations, and facilitating natural workplace supports. Job Squad’s career counselors spend time with job seekers in the community and assist them in exploring potential career options with the goal of finding a job match that is a good fit for the job seeker. The positive outcomes of these services are wage jobs, small-business ownership, or both. H

Job Squad Opens Door for Contracts with FBI, Excels at W. Va. Mail Facility

PL Additions - Services

Custodial/Grounds Maintenance

McNary Lock and Dam82790 Devore RoadUmatilla, ORDepartment of the ArmyXU W071 ENDISTWalla Walla, WAContracting Officer: Margit LarrieuWalla Walla, WA(509) 527-7223Nonprofit Agency: Portland Habilitation Center, Inc.Portland, OR

VANebraska-Western, IA Health Care System - Grand Island Division2201 North Broadwell AvenueGrand Island, NEDepartment of Veterans AffairsNebraska Western-Iowa Health Care SystemOmaha, NEContract Specialist: Adam BeaverOmaha, NE(402) 995-4569Nonprofit Agency: Goodwill Specialty Services, Inc.Omaha, NE

U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans200 Hendee StreetNew Orleans, LADepartment of Homeland Security U.S. Coast Guard - SILC EastNorfolk, VAContracting Officer: Wendy CulbrethNorfolk, VA(757) 628-4824Nonprofit Agency: The Arc of Greater New OrleansMetairie, LA

June 2012 | 15

The Federal Insight

PUBLIC POLICYCORNER

The Federal Insight

By Tony Young, senior public policy strategist

All signs point to an intense and very busy lame duck session for the 112th Congress—and among the difficult and time-sensitive issues the post-election Congress will have to settle are the automatic spending cuts (the “sequester”) that current law requires under the terms of last August’s Budget Control Act (BCA).

Few on Capitol Hill say they are willing to let the automatic cuts take effect, as they are scheduled to do, on Jan. 1, 2013. Consequently, there will be a concerted effort to change them. But the failure of compromise/consensus that led to enactment of the sequester in the first place shows no sign of dissipating. So, it is useful to understand just what the sequester will do should it take effect, as scheduled, the first of next year.

The Center for Budget Policy and Priorities (CBPP) prepared a report (access it online at http://www.cbpp.org/files/12-2-11bud2.pdf) that provides specificity, based on the CBPP’s projections and estimates, on what to expect if the sequester takes effect as scheduled.

Generally, the BCA requires automatic spending cuts to take effect as of Jan. 1, 2013. This is the BCA-required consequence of the failure of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (the “Super Committee”) created by the BCA to craft a bill containing up to $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction. In 2013, these BCA-mandated cuts will be as follows:

• 8.4 percent in most non-defense discretionary programs

• 7.5 percent in most defense-related programs

• 8.0 percent in mandatory programs other than Medicare

• 2.0 percent in Medicare provider payments

The 7.5 percent defense spending reductions could hit the AbilityOne Program contracting most directly. The two percent cuts in Medicare provider payments will remain in place over the 10-year period covered by the sequester. The other spending cut levels will gradually shrink.

According to the CBPP analysis, these required and automatic cuts mean annual program cuts from 2013 through 2021 of about $109.3 billion, split equally between defense and non-defense programs. The $54.7 billion in non-defense cuts will come from both mandatory and discretionary spending, with $11 billion of it coming from the two percent cut to Medicare provider payments. That means, the CBPP says, that normal Medicare reimbursements will continue, but reimbursements to providers will be at the rate of 98 cents on each dollar of otherwise payable reimbursements.

Another $5.2 billion will come from other mandatory programs—one program of particular concern to people with significant disabilities is vocational rehabilitation. Exempt from the sequestration, however, are several programs that are also important to people with significant disabilities—Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Medicaid. Other exempt, mandatory programs include children’s health insurance, child nutrition, the food stamp program, some refundable tax credits like the child tax

credit and the earned income tax credit, veterans’ benefits and federal retirement.

The remaining $38.5 billion in cuts in 2013 will come from across-the-board, proportional reductions in the new funding provided for each discretionary program funded through the annual federal appropriations process.

Among the programs affected by these “across-the-board, proportional” reductions in discretionary spending are many that assist people with significant disabilities. Funding for low-income housing programs, Health and Human Services health research and other programs, transportation assistance, jobs training programs and many others will be reduced as a result of the automatic cuts.

The process for imposition of the BCA-required cuts is different for 2014 through 2021. The entitlement (mandatory) program cuts will be administered in the same way as they are for 2013 (e.g., Medicare providers will continue to receive reimbursements of 98 cents on the dollar), but because Medicare costs are growing, those two percent cuts will absorb more of the $54.7 billion in required automatic cuts. According to the CBPP, the Medicare provider cuts will account for 21 percent of the $54.7 billion in required non-defense cuts in 2014, but for 33 percent by 2021. That will lessen the impact on other, discretionary program cuts.

Congress—the current 112th or the future 113th (and subsequent) bodies—can change the BCA formulas. But, the BCA formulas are the law and will take effect unless Congress enacts changes. H

Last Year’s Failure of Super Committee Sets Up Automatic Cuts

The Federal Insight

16 | NISH WORKPLACE

Collaboration was the word of the day on Monday, April 16 at the first ever Wright-Patterson Air Force Base AbilityOne® Day. The Enter-prise Sourcing Group (ESG) together with NISH and NIB hosted a one day training conference to provide government acquisition personnel insight into the AbilityOne Program and also to display the diverse capabilities of the community rehabil-itation program (CRP) community. Mr. Carl Shofner, Director, Enterprise Sourcing Group, Air Force Materiel Command and Dr. Steve Butler, Executive Director, Air Force Materiel Command, kicked off the day’s events with words of support for this inaugu-ral event and each asked the audience to embrace the opportunity to learn more about AbilityOne and how they can collaborate with the CRPs on potential contract opportunities in the future. The ESG is responsible for strategically sourcing goods and services throughout 71 installations which makes them a great partner for the AbilityOne Program. Marie McManus, Air Force Key Account Manager, NISH, was instrumental in building this relationship and opening new doors for the AbilityOne Program at Wright-Patterson.

Nearly 200 people attended the train-ing and exhibit show. Along with the training session, 18 CRPs hosted booths in the exhibit area displaying their capabilities in various product and service lines of business. The session attendees took full advantage of the opportunity to tour the booths and interact with the CRPs. It was a great way to expose individuals to the diversity of the AbilityOne CRP network and highlight the abilities of persons with disabilities. Ms. Kimberly Zeich, Deputy Executive Director of the U.S. AbilityOne Commission™,

provided a general overview of the AbilityOne Program and how government personnel can benefit from working with CRPs in the program.

A true highlight of this event was Nathan Short sharing his story with the partici-pants. Nathan is a wounded warrior and a member of NISH’s Speakers Bureau. Nathan was injured while on active duty in Iraq. His heroic story touched the individuals in the room as they listened to him and followed his journey. Nathan shared how difficult it was for him after returning home on a medical discharge. Fortunately, through the AbilityOne Program, he found himself and learned to utilize the

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Hosts AbilityOne Day 2012Nicole Hansma, sr. project manager, National

Wright-Patterson continued on page 23

At the first Wright-Patterson AFB AbilityOne Day, 18 CRPs hosted booths in the exhibit area displaying their capabilities in various product and service lines of business.

Col Bob Mitchell, director, Contracting, Enterprise Sourcing Group, added his endorsement of the AbilityOne Program and encouraged the attendees to identify potential contract opportunities.

The Nonprofit Agency Link

June 2012 | 17

Approaching its 60th anniversary, the Dale Rogers Train-ing Center continues to create opportunities for people with disabilities in Oklahoma City. Today the center has seven major locations plus multiple contracts with other agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center and the U.S. Marshals.

Varied opportunities—including the Supported Employ-ment Program, School-to-Work Transition Program, Camp Tumbleweed and others—help the organization train or employ 1170 people annually, more than 1,000 with disabil-ities. In 2010-2011, these individuals earned $5.4 million in wages through various work projects.

“Dale Rogers is pleased to work with NISH’s AbilityOne® Program and the government to provide sustainability for people with disabilities,” said Assistant Director Jerry Weddington, who has been with the center since 1988.

Key factors have helped maintain the center’s record of success throughout its decades-long existence. “The biggest factors of success at Dale Rogers are its leadership teams and the fact that the organization is process-driven and goal-oriented. Every year we sit down to establish goals and work with our board on strategic plans,” continued Weddington. “It has always been our goal to provide employment oppor-tunities for people with disabilities. That’s one reason the AbilityOne Program has worked so well at Dale Rogers.” Since 1993, the center has employed people on AbilityOne contracts; today there are more than 300 employees.

Recently, the work of the Dale Rogers’ team at Tinker Air

Force Base was on display during a visit from President Barack Obama. Tinker is the employment site for 42 Dale Rogers food services employees who prepare 27,500 meals per month, as well as 156 employees in custodial services who clean 198 buildings daily. The team has received numerous commenda-tions for the outstanding work they put into making the facili-ties look their best for the momentous occasion.

“Tinker is a great opportunity for Dale Rogers to provide jobs for people with disabilities in Oklahoma, and it has been for nearly 20 years,” said Human Resources and Public Relations Manager Deborah Copeland. “We’re so proud to be able to support the mission at Tinker. The President’s visit was an opportunity for the quality of service that the Dale Rogers’ Tinker team provides daily to shine. It shows that they have a lot of pride in their work and in Oklahoma.”

As it approaches its 60th year, Dale Rogers continues building upon its long history of success. Two years ago, they began an online store for spices and gifts (drtc.org). Proceeds help fund training programs. In another major coup for the organization, the spices were recently added to the list of items for sale at Amazon.com. Additionally, Weddington said the NISH “Ideas to Work Fund” assisted in acquiring a Papa Murphy’s franchise in December—an effort to diversify Dale Rogers’s food services opportunities.

“We see tremendous growth in the people who come to work for us. They come to Dale Rogers to build a resume, improve their skills, gain training and more,” added Copeland, who has been with the organization for 10 years. “We like to see our people grow.” H

Dale Rogers Training Center Continues Building Upon Decades of SuccessBy Chianti C. Cleggett, contributing feature writer

The Dale Rogers Floor Crew: (L, front to back) Benjamin Bland, Kenny Young, Tim Hinson and Tim High. (R, front to back) Joseph Rollyson and James Ennis.

The Dale Rogers Management: (L to R, back row) Mike Rodgers, Jason Keller, Eugene Brooks and Scott Wilson. (L to R, front row) Rene Hazen, Davinna Allensworth, Retta Bomboy and Sam Toles.

18 | NISH WORKPLACE

The Nonprofit Agency Link

Chesapeake Center’s Increased ProductivityThis article first appeared on www.EastonSavvy.com. The article is reprinted with permission.By Leslie Orndoff

A young woman sits down with an effusive smile. She looks slightly reluctant to begin her story, yet when she does, her smile remains bright and her confidence seems to build. “I started working at The Chesapeake Center in 1996,” she begins. “I lived in the Chesapeake Center apartments, and worked at Cadmus.” It wasn’t long before she met her husband, fell in love, and had a baby. Her story sounds typical, even unextraordinary but for the fact that she has a disability. She struggles with both bi-polar disorder and a learning disabil-ity which resulted in poor work performance and attendance. After the gentle encouragement and reassurance of the staff at the Chesapeake Center, she has made tremendous strides in both her confidence and desire to achieve. She now attends work regularly, is on the way to owning her own home, has gotten her drivers license, and is working toward getting her GED. Hers is an inspi-rational story which perhaps would have turned out differently if it weren’t for the work of this non-profit that is dedicated to changing the lives of people with disabilities.

The Chesapeake Center is a complex of buildings that sit quiet and unassuming on Dover Street. Cars drive quickly past; occupants unaware of the large-scale opera-tions taking place inside and the magnitude of its impact on the community. Since 1966, their main focus has been to assist individuals with disabilities reach indepen-dence through providing oppor-tunities in employment, housing, and community activities among others.

“Similar to other non-profits [Chesapeake Center] began when a group of concerned parents, whose children with disabilities had graduated high school, got together,” says Donna Harrison, President and CEO. “At that time, people with disabilities couldn’t stay in school until they were 21, so the parents approached local store owners to see if they would be willing to offer employment.” Rowen’s Stationary was one of the first businesses that allowed a small group of young adults to work, breaking down boxes and taking out the trash.

This arrangement came to the attention of Mrs. Alton Brown, a local philanthropist. “She was intrigued by the families,” contin-ues Harrison. “She purchased the property on Dover Road and they started approaching local businesses to see if things could be brought to The Center.” They offered chair caning, started a toy business, and did whatever odd jobs that came their way.

As the years passed, the State of Maryland began to fund organiza-tions like the Chesapeake Center. The State’s support provides funds to hire staff and run vans through-out the county to pick up people and bring them to work. “We pick up people as far away as Tilghman and the boarders of neighbor-ing counties,” says Harrison. “We receive funds from Caroline and Dorchester so we pick up people there as well.”

Currently the Center serves approximately 200 adults with various disabilities. They work at any number of tasks including: stuffing toys in bubbles for vending

machines; breaking down and recycling computer hard drives; stuffing envelopes for bulk mailers; constructing crab mallets, dispos-able emergency stretchers called dispo-a-boards, and canes with a specialized footprint. There is also a food service area providing not only two meals and a snack for the workers at the Center but also selling baked goods throughout the community. They manage three recycling sites throughout Talbot County, and are able to sell the aluminum cans they collect from not only their property but from the site adjacent to them. “Nothing is wasted here,” says Korell. “We have an outlet for everything.” One of the largest ongoing jobs is a US Navy contract, cutting and sewing special cleaning cloths.

The sound of the room in which the cleaning cloths are made is a noisy symphony of sewing machines and specialized cutting equipment. Here a large workforce cuts, sews, trims, and inspects cloths destined for Navy subs and ships all over the world. “In the ten years I’ve worked as Vocational Director, we’ve only had one quality control issue,” says Lisa Korell. It is a source of pride as well as a testament to the facility itself. Given the opportunity, people with disabilities flourish and are as productive, if not more than, their non-disabled counterparts.

There are some who come to the Chesapeake Center not to work, but to learn valuable life skills and make friends through the Day Habilitation Program. “Some people don’t want to work a full day, and that’s fine,” continues

Chesapeake Center continued on page 22

The Nonprofit Agency Link

June 2012 | 19

Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., producing AbilityOne® nonprofit HOPE Services is expanding electronic waste recycling organi-zation-wide. HOPE’s green services initiated as a pilot program through their Monterey Country District’s Electronic Waste to Wages (e-WTW) program. In September 2011, NISH’s Ideas to Work Fund Program awarded HOPE a $100,000 grant to expand their e-WTW Monterey County District program’s service area to HOPE’s additional four service districts, which span from south of the San Francisco Bay through the Monterey Bay Area.

In order to ensure the necessary market demand for expanding e-WTW to their other district offices, HOPE enlisted the support of the Stanford Alumni Consulting Team to conduct a market analysis of the local electronic waste supply. Conser-vative estimates from the analysis revealed that the average person produces about 22 pounds of e-waste per year. Coupled with U. S. Census Bureau data estimating the counties of Santa Clara and San Mateo at 2.5 million residents, HOPE concluded that these two counties in its service area produce about 55 million pounds of e-waste on a yearly basis, which is more than enough to sustain HOPE’s recycling program growth. Local recycling competitors also do not offer a benefit back to organization’s provid-ing e-waste, as HOPE does. Addition-ally, the current favorable market for the metals used in electronics will only aid the economic viability of HOPE’s e-WTW expansion.

e-WTW was developed as a partner-ship program for collecting e-waste with local non-profit organizations, schools (K-12 and colleges), compa-

nies, and government agencies. After forming a partnership via a memorandum of understand-ing with a specific organization, HOPE works with the organi-zation to promote and hold at least four e-waste collection events per year at the organi-zation’s site. At the collection events, HOPE’s workers, who are paid minimum wage, collect and sort e-waste for sale to a state-approved e-waste recycler. HOPE is committed to e-stewardship and the data security of the electronic items that are donated. The e-waste recycler refines the e-waste to recapture various electronic components and the hard drives are sanitized to eliminate data risk. Zero materials are sent overseas.

HOPE’s e-WTW program is a particular boon to partner-ing schools and disabilities advocates. HOPE’s Monterey District currently holds partnerships with eight school districts in Monterey County, representing approximately 50,000 students. Eighty percent of proceeds generated from these e-waste events are transferred back to the schools in the form of job credits performed by HOPE clients. Partner schools determine which work areas might best suit their current needs, like grounds maintenance or custo-dial work, and HOPE’s employees are paid minimum wage to perform these services.

The e-WTW events bring environ-mental stewardship and people with disabilities to the center stage. The program helps dispel negative myths about people with disabilities and

teaches the students and school staff that many people with disabilities can work and contribute to their commu-nities. HOPE has started providing disability awareness training to local schools that may improve negative stereotypes associated with students with disabilities. e-WTW also allows HOPE to develop some of their most significantly disabled clients in terms of work experience and thereby increase their productivity for future work opportunities.

Monterey District employee Jock Mayes has worked in sorting and collecting

HOPE Services Expands E-Waste to Wages ProgrammingBy Sarah Patton, sr. project analyst, NISH Pacific West Region

Chesapeake Center’s Increased ProductivityThis article first appeared on www.EastonSavvy.com. The article is reprinted with permission.By Leslie Orndoff

HOPE Services continued on page 22

Left to right: HOPE staff member Luis Garcia and client-employee Joaquin Villagomez post a sign for an e-WTW event at an elementary school.

Left to right: Dante Del Bono, Paul Burnham, John Kubik, Robert Witt, and e-Waste to Wages Specialist Lindsay Boyce sort e-waste at HOPE’s Monterey District Office.

The Workplace Inclusive

20 | NISH WORKPLACE

“We have received

several positive

comments from

different facilities about

Antown’s behavior

and work ethic.

Because of his hard

work, he was asked

to attend the Wing

Commanders Luncheon,

an event that’s for base

distinguished visitors.”

— Judy Joyner-Ligon assistant director of contracts Pathfinder,Inc.

Six years ago, when Antown Grays began working for Pathfinder, Inc., a Jacksonville, Ark. nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals with developmental disabilities, he was shy and reserved. Today, though, he’s become quite outgo-ing and easily speaks his mind. He hasn’t let his diagnoses of slight mental retardation and the challenges that brings stop him from overcoming and thriving, both on the job and personally.

As a custodian on Pathfinder, Inc.’s Little Rock Air Force Base custodial contract, Grays performs a variety of tasks, including vacuuming, cleaning restrooms, sweeping and restocking supplies. His desire to provide quality work is evident to those around him.

“Antown really cares about the job and ensuring the customers are satisfied with our work,” said Anthony Brown, project manager, base custodial for Pathfinder, Inc. “One time in the Wing Command-ers building I was doing an inspec-tion of the service he and the rest of the custodial crew provided and found an area not cleaned to Air Force standards. Antown asked if they should clean the entire building again.”

Over the years, Grays’ dedication to his job has resulted in several accolades, including Pathfinder’s Outstanding Employee of the Year award and Team of the Month.

“He is a very hard-working individual. The supervisor for the crew that Antown rides with relies on him as her second-hand man. She has him doing inspections and ensuring all work is complete to government standards,” said Judy Joyner-Ligon, assistant direc-tor of contracts at Pathfinder, Inc. “In

fact, when the person that works at the fitness center is sick we have Antown work there by himself and he does an outstanding job. Antown is someone we really rely on and get the most out of.

“We have received several positive comments from different facilities about Antown’s behavior and work ethic. Because of his hard work, he was asked to attend the Wing Command-ers Luncheon, an event that’s for base distinguished visitors.”

As Brown’s also noted, Grays positive attitude has made a differ-ence in the workplace.

“Whenever he sees another employee having a bad day he tries to pep them up by talking with them. He tries to find out what the problem is and if

there is anything he can do to help them out,” Brown said. “Antown brings a positive attitude to work on a daily basis.”

Grays carries that positive attitude over to his personal life and enjoys being active. Currently, he likes traveling and playing basketball.

For Grays, the AbilityOne® Program has given him more than just a job and a paycheck.

“I’ve had the opportunity to meet all different people from the different branches of the military. It helps make me feel like I’m part of the military,” Grays said. “I really enjoy being around the military and the airplanes. I really enjoy the people I work with on a daily basis too.” H

AbilityOne Program Success Story

Positive Attitude Helps Grays Shine By Heather Loveridge, contributing feature writer

22 | NISH WORKPLACE

e-waste in HOPE’s e-WTW program for over a year.

Mayes’ job is important to him because he wants to be a wage-earner and a contributing member of the community. “You don’t work, you don’t have no roof on your head. You don’t have a car to drive to work. . . . You see people like panhandling and that ain’t right, because they should earn their money. HOPE is a wonderful place to work.” Mayes’ goal is to eventually work at the sheriff ’s depart-ment, where his father is employed, and use e-WTW as secondary employment.

The e-WTW program also offers green partnership and informal disability awareness opportunities for HOPE’s AbilityOne government agency project sites. HOPE has performed custodial services for the General Services Administration (GSA) at the U.S. Geological Services (USGS) in Menlo Park since 1993, and seven persons with developmental disabili-ties currently work on this contract. Recently, HOPE partnered with GSA to hold an e-waste collection event

at the USGS, Menlo Park. In April, HOPE’s Monterey District held a collection event at the Monterey Naval Postgraduate School where 25 AbilityOne workers perform custodial services.

HOPE maximizes their e-WTW program’s impact by collecting e-waste and recyclable household goods and clothing in a variety of

The Nonprofit Agency Link

HOPE Services continued from page 19

Korell. “They’ll work a half day then come and relax or do a craft.” Others may spend the entire day there, staying occupied, engaged, earning a sense of accomplishment. Often times, those who start in the Day Habilitation Program move on to work in the facility.

The Chesapeake Center not only employs people on site, they work to place people in the community. “When we approach potential employ-ers,” says Korell, “we like to focus on what they can do, not what they can’t.” Currently, five people from the Center are placed in jobs through-out the community.

“The Chesapeake Center feels like a family environment,” says the young woman with bi-polar disorder. Her life’s course was changed because of the efforts of the non-profit’s staff. Had it not been for that family style support and gentle pressure to push herself to achieve, her story along with the stories of many others would have had less than a happy ending. H

Chesapeake Center continued from page 18

ways. HOPE actually receives more electronic waste from walk-in drop off than at its organized collection events. Household goods and clothing are sold to a private company that operates thrift stores. According to HOPE’s Green Business Solutions Director, John Bell, customer service is the key to maintaining HOPE’s business relationships and remaining competi-tive against other service providers. “HOPE’s competitive advantage is our responsiveness, our concentration on customer service and making recycling with HOPE a good experience.”

The expansion of HOPE Services Monterey District’s e-Waste to Wages represents an innovative and sustain-able work opportunity for persons with significant disabilities to earn wages and contribute to the environ-mental health of their communities. This green initiative also creates favorable public relations through HOPE’s e-WTW partnerships with schools, government agencies, and local organizations. In the future, HOPE Services looks forward to expanding their green services to additional locations, state and nationwide. H

HOPE Services’ client-employees collect and sort e-waste at the U.S. Geological Services, Menlo Park.

June 2012 | 23

Eyebrow HeadHats Off

Linden Resources Receives 2012 ABBIE Award for Best Nonprofit in ArlingtonLinden Resources received the 2012 Arlington Chamber of Commerce ABBIE for Best Business in the Nonprofit Category during the Arlington Chamber of Commerce ABBIE awards breakfast in late May. Presenter Rebecca Cooper of WJLA Channel 7, cited Linden’s 53-year history of delivering outstand-ing programs, jobs and services for people with disabilities, including Linden’s Vets Ready-2Work program that empowers veteran with disabilities to achieve and sustain meaningful employment. Cooper also noted the organization’s outstanding growth and stability, starting with 26 employees and $2,000 in revenue in 1959 to a company that today experiences revenue in excess of $10 million annually, employs more than 160 people with disabilities in AbilityOne® contracts and multiple commercial business lines and

provides 60-80 additional people with disabilities with job placement and other services each year.

Linden’s board chair, Jennifer Murphy, accepted the ABBIE remarking, “I accept this award on behalf of Linden Resources’ amazing clients, the people

with disabilities that we serve who want to work and feel empowered and demonstrate their deter-mination to deliver high quality services and products every single day. Linden Resources’ motto, and our goal, is to exceed expectations in everything we do–advancing our mission, supporting our clients

and delivering business services to our customers. Thank you for this award.”

On learning of the award, Linda Chandler, Linden Resources CEO stated, “We are so grateful to the Chamber for recognizing our impor-tant work in Arlington County providing critical jobs that empower people to achieve success in employ-

ment and gain greater self-suffi-ciency in their lives.”

Linden Resources, Inc., formerly SOC Enterprises, has commer-cial business operations in Print Services, Warehousing and Fulfill-ment, Secure Document Destruc-tion, Staffing and more with office locations in Arlington and Herndon, Virginia and Washing-ton, D.C. H

Gulf Coast Enterprises Is One of the Top Places to Work in the Tampa Bay Area

Gulf Coast Enterprises (GCE), an AbilityOne® agency headquartered in Pensacola, Fla., is among the “Top 75 Places to Work in Tampa Bay,” according to the Tampa Bay Times.

The newspaper annually publishes a “Top Places to Work” list. Employers are classified as large, midsize or small, depending on the number of people on their payrolls. GCE was ranked fifth among the top 25 businesses listed in the midsize category.

The rankings are based on surveys completed by nearly 23,000 people employed by more than 130 businesses in the Tampa Bay area. The results appeared in the newspa-per’s April 29 issue.

GCE has several contracts in the Tampa Bay region. They include custo-dial contracts at MacDill Air Force Base, the Hillsborough County Health Department and the V.A. Outpatient Clinic in New Port Richey. There is also a combination of food and custo-dial services at the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Clearwater.

GCE exists to deliver exceptional customer experiences while helping people overcome life’s challenges. Of the 1,700 persons on its payroll, 1,060 have significant disabilities. GCE is part of Lakeview Center Inc., northwest Florida’s largest provider of human services. H

skills acquired in the military. Nathan discussed working for PCSI on their Tinker Air Force Base contract and then being promoted to Quality Assurance Manager. Many individuals commented on Nathan’s speech as it truly displayed the positive success and purpose of the AbilityOne Program-not only the provision of goods and services but building integrity for service men and women through employ-ment opportunities.

The focus of the training sessions was to educate the attendees on the benefits of partnering with the AbilityOne Program and to clear up any misconceptions people may have had about the Program. Representatives from NISH and NIB collaborated on the training sessions which provided a seamless approach to building Program awareness. Bob Chamberlin, President and CEO of NISH and Scottie Knott, Chief Operating Officer, NIB joined Zeich on a senior leader panel to field questions from the contracting personnel. This session was received extremely well as it sparked great conversation and created a safe environment to discuss important topics and share best practices.

The day wrapped up with guided tours of local CRPs for interested attend-ees. This was a great opportunity for people to see first-hand individuals with disabilities in action. Goodwill Easter Seals of the Miami Valley, TAC Industries, Greene, Inc. and Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired all hosted tours at their facilities. This inaugural event has definitely paved the way for future collaboration and partnering activities. H

Wright-Patterson continued from page 16

NISH

WorkplaceNISH8401 Old Courthouse RoadVienna, VA 22182

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDReston, VA

Permit No. 84

NISH offers a wide range of training opportunities through the NISH Academy for Leadership, Performance & Development. For more information, to request a 2012 training calendar or to register for courses, please contact the NISH Training Team at 571/226-4660 or visit the NISH Web site at www.nish.org.

NISH MissionNISH creates employment opportunities for people with significant disabilities.

NISH Training Calendar

10, 11 Understanding and Preparing for DCAA Audits Chicago, IL

10, 11, 12 Proposal Development Strategies and Techniques Portland, OR

11, 12 Benefits Planning for Rehabilitation Professionals Working with Social Security Beneficiaries Salt Lake City, UT

17, 18, 19 Nonprofit Management Best Practices Norfolk, VA

18, 19 Assisting Supervisors with Creating a Quality Work Environment for People with Disabilities San Francisco, CA

18, 19 The Operations and Maintenance Competency Chicago, IL

24, 25 Contact Center Services Best Practices Framework Lansing, MI

24, 25, 26 Funding Mission Through Franchising: A Nonprofit Guide Vienna, VA

24, 25, 26 Introduction to Writing Federal Grant and Loan Proposals Seattle, WA

24, 25, 26 Federal Compliance Symposium Chicago, IL

25, 26 Grounds Maintenance: Best Practices, Estimating, Equipment Management, and Safety St. Louis, MO

31, August 1, 2

Systems Management for the Custodial Contractor Portland, OR

JULY