Customized Training: Developing a Toolkit

Sandy works for the Human Development Institute at the University of Kentucky where she coordinates activities, develops training materials, and presentations for the national RSA grant Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center on Quality Employment (VRTAC-QE). Sandy has worked in the field of education, quickly shifting to the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, where she worked as an Employment Specialist, Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, and state Administrator of the Community Work Transition Program (CWTP). Sandy has a bachelor’s degree in business & marketing education, master’s degree in special education from Eastern Kentucky University, and a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Kentucky. Sandy’s personal and professional passion is furthering the mission of people with disabilities in the attainment of quality of life and employment.

Pennie started her career in employment services as a Workforce Development Specialist serving adults and dislocated workers during the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and then WIA. She then served as a Program Coordinator assisting older workers and people with disabilities. Pennie believes she was “called” to serve as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor where she happily served for 14+ years in both rural and metro counties in Oregon. Now, as a Program Analyst, Pennie develops policy and procedures for Supported Employment and Self-Employment. She is also a Statewide Coordinator for Project Search. Pennie enjoys watching YouTube videos about self-employment in her spare time. She loves being a part of a person’s journey towards achieving their employment goals.

Angela has worked as a business account manager with Nebraska VR for the last 9 years and a combined total of 17 years of experience in human services. As a business account manager, she works with local business to learn more about hiring practices, job requirements, overall employment culture and labor market information. This helps her team as they are working with their students and adult job seekers in employment planning. Angela is also active in setting up business tours for her team, work experiences for students and adult job seekers and presenting to businesses on disability inclusion. Angela is active in her local chamber and is a certified windmills trainer.

Laura works with the State of Connecticut Department of Aging and Disability Services, Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, and she has over 15 years of experience in disability inclusion. She started in special education focusing on transition programing, then moved to vocational counseling and currently collaborates with businesses to enhance services for individuals with disabilities. Laura's main focus lies in nurturing business relationships, understanding their workforce requirements, and working together on solutions to help businesses grasp the potential talent individuals with disabilities bring to the workforce. Laura holds a master's degree in special education, a certificate in professional counseling, is a certified Windmills Trainer and is involved in several workforce development committees and work groups.

Andrzej's career working with job seekers with disabilities began in an educational setting before moving to a VR-contracted service provider focused on supported employment. He performed all associated roles, including conducting community-based assessments, providing on-the-job supports, job development, benefits counseling, and leadership. Andrzej subsequently spent 4 years working for an organization that primarily served job seekers with other employment barriers than disability. During this time, he transitioned from Job Development to Quality Assurance and Improvement, as well as Training Coordination. He worked as Program Development Specialist with WI DVR from 2019-2023. During that time, in addition to revising the technical specifications, reports, and fees, he dedicated his efforts to evaluating Pre-ETS summer programming, the roll out of Explore Work and a redeployment of Partners with Business, as well as other Program Evaluation and Quality Assurance activities. He now serves as DVR's Supported Employment Program and Policy Analyst. He is most satisfied when supporting efforts to improve services for consumers.