Previous Winners of the Edgar Award
2007 2008 2009 2010
2010 Honorees
Employee of the Year - Cabinet Secretary Dorian Dodson of the New Mexico Department of Children, Youth & Families
Ms. Dodson exemplifies a strong leadership and philosophy of caring for the needs of all New Mexicans, but most especially for children who are facing difficult situations. To protect the children, Secretary Dodson established the “Look for the STARS” program, which assesses the quality of the approximately 1,000 licensed child care programs statewide. Each program’s level of quality is now indicated on their child care license as a one-to-five stars rating system. Also in the area of child care, Secretary Dodson expanded child care assistance eligibility from 150% of the federal poverty level to 200%, so that more New Mexico parents could qualify for high quality early child care and education. In addition, she increased the number of foster homes available to New Mexico’s children, reducing the number of times children must be moved, and ensuring their safety. This reform item resulted in an increase in the number of foster homes in New Mexico from 940 to 1,100. For children and youth in correctional systems, Secretary Dodson facilitated the transformation of CYFD’s Juvenile Justice Services from a correctional to a rehabilitative model. The New Mexico model is based on a nationally recognized model that has resulted in improved safety in juvenile facilities and in improved transition readiness.
Volunteer of the Year – Greg Senn, Habitat for Humanity of Roosevelt & Curry Counties
Mr. Senn has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity in Portales, NM, since its inception in 1998. He provides leadership by serving on the Board, helping to build the seven homes they have constructed thus far, drawing on his knowledge as construction manager and securing tools and materials for the building projects. While Greg prefers not to be the person in charge, he is the dependable support person in all activities. Greg and another volunteer, Jon Gove, went online and found an inexpensive house trailer, then convinced the Board that it could be converted into the tool trailer and port-a-potty they needed at work sites. After getting the green light, Greg and Jon drove nearly all night to bring it back to Portales. Then they spent untold hours rebuilding it to their requirements, saving the organization much money in the process. Jon’s expertise as a plumber came in handy on that project, as it does on all the Habitat for Humanity projects. Greg and Jon are also involved in a program called “A Brush with Kindness,” for which they spend many hours helping to fix a porch, install plumbing, or install a wheelchair ramp for low-income, disabled or elderly homeowners.
Organization of the Year – Bernalillo County Council of PTAs Clothing Bank
This year, the Bernalillo County Council of PTAs Clothing Bank celebrates 60 years of helping Albuquerque Public School students acquire clothing, shoes, socks, undergarments and coats for school. It began when two mothers noticed students who needed clothing in good condition that fit in order to attend school without feeling self-conscious. They brought them gently used clothing from their own children’s closets. Before long all APS schools were participating and a central location was established. Over the years the number of students served and the cost has increased drastically. Today, over 3,000 students visit the clothing bank every year, referred discretely by teachers and social workers throughout APS. Upon arrival at the clothing bank, a student walks into a waiting room full of books, games, stuffed animals, toys and personal hygiene items. The child is permitted to take up to three books, a toy or stuffed animal and any personal hygiene items they might need. Once they are called to be seen, they are measured to ensure a good fit. They are given six pairs of socks and underwear in a plain brown paper sack to provide privacy when they return to school. They are escorted to the boy’s or girl’s room and allowed to choose items of clothing they would like to try on in the dressing rooms. Each child is given a minimum of two complete outfits and a new pair of shoes. The final step is picking out a coat or jacket depending on the season. In winter, gloves, hats and scarves are distributed. Every attempt is made to allow the students to choose what they take. The working principle is that basic needs must be met before a child can truly focus on school. The transformation of these children during the time they are visiting the clothing bank astounds the volunteers, employees and school staff every day.
Chairman’s Award – Paul Luttrell, Adelante Development Center
Mr. Luttrell has helped many individuals with disabilities earn their own paychecks, make their own choices and become more independent. He has invested over 30 years of working with people with disabilities, including 23 of those years with Adelante Development Center, where he has proven invaluable in its growth and impact. When the Jackson lawsuit closed institutions and released many persons with disabilities into communities across New Mexico, Paul developed an innovative program that helped 33 providers and agencies to find suitable employment for people with disabilities who had never had the experience of working and earning their own income. Paul has been instrumental in Adelante’s affirmative businesses and remains a strong advocate in creating job opportunities, including writing bids for and administering federal and local contracts that have resulted in hundreds of new jobs for people with disabilities statewide. He also started Adelante’s Employment Network under Social Security’s Ticket to Work Program, which has grown to be the largest in NM and which has helped many individuals with disabilities achieve employment. Recognized as an expert in supported employment, he has made presentations at local, state and national meetings, and serves on several boards.
Lifetime Achievement Award – Kay Osborn, APS/UNM Partnership Program
Ms. Osborn began teaching students with severe disabilities at an institution in Oklahoma. She moved to Farmington for her first full time teaching position at Tibbetts Junior High in a classroom with no desks or supplies, and eight severely disabled students. Her dedication became known and she was asked to teach a program for younger students at a local school. It is said that if the curriculum she needed was not there for her students, she would develop it, produce it or invent it. At this time, she started a Special Olympics program for San Juan County, taking her students to regional and international games and serving as a coach over the years. After moving to Albuquerque, she earned her M.A. in Special Education and served on the State Board for NM Special Olympics. In Albuquerque, she taught students with multiple disabilities at Albuquerque public elementary schools where she developed homework materials and activities for students with disabilities to share with parents. These materials were published by Edmark Publications, which requested more materials from her. She then developed several levels of the homework project and a series of illustrated short stories that she wrote to tie in to the Edmark Reading Program. She is currently working with Pro-Ed on a follow-up book on reading. In 2002, she received the Crystal Apple Award from then-Governor Gary Johnson. She began working as a Resource Teacher for the APS-UNM Partnership Program in Mental Retardation and Severe Disabilities where she trains the next generation of teachers. She has boundless energy, mentoring more than 50 new teachers and influencing the lives of over 500 APS students in just the last seven years. She continues her work on teaching reading to students with intellectual disabilities and interacting with University students and future teachers, who describe her as resourceful, generous, encouraging, wise and energetic. She believes that all students can learn if provided with appropriate instruction, and she insists that beginning teachers learn and implement best practices. She continues to lead by example.
Partnering Employer of the Year – Emergency Medical Transport
Emergency Medical Transport is a growing Albuquerque business that provides people with transportation to and from medical appointments. Regional Manager Steve Bellis and Manager Ray Sanchez have been partnering with Goodwill to add staff and expand their operations. They regularly take time to contact Goodwill’s job developers to communicate their employment needs. And they make sure to interview every referral Goodwill sends them for possible employment, which is not something every employer does. Currently, Emergency Medical Transport employs two Goodwill referrals as dispatchers, and has also hired Goodwill referrals as drivers. What makes EMT special is this: they understand that Goodwill’s referrals sometimes have issues due to their barriers, and they willingly accommodate them. They are patient and understanding, and willing to give people second chances. They will go the extra mile to retain an employee, like consulting with an employee’s DVR counselor to strategize solutions.
Shirley J. Herbert Award – Dwayne Bohannan
When Mr. Bohannan came to Goodwill, he had recently moved to New Mexico from Chicago and had no friends or family in Albuquerque. He had been searching for work with no luck and was now nearly homeless. His Goodwill job developer sent him to interview at Xentel, a customer service center. Xentel immediately hired him as a customer service representative. While Dwayne was delighted to have a job because he was now able to keep his apartment, he also knew there was a job out there better suited to his skills and desires. He contacted his job developer, who provided a new job lead, this time at the Better Business Bureau (BBB). On his next scheduled day off at Xentel, Dwayne applied for a sales position at the BBB. Over the next few weeks, however, Dwayne fell ill and spent two weeks in the hospital. As a result, he lost his job at Xentel and began to fall behind in his rent. The situation was getting desperate when suddenly Dwayne got a call from the BBB. They invited him to an interview and subsequently hired him. His job developer credits his great attitude, his perseverance and determination for his success.
Goodwill Employee of the Year – Lois Marek
Ms. Marek is the steel magnolia of Goodwill’s Finance Department. Described by her supervisor as one of the most warm, welcoming and helpful employees she encountered when first coming to Goodwill, Lois is also uncompromising when it comes to accuracy and excellence in her work. She is quiet but observant, and remarkable in her energy, persistence, and dedication – and in her adherence to Goodwill’s core values. In fact, those values describe Lois to a T: accountability, respect, integrity, excellence and empowerment. Lois has always been a mentor to many of the Goodwill staff. She is an unofficial trainer and provider of comfort and guidance. One of her greatest strengths is her common sense, which she delivers in her signature understated style. She remembers the exact date she began working at Goodwill. It was October 3rd, 1983, when she began administering government billings for Goodwill. In the 27 years she has worked at Goodwill, she also has worked as receptionist, answering phones and conducting client intakes for situational assessments and job placements. After 27 years, she is also a walking archive of Goodwill’s administrative and programming history. Her supervisor, Finance Director Roberta Velasquez, said recently about Lois, “She is the quiet, reassuring force behind the finance department. Her waters run deep and swift.”
2009 Honorees
Employee of the Year - Robin Carter, Adelante Development Center
Robin is a Program Manager at Adelante Development Center, a nonprofit agency that supports people with mental and physical disabilities. Robin has been with Adelante for 17 years, managing the Pathways program, a day program in Albuquerque which supports 43 people – some of the most severely disabled people in New Mexico. She knows each person and cares for them as though they were family. She is vigilant about their safety and health. In the field of disabilities, there are less and less people who choose this field of work (turnover is high, wages are low), but Robin has been serving for many years. She is a tireless trainer, sharing her skills with other staff members. Robin has a heart for service that extends beyond her work. She involves her staff members and all those participating in her program in a variety of community activities and volunteer service opportunities, including Meals on Wheels, pet therapy at a senior center, the VA hospital, and packing angel boxes for those in need. Robin Carter is a caregiver, trainer, supporter and friend who demonstrates the highest ideals in human services and has made the field of disabilities her life’s work, and passion.
Excutive of the Year- Lee Pattison, St. Martin's Hospitality Center
St. Martin’s is a well-known homeless day shelter and community behavioral health services agency specializing in treating the homeless and disenfranchised in Albuquerque. In the winter of 2003, the organization was in a very bad place. Its executive director was leaving, its financial situation was dire, employee morale was low, staff turnover was high and client service was suffering as a result. By spring, the agency had become a stressful place for all. Then Lee Pattison, the organization’s development director, applied for and got the directorship. Under his wise and caring leadership, the agency came back to life. Lee listened to staff, asked questions, adopted a new strategic plan, and hired competent people. He developed an outstanding management team that communicates and leads. He cut costs and waste and improved efficiency. He inspired collaboration and service, and focused on the strength that comes from diversity. He led by example and created a positive atmosphere. In describing their director, St. Martin’s staff uses phrases like “caring” “forward thinking” “really cares about people” “great listener” and “genuine, open-minded, resourceful and sincere.” Today, morale has improved and clients receive better care, while other agencies began again to regard St. Martin’s as a top-notch services agency – all because of an extraordinary individual who makes a difference in people’s lives every day.
Volunteer of the Year -Kim Covill, Monroe Middle School
In the summer of 2006, Kim Covill- a Spanish teacher at Monroe Middle School – volunteered to accompany a group of doctors to a clinic in rural Nicaragua. For 25 days, she served as a translator and volunteer for the medical staff under challenging conditions. During her stay, she visited one-room schools and was shocked at the lack of reading material, paper or pencils for the students. She learned that the children were fortunate if they attended two to three years of school, and many have basic reading skills but no access to books. The local teacher told her, “Estos ninos no tienen futuro.” “These children have no future.” The following year, Kim returned with 900 books to help rebuild a long-closed and neglected library in the town of Mulukuku. She trained two local women to manage the library, and she stocked it with puzzles, maps, paper and pencils. She rallied the help of American agencies that worked to improve health and education. She created her own nonprofit, “From Books to Brilliance,” to meet the needs of rural Nicaraguan communities, including creating a second library in Nicaragua in 2008. Today, teachers bring their students to these libraries. Back in Albuquerque, Kim’s Spanish students write and illustrate age-appropriate books in Spanish, which are then bound by a local publisher and sent to Nicaragua. Kim has also convinced All Saints Lutheran Church in Albuquerque to donate hundreds of reading glasses and many Albuquerque residents to donate books. She coordinates all of this while maintaining a full teaching load. Her dedication and vision have improved the futures of children in Nicaragua, and shown the citizens of two nations how it’s done.
Organization of the Year – The Storehouse
The Storehouse provides emergency food and clothing free to people struggling with poverty. It relies 100% on donations and volunteers to operate this "super-pantry" for the people of Albuquerque. It is the largest in NM, based on volume of food and the 17,000 families it serves every year. The Storehouse provided more than two million meals in 2008, up from 200,000 in 1999. Every year the organization collaborates with Clear Channel Radio and Big I 107.9 to hold "Thanksgiving on the Mayflower" with live radio broadcasts soliciting food donations to fill two Mayflower moving vans. The food is then distributed prior to Thanksgiving. A partnership with Albertson's ensures food does not go to waste at this large grocery chain. A partnership with the City of Albuquerque and PetCo Foundation ensures pet food is available for furry family members. This is not a place of hand outs. Persons who are willing to work in The Storehouse earn credits toward acquiring food and clothing. More than half of The Storehouse's customers are children, who accompany single parents, grandparents and guardians to The Storehouse. Simply put, The Storehouse understands what it means to really help.
Public Servant of the Year – Lou Helwig, NM Department of Veterans Services
For the past 16 years, Lou Helwig has dedicated himself to reaching out to veterans in need of services. As Director of Field Operations Director and Deputy Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services, he supervises 17 service officers in assisting veterans and their families with claims to access state and federal benefits. Under his leadership, the Field Operations Division had 26,000 appointments for processing claims for veterans benefits, and served over 50,000 vets. They also provided transportation to medical appointments for over 58,000 veterans. Because of Lou’s dedication to service, the NM Department of Veterans’ Services is consistently ranked nationwide among the top five agencies with regard to per capita compensation and pension, and in 2004, New Mexico was ranked number one nationwide for outstanding veterans benefits. In 2006, it ranked fourth. Sandwiched in between his years at the Veterans Services office were several years of working with AMVETS, another service agency that assists veterans. During this time, Lou received the first ever “National Service Officer of the Year” award in 2001. These achievements reveal a passion for championing the cause of the American veteran, and bringing relief for thousands of New Mexicans who deserve nothing but the best from a grateful nation
Chairman’s Award - JoAnn Albrecht, Habitat for Humanity
JoAnn Albrecht’s focus as a community leader is international in scope. She has served on boards of the American’ Women’s Club of the Philippines, the Jemez Valley Medical Clinic, the Amigos de las Americas, the Boy Scouts of America, the USA Girl Scouts Overseas, the American Red Cross, the Literacy Center of Albuquerque, the American Cancer Society, and the Greater Albuquerque Habitat for Humanity, where she has worked in a variety of capacities, including office worker, family advocate, land acquisition committee member, and board member. Habitat for Humanity builds homes for low income families. In 2002, a personal tragedy became the catalyst for meaningful change in her life. JoAnn’s son, Sam, died in an accident in Thailand. She was inspired to sponsor a habitat home in Albuquerque in his memory, organizing many family and friends to help construct the house with her. She then organized a Challenge House in which she encouraged members of the greater Albuquerque community to raise the funds and recruit the volunteers to build a second home. Three years later, she and another adult advisor created a youth initiative for Habitat for Humanity called Youth United. JoAnn worked with young people to raise enough money to build two homes in Albuquerque and two more in Tecate, Mexico. Like ripples in a pond, her gift of inspiring others goes beyond the benefit it brings to Habitat itself, or to the Habitat youth. It is a benefit to the entire community.
Advocate of the Year - Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry, Santa Fe
Ruth Hoffman advocates for those who otherwise are not heard in the halls of government on important issues facing New Mexicans. As Director of the Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-New Mexico, she engages lawmakers daily to support an aggressive agenda for victims of poverty, including affordable housing and homelessness, healthcare, nutritional assistance, family-sustaining income through several state and federal programs, tax policy that is fair and provides stable and adequate revenue to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, repealing capital punishment and increasing funding for services for families of murder victims, and supporting basic legal rights in domestic partnerships. Ruth is well known by nearly every elected official in Santa Fe. She has been instrumental in advocating for policies in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program. During the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, she played a major role in shaping the policies of the current act, advocating the adoption of policies that best serve low-income families with children. Ruth is a strong and dedicated voice speaking out for vulnerable and disadvantaged New Mexicans every day, and for that she is honored today.
Lifetime Achievement Award - Elaine Solimon, ARCA
Watching Elaine Solimon work with her staff is a lesson in leadership. Her depth of caring, compassion and willingness to shoulder the heaviest burdens with a deft touch and a loving smile has helped ARCA become what it is today: a well-managed and well-respected organization dedicated to providing premier community living and employment services to people with developmental disabilities. Ms. Solimon joined the ARCA staff more than 25 years ago as a group home counselor and social worker. In 1996, after working in numerous capacities at ARCA, she became its director. Since then, her visionary leadership has resulted in award-winning strategic planning, sound stewardship of funding and private and corporate donations, and the establishment of ARCA’s foundation. Today, ARCA’s 670 staff members and 55 volunteers serve 620 constituents at over 100 locations in the greater Albuquerque area. She also finds the time to collaborate with other nonprofits and to serve on community boards. She and her husband Ron are heavily involved in many community initiatives, and she is a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. In a direct-care industry that is known for its high rate of turnover, ARCA has maintained one of the lowest rates in the country. At ARCA’s 50th anniversary gala and later at the party for employees and clients, Ms. Solimon was recognized for her 25 years of service with a standing ovation from the hundreds in attendance for a job well done
Goodwill Graduate of the Year- Iver Hunt
Iver was enrolled in Goodwill’s Transitional Opportunities Program, which provides assistance in preparing individuals with disabilities for eventual community employment. TOP does this by teaching work behaviors in a “real” work setting. Iver’s work involved helping load and unload Goodwill trucks, and going on house calls to pick up large items. He also helped sort donated books. He did both jobs very well, but due to health issues, he intermittently had to cut hours or take a leave of absence to get well. At one point, he began a trial work experience at OGB Architectural Millwork, which makes cabinets and countertops in Albuquerque. He split his work hours between Goodwill and OGB, where he was allowed to do job sampling. This means he tried out different tasks to see what he was good at, and what he liked. After one leave of absence, he was delighted to learn that OGB called with a request for help. They wanted Iver back. He began working at OGB again, and after a few months, he transferred completely to OGB, leaving his Goodwill Transitional employment. Iver had graduated! Today, his duties are more complex, and range from janitorial work to sanding and forklift work. An unexpected benefit is the social growth he has achieved. Iver has made lifelong friends among the other workers at OGB, and now hangs with the guys at every opportunity, including Halloween parties and Saturday night fights.
Partnering Employer of the Year- Adrian Garcia and the Downtown Action Team
The Downtown Action Team is a non-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization fo Downtown Albuquerque as the best mid-sized Downtown in the USA. Its advocacy for Downtown puts good will ambassadors on the streets, provides maintenance, promotional programs and sponsors events, as well as fosters public and private cooperation for quality growth and investment in Downtown development. Adrian Garcia is the Operations Manager for the Downtown Action Team, and owner and operator of Elite Maintenance. Adrian works with Goodwill by hiring individuals trained and referred by Goodwill’s job developers. Adrian is very empathetic and invested in assisting Goodwill to maximize the success of its constituents. He always takes the time to interview all of the Goodwill referrals and then collaborates with the job developer on the status of the interview and areas that interviewees need to work on. He has gone so far as to give the job developer the interview questions ahead of time to prep the applicant for the interview. He is always very upbeat and open to helping us to “get people to work”! With the Downtown Action Team, Mr. Garcia truly believes in the Goodwill mission!
Shirley J. Herbert Achiever of the Year - Linda Joseph
Several years ago, Linda Joseph came to Goodwill as a referral for its Transitional Opportunities Program, which trains persons with disabilities in job skills and then finds them community-based jobs. When she first joined the program, Linda didn’t speak much and she wasn’t inspired to work. But after years of hard work and determination by Linda and her trainers, she made the leap from client trainee to permanent, full time employee at Goodwill in September of 2007. Today she commutes from Belen to her job helping maintain the store at Rio Bravo and Coors boulevards. Today she is friendly and open with customers and co-workers alike. Her co-workers respect her judgment and appreciate her upbeat attitude. She is willing to learn everything, from pairing shoes, rotating the book inventory, using the pricing gun, sorting jewelry, reporting safety hazards to processing donations. Once a year in April, Linda visits her ailing mother in Roswell to celebrate her birthday. Linda takes her to dinner and then shopping. She is proud that she is able to treat her mother because she is a full time member of the workforce.
2008 Honorees
2008 Employee of the Year - Linda Woods Fuller, St. Martin’s Hospitality Center
As Shelter Director at St. Martin’s Hospitality Center, Linda Fuller exemplifies hard work and dedication. Her typical 70-hour week includes work at St. Martin’s, the largest day shelter in New Mexico. At St. Martin’s, she ensures the shelter runs like clockwork to provide 300 to 400 persons a day with the basics, a shower, a hearty meal, clean clothes and the possibility of a job. She supervises a staff of 12 on a very tight budget. She is the queen of multi-tasking as she covers for absentee staff or vacancies, and works weekends to pick up donated food and buy supplies. She purchases food to serve along with donated food. She oversees major repairs of roof, restrooms, appliances, shower stations and kitchen. She supervises five jobs programs, including recycling work and the city’s “War on Weeds” program. Due to budget constraints, sweets are not abundant at St. Martin’s kitchen, so Linda provides home-baked cakes and cookies from her personal resources. She has even been known to take six or more turkeys home to cook for the following week’s meals. Linda also maintains working relationships with community agencies, speaks at events on St. Martin’s behalf, and knows most of St. Martin’s clients. How does Linda feel about all this work? “This is the job of my dreams,” she said. “This is my Disneyland. I’m just so proud to be a part of it.” Linda reminds her staff of their mission to end homelessness one person at a time, serving them with care, compassion and respect. Her career spans work with Career Services, APS’s CESS Program, Albuquerque Rescue Mission, Rescare New Mexico and Safe House.
2008 Executive of the Year - Elizabeth Simpson, Crossroads for Women
Ms. Simpson founded Crossroads for Women in 2001 to help incarcerated women make the transition back into society. “Beginning a new life after incarceration is a formidable task,” she wrote. “The need to navigate multiple systems that provide fragmented services can make reintegration difficult, if not impossible. Many of the systems intended to assist individuals to get back on their feet exclude those with criminal records.” At Crossroads, located in Albuquerque, women may access intensive case management, transportation, mental health treatment, life skills education, substance abuse treatment, vocational assistance, family reunification, holistic health services, peer led activities, social skill building, assistance accessing health services and a transitional living facility. Ms. Simpson is a Harvard-educated civil rights lawyer who was inspired to open Crossroads after many years of representing women coming from the streets or unstable environments who cycled in and out of jail and prison for low-level crimes. Her work represents the principles of social and racial justice and empowerment of women and disadvantaged individuals.
2008 Volunteer of the Year –Hank Kammeraad
A retired engineer, Hank Kammaraad has been a God-send to the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry in Roswell. This organization provides supplemental groceries to 60 needy families in Dexter, Hagerman and Lake Arthur, NM (the lower Pecos Valley). The overwhelming need forced organizers to expand from two rooms in a church to a separate building. Hank jumped in and began rounding up donors to finance the purchase of the 100-year-old building. Then, driving a 50-mile round trip almost every day, he spent hours gutting the building, repairing the roof, and, with meticulous draftsman skills, designing a floor plan, gathering supplies and constructing the new pantry. He also works to build homes for very needy people in Mexico through Casas por Christo, making sure they are built right. His structures of cement, insulation, sheetrock and electricity replace the pallet homes covered with cardboard and felt paper. Hank has made numerous trips to Mexico for this purpose. He is also involved in his church, and serves on the board of a local teen center for which he raised funds and renovated a downtown building in Dexter to hold much-needed after school programming, and a safe place for youth to go. He led the youth in renovating the structure with him, giving them a sense of purpose in the process. For his vision, commitment and motivation, Hank has been called “the backbone that holds the Valley communities together.”
2008 Organization of the Year – Brothers & Sisters in Stitches, a Partnership of Volunteers
This group is dedicated to providing handmade quilts, throws, cozies, walker caddies, afghans, tote bags and pillows for comfort and solace. In 2003, Bettie Hughes of Roswell organized a number of church-based quilting groups and other organizations in the Roswell area for a larger purpose. The volunteer organization provides comfort quilts, lap robes and other handmade items to area nursing home residents. Other beneficiaries include the Ronald McDonald House Charities, Rivers of Life Outreach Center, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Lend-a-Hand, the Assurance Home/James Ranch (a runaway youth shelter) and many advocate agencies and homeless aid groups. Annually, nonprofit agencies tell the Brothers & Sisters in Stitches partnership what they need, and then everyone shares materials and resources to fulfill those needs. At Christmas 2007, the partnership provided over 700 gifts. One 86-year-old woman regularly creates layettes for the NM Health Department's Maternal Child Care Program. Abandoned, abused and/or neglected children in the CASA program find solace in handmade quilts. Some stitchers pray as they make the quilts, and social service workers at CASA tell of the peacefulness that comes over distressed children or “meth babies” when wrapped in a new quilt. Staff at a shelter for runaway youth reported the only thing taken when a youth ran away from the shelter was a quilt from Brothers & Sisters in Stitches. Another partner, the all-male Quilt Techs at the Lea County Correctional Center in Hobbs, provides lap robes for senior care centers. For all involved, the handcrafted items are an expression of love and comfort.
2008 Legislator of the Year – Edward C. Sandoval, State Representative, District 17
Through Representative Sandoval’s leadership, organizations throughout New Mexico have made significant advances in improving employment opportunities and expanding community living services, state of the art technology and transportation options for persons with developmental disabilities. This has resulted in profound improvements in the lives of New Mexicans with disabilities, children in need, people with mental health concerns and the elderly. Rep. Sandoval has served in the NM House of Representatives since 1983, with previous service in the State Senate. He has chaired or served on numerous critical human service committees, and sponsored significant legislation. He was responsible for passage of Mental Health Parity legislation, mandating mental health coverage by health insurers. He sponsored legislation implementing the NM State Use Act, which will help affirmative businesses employing people with disabilities to find and win state contracts for services. In 2008, he sponsored HB449 to support employment opportunities for disabled persons. He has sponsored funding for capital projects for many social service agencies, which would not have been possible without his support. Elaine Solimon, Executive Director of ARCA, wrote, “He has a tender spirit and each interaction with [him] underscores his compassion for critical human needs in our great state.” ARCA, Adelante Development Center and the Assn. of Developmental Disability Community Providers (ADDCP) joined to nominate Representative Sandoval for this award.
2008 Chairman’s Award - Al Friedman, Adelante Development Center
Al Friedman began working for Adelante Development Center in 1980 when the agency was two years old. Over the next 27 years, he was the person who welcomed literally hundreds of people with disabilities to the agency. It was his wife, Casilda Pardo, who suggested the name “Adelante” for the agency, feeling that the word, which means “forward” in Spanish, best reflected the agency's goal of helping people move beyond the stereotype of disability. Al is respected statewide for his encyclopedic knowledge of disability resources; a colleague wrote “most moments with Al are teaching moments.” As case manager and advocate for families and clients he has been an inspiring supporter of individual rights, giving many memorable talks on advocacy and respect; and has trained over 90% of Adelante's new staff members. Al has served as a role model and mentor to dozens of other professionals, instilling a sense of responsibility to the trust families place in them every day. He also has served as Adelante’s liaison with other agencies. Policy makers, provider agencies, families, advocates and clients all seek his opinions and ideas. Al will retire in March 2008. The high regard in which he is held by the entire social service community is evidence that Al has come to represent the heart of Adelante.
2008 Advocate of the Year –Patricia Harris, Santa Ana Star Casino
Patricia Harris has been Director of Human Resources for the Santa Ana Star Casino for the past four years, and worked for the Pueblo of Santa Ana for a total of six years. She was part of the management team that brought the operation to its current success, including the casino being named among the top “Best Places to Work” for two years by New Mexico Business Weekly as voted by employees. Ms. Harris has advocated for the Casino to employ people with disabilities, working through three vocational training programs at the Pueblo and in Rio Rancho to do so. Ms. Harris has educated staff and employees in treating their disabled colleagues with respect and dignity, and emphasizing similarities instead of differences, and on acceptable work alternatives for persons with disabilities. She also implemented programs for all casino employees, including the Shining Star program to provide employees the chance to provide positive feedback about peers. There are currently over a hundred pieces of positive feedback given out monthly through the program. She and her husband provide foster care to three boys who are brothers while caring for their two biological daughters, and her family is currently preparing to adopt a son. She advocates for easing the burden on older adults providing child care in their senior years and for younger parents to learn parenting skills and accept the responsibilities of caring for their own children.
2008 Lifetime Achievement Award – Senator Pete V. Domenici
During his decades of service, Senator Domenici has become a nationally-recognized advocate for the mentally ill by successfully promoting mental health parity, increasing funding for cutting edge mental health research, erasing the stigma surrounding mental illness and increasing funding for those in prison or homeless suffering from a mental illness. In 1996, Domenici, with the late Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.), wrote and won enactment of the first national Mental Health Parity Act, beginning the process to end the long-held practice of providing less insurance coverage for mental illnesses than that for physical ailments. He continues that effort today, working with Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) on new bipartisan Mental Health Parity legislation to improve access to care for the mentally ill. Because many of our homeless also suffer from a serious mental illness, the Senator wrote legislation that created the highly successful Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) Program. The PATH program provides community support services to persons with severe mental illnesses who also are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Cutting-edge research is critical to obtaining a better understanding of mental illnesses and Senator Domenici has been a leading advocate for New Mexico's own Mental Illness and Neuroscience Discovery (MIND) Institute in Albuquerque. MIND is a collaboration of three national centers of excellence in functional brain imaging, each with proven capabilities in state-of-the-art imaging technologies. The centers combine strengths of multiple research operations, including: New Mexico—UNM, the VA Medical Center, Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories; Massachusetts—Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School; and Minnesota—Brain Sciences Center at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center and the University of Minnesota's Center for Magnetic Resonance Research. Senator Domenici has come to the aid of many New Mexico nonprofit organizations that serve persons with disabilities. In 2004, he helped Goodwill acquire a HUD renovation grant to make much needed improvements to its statewide headquarters. The grant helped Goodwill improve its program outcomes and outreach with new facilities in Gallup, Roswell, Clovis and, in 2008, Farmington.
2008 Graduate of the Year – Bobby Lewis
When Bobby Lewis entered Goodwill’s Situational Assessment Program in April 2006, he had not been employed for many months due to dire life circumstances. (S/A is a 90-day course of on-site training for those who have been out of the workforce for a long period of time, or have never worked or have trouble keeping a job. Clients participate in a real work setting where a supported employment team monitors their work skills and abilities, and helps them develop an employment plan.) Bobby quickly completed the S/A program and, encouraged by his success, applied for and got a full time position as a Goodwill donation processor. With his strong work ethic and focus on teamwork, he quickly became a role model for fellow employees. By November 2007, he was promoted to Team Lead, a supervisory position responsible for 12 employees, including training all new processors, reviewing donations for quality, pricing merchandise and ensuring the retail floor is stocked. Bobby looks for ways to support each employee on his team and is well-liked and respected by fellow employees. He is currently involved in a new Partnership/Mentoring Program which assists him in mentoring new employees through their training process. As Team Lead, Bobby has remained focused, diligent, positive and ready to do his job with excellence. His motto is “Embrace Life. Have confidence in yourself. Take action.”
2008 Partnering Employer of the Year – Sunflower Farmers Market
“Very gracious” is the word Goodwill staff most use in describing the progressive managers at the Sunflower Farmers Markets in Albuquerque and Corrales. Both Sunflower Farmers Markets have hired Goodwill clients with fairly substantial developmental disabilities, and then paved the way for them to succeed as employees. One client has worked at Sunflower Farmers Market for eight months, an accomplishment facilitated both by Sunflower staff and Goodwill’s intensive one-on-one job coaching. The company’s staff continuously and cheerfully gives its time whenever asked. Sunflower Farmers Market is a rapidly-growing chain of full-service grocery stores offering consumers the highest quality natural and organic products at affordable prices. Founded in 2002, it is a pioneer in promoting natural and healthy lifestyles, as the supermarket is focused on the flourishing natural and organic foods industry. The company has retail stores in four states. Also setting Sunflower Farmers Market apart is its passion for healthy living, which is promoted in health and wellness education lectures and workshops. Natural food experts often host free in-store seminars, free chiropractic screenings, women’s health lectures, wellness workshops, vitamin education, stress workshops and much more that isn’t offered at a typical grocery store. When hiring, Sunflower Farmers Market supports those who have the skills, motivation, and dedication to succeed.
2008 Shirley J. Herbert Achiever of the Year - Michael Bagnall
Mr. Bagnall had stopped in Albuquerque on his way to California when he was arrested for sitting in the passenger’s side of his own car in a public parking lot, intoxicated. His car and possessions were impounded while he served part of a 90-day sentence. Mr. Bagnall holds a Ph.D. with honors in civil engineering from Trinity College in Dublin. He has over 25 years experience in the construction and development industry, and he is also an actor with film credits. The court dropped the charges but kept his car and possessions, so Mr. Bagnall became homeless in a heartbeat. It was a difficult time for him but in November 2007, he found his way to Goodwill’s Pathways Program as a referral from Albuquerque Healthcare for the Homeless. Pathways staff found him a minor speaking role in a movie shooting in New Mexico while the search continued for permanent work. In January 2008, Michael broke a Pathways record for income when he landed a job as a Project Engineer with Flintco Construction, a large Native American-owned company. He began work in 2008 and stayed in a hotel until his first paycheck came through. In the meantime, a heart condition has inspired him to abstain from drinking.
2007 Honorees
2007 Human Services Executive of the Year – Jenny Martinez has been instrumental in changing the way we do business and provide services for senior citizens in New Mexico. Ms. Martinez started out as a high school dropout, driving a senior citizen van in Tucumcari. Her natural drive and intelligence led her to complete an associate’s degree, and move on to run the Tucumcari program. She later moved to Santa Fe and joined the staff of the Non-Metro Area Agency on Aging (NMAAA). Today she is its Director, overseeing services in 32 of 33 counties in New Mexico. In her years at NMAAA, she has worked to create more and better choices for senior citizens, to reduce the paperwork burden on those who serve seniors, and to increase our accountability to funders. Seeking to be more cost effective, flexible and responsive to the needs of seniors, she sought expert assistance from other states and inspired her providers to believe in her vision. She persuaded the different NMAAA regional offices to unite into one statewide organization. She worked with them to develop and support a single, statewide, consolidated legislative request for both capital projects and operational funding. She inspired more than 90% of the providers to elect to change to a new system of reimbursement from grant-based funding to a unit of service purchasing system. She further freed the program providers from computer data collection and budget reporting so they could spend more time serving seniors. Ms. Martinez did all this from the bottom up, exhibiting natural leadership and a genuine interest in improving services to seniors throughout New Mexico.
2007 Human Services Employee of the Year – As ARCA’s Community Services Director, Edward J. Kaul champions the well-being of children and adults with developmental disabilities. Mr. Kaul joined the ARCA staff 25 years ago as a direct support professional and has evolved into a leader in developmental disabilities services, a mentor, teacher, and community leader. His influence is immediate, personal, supportive and contagious. At ARCA, he is on call 24 hours a day, nearly 365 days a year. He mentors ARCA clients by having lunch, making visits, or phone conversations, always teaching life skills that make a difference in their short term or long term quality of life. During the recent snow storm, he spent countless hours transporting ARCA employees to their job sites and shoveling walkways of people with disabilities to ensure their comfort and safety. In the community, he advised the Albuquerque Opportunity Center on starting a shelter for the homeless and served as a Board member. He contributes financially to eight local charities, and is active in his neighborhood association, NM Massage Therapy Board of Licensing, Special Olympics, Civitans and get-out-the-vote initiatives. Mr. Kaul is a former VISTA volunteer.
2007 Human Service Volunteer of the Year – Melanie Pendergast has served in a leadership role on the Board of S.A.F.E. House New Mexico (the battered women’s shelter) after joining just as the agency was undergoing serious fiscal and leadership upheaval. She was the single member of that original Board who stayed and became a leader and role model in the agency’s reorganization and ultimate success. Her steady, thoughtful and conscientious leadership has set the standard for the current Board; her clarity of vision and forward focus has been invaluable to the agency. She has been a strong advocate for valuing the voices of the S.A.F.E. House staff. She led the agency in its first strategic planning effort in many years. New Mexico ranks near the bottom of U.S. states in protecting the abused and prosecuting the abuser. S.A.F.E. House and survivors of domestic violence have found greater hope, more self-reliance and a brighter future because of Ms. Pendergast’s leadership.
2007 Human Service Legislator of the Year – City Councilor Debbie O’Malley has successfully championed affordable housing for low income residents of Albuquerque. She sponsored the City’s recently adopted Workforce Housing Act, a breakthrough piece of legislation that creates a trust fund of $30 million to be used for affordable housing for the city’s most needy residents. The legislation guarantees that an affordable home or apartment will remain affordable and that the neediest will benefit from this effort. Councilor O’Malley also led the way in transforming the Sawmill Neighborhood from a deteriorating neighborhood to a model for citizen-driven development of permanently affordable housing on trust land, park and open space improvements, and a new, affordable senior housing project. When built out, the development will have 199 safe, well constructed permanently affordable housing units. She also has worked to ensure that a significant amount of affordable housing is included in the Mesa del Sol development so that mixed-income housing in the downtown redevelopment reaches those in greatest need. She helped preserve affordable housing for the remaining residents of the Del Rey Mobile Home Park, and provided additional protections for residents in mobile home parks proposed for gentrification. She set new quality standards for design and construction of affordable housing. She has been instrumental in providing funds to the Albuquerque Opportunity Center.
2007 Lifetime Achievement Award – Michael Grange has worked as a special education professional at the Albuquerque Public Schools for 30 years, providing vision, service, mentorship, leadership and creative programming. He could have retired years ago but he continues to passionately and creatively support young adults with disabilities. Mr. Grange began his career in a Department of Defense School in Germany as an Educational Assistant in a Preschool Special Education program. He moved to Albuquerque and earned an MA in Special Education at UNM. He taught at Casa Angelica, Atrisco Elementary and Valley High Schools. He then became a transition teacher for APS’s district-wide supported employment program, which he and his fellow teachers evolved into the ACCESS Program for students aged 18-21 who needed a bridge from high school to the community after graduation. ACCESS was only the second program of its kind in the nation at the time, and it is now nationally recognized and has served as a model throughout New Mexico. Mr. Grange also provides case management to students at APS while establishing an open door policy for all. He is driven by a strong work ethic and a genuine concern for others, and the community has been greatly enriched by his presence.
2007 Goodwill Graduate of the Year – Steven Torres is the winner for outstanding graduate of Goodwill’s Workforce Development Program, which provides job training and placement to people with barriers to employment. Mr. Torres came to Goodwill with a learning disability and was placed as a dining room attendant at What-A-Burger. He has flourished in this job for four years, largely due to his outstanding work ethic and inspiring attitude. He is admired by both co-workers and supervisory staff. His manager describes him as a valuable employee who cares about others. Mr. Torres enjoys meeting new people and making them smile, and he will also reach out to help everyone have a good day. He will cheer up a co-worker by buying her a snack. He will remind another co-worker not to miss his SunVan ride. Mr. Torres is active in his church.
2007 Goodwill Partnering Employer of the Year – The Albuquerque Publishing Company has positively changing the lives of Goodwill clients by providing them with employment, training and advancement opportunities. In doing so, the Albuquerque Publishing Company staff , under the leadership of Human Resource Manager Stacey Nash, have provided Goodwill clients with the opportunity to be more independent, create self-confidence and build a new future. The company has successfully placed wheelchair users and individuals with cognitive learning issues and blindness. They have taken a chance on people with minimal work histories, and people who need the assistance and support of a Goodwill Job Coach throughout their shifts. These positions include newspaper inserters and various other news room staff. Prior to her work at the company, Ms. Nash worked for the State, advocating for youth and adults with disabilities. She was involved in the Employment Disability Group and is President Elect of the Human Resources Management Association of New Mexico. She established the first gender-based rehabilitation of incarcerated girls and continues to be active with the Department of Corrections to assist in employing felons upon their release.
2007 Shirley J. Herbert Achiever of the Year – Named after one of Goodwill’s most valued employees, this award honors a Goodwill client who has achieved his/her vocational goals with distinction. Christopher Moore has shown enthusiasm, professionalism and tenacity in pursing a career. Despite his struggle with Attention Deficit Disorder and Asperger Syndrome, he is a man of determination. He knew he wanted to work in security, but he was too young when he came to Goodwill’s Workforce Development Program in January 2006. So he and his Goodwill job developer waited until July 2006, when he turned 21, before seeking a position. The position came from Miracle Armored Delivery. Mr. Moore threw himself into his work with much enthusiasm and desire to learn. He arrived early every day and put in 60-hour work weeks. His supervisor was so impressed with his performance that he recommended him to the El Paso office of Miracle Armored Delivery where they needed help for a few days. Mr. Moore was flown to El Paso and impressed the staff with his professionalism and dedication. He was made the permanent go-to employee for enhancing El Paso’s staff as needed. In addition, Mr. Moore had to qualify with a firearm as part of his position. He was nervous, but he stayed focused and qualified.
