Ahmed Gonzalez (pictured below with his Employment Specialist Marielena Behnken) was named Employee of the Year at CAREERS 36th Anniversary Celebration. We were delighted to honor more than 100 clients for their hard work and recognize employers, sponsors and donors for their loyal support.
“We are so proud to celebrate 36 years of changing the lives of individuals with disabilities,” CAREERS Executive Director Tina Cornish-Lauria said. “Our personalized programs offer a unique combination of training and support that is effective in helping our clients remain successfully employed,” she added.
PepsiCo EnAble was the Premier Sponsor of the event for the 19th consecutive year and KTS Pooled Trust returned as Supreme Sponsor. Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano were back as a Major Sponsor and Curry Automotive returned as a Supporting Sponsor. Contributing Sponsors include: Amler Associates, Croonquist Group, Cuddy Law Firm, Hart Vida & Partners, James Quinn Painting, Karen Brown, Kitson Law Firm, LEXCO Wealth Management, New York-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital, ShopRite Supermarkets, Unitex Textile Rental Services and ZenBusiness.
New York State Senator Pete Harckham received an Award of Appreciation for his advocacy and support of programs for people with disabilities. He is well-known for his efforts to ensure inclusivity in the workplace, in schools, and elsewhere.
Ahmed Gonzalez, who works at Tops Friendly Market in Carmel, was named Employee of the Year for his perseverance and amazing work ethic and Tops was also named Employer of the Year for its commitment to including people with disabilities in its workforce. CJ Wichtendahl, store manager of CVS in Carmel, was named Supervisor of the Year for inspiring our interns and staff with his patience and kindness.
CAREER client honorees include Liam Tannian, Shining Star Award; William Paget, Rock Star Award; Michael Moreira, Service With a Smile Award; Scott Meyerson, Retirement Honoree; and Alex D’Agnese, Ina Fay, Kelly Galvin and Sho Tanaka all received Personal Achievement Awards.
The Greenburgh Nature Center received the Outstanding Intern Support Award for their inclusive programs and Outstanding Program Support Awards went to Five Below in Mohegan Lake and Spectrum Designs in Pleasantville.
Outstanding Volunteer Awards were given to Alex McManus and Toni Von Elm in recognition of their hard work at the CAREERS Thrift Shop located in Carmel.
View Award Winners Slide Show: (hover over image to read caption)
