2009 Board Elections

Please check the boxes of 4 candidates you would like to see serve on your APSE-MO board for the September 2009 - August 2012 term. Must be returned by July 31, 2009.

Nominee Organization Location

*Lori Pace Arc of the Ozark/Employment Solutions Springfield, MO

*Charles “Chaz” Nickolaus MO Planning Council for DD Jefferson City, MO

Jane Chickey Maritz, Inc St. Louis, MO

Shari Fleshman MO Head Start Blue Springs, MO

Barb Hoelzer MO Division of Vocational Rehabilitation St. Louis, MO

Jessica Boffa Act Career Services Columbia, MO

Brian Garms DMH – Division of Developmental Disabilities St. Charles, MO

See individual Bios listed below.

*APSE-MO board members up for re-election with terms ending in August 2009.

Each nominee will be contacted with the results by August 1st and the newly elected members will be announced at the Annual Employment Summit luncheon August 6th.

Please return your completed ballot to Darla Wilkerson at [email protected] or mail to 821 E. Admiral Blvd. KCMO 64106 no later than July 31, 2009. Candidates: Lori Pace – (Current APSE-MO President)

I began working for The Arc of the Ozarks in Springfield, MO in September of 1998. I started out as an Employment Assessor. After 6 months, we restructured the Supported Employment Department and I moved into the role of an Employment Training Specialist, completing assessments, job development, and job coaching. In the spring of 2001, I was promoted to Director of the Supported Employment Program. I continued to work 1:1 with individuals in the career planning process, as well as oversee the program, which serves approximately 100 people.

In August of 2005, I joined APSE hoping to stay up to date with the latest trends in Supported Employment and to improve my peer network. In October of 2005, I joined the APSE-MO Board. I was the board Secretary from August 2006-June 2008. At that time, both the President and President-Elect had resigned from the board and I filled in as the acting President until I was elected for the 2008-2009 year. If re-elected to the board, I am slated to fulfill the 2 year Presidency for 2009-2010.

My interest in being re-elected to the board is due to the fact that I believe APSE- MO has positioned itself as the primary advocate for equal employment of all individuals, regardless of disability. I believe that everyone should work and be paid equally. It is for this reason that I am committed to advocating for changes in legislation, with employers, and in providing state of the art training for support staff on best practices.

I believe that I can bring many things to the board. I am very organized, have made many connections across the state, and have the ability to articulate the need to improve employment options and services. If elected to the board, I will utilize these strengths to further APSE-MO’s mission “To promote mutually beneficial relationships by supporting the employment of all persons with disabilities in jobs and careers of their choice.” Thank you for your consideration.

Chaz Nickolaus (Current APSE-MO President Elect) I have worked in a number of settings from the assistant manager of a sheltered work shop in the late 70’s to my current position with the Missouri Planning Council for Developmental Disabilities. In my current position which I have had for over 3 years, I am the staff for the Employment and Transportation Committee. I also previously worked for the Department of Mental Health, In the Comprehensive Psychiatric services Division for over 20 years and 14 of those in a Community based program. APSE is the primer organization both nationally and locally for advocating for the Employment of Persons with disabilities, I have served on the APSE board for 3 years and am currently the President elect. I have the experience and passion to continue to move Missouri APSE forward it its goal to helping all people find and keep a job of their choosing.

Jane Chickey I have been with Maritz, Inc for 26 years. During my tenure I have supervised from one to dozens of employees at any given time, including interviewing, hiring, evaluation and dismissal responsibilities.

While I have no direct experience solely in “employment services,” I understand the importance of mapping the right person with the right skills to the right job. I do believe there is the right job out there for every person. No everyone will excel at every task. Someone very skilled in analytical and logical processes may not have a strength in interpersonal communication skills. And that’s okay, because there are others who do not excel in the analytical but are terrific at communication and customer service. Find the passion and play to that strength!

Within my tenure at Maritz I have moved from an entry-level clerical position to Group Director. My early years at Maritz were in Business Administration processes and for the last ten years I’ve been leading and IT group. While I have no education in software languages and programming, I am able to bring business-requirements to the table, and put technical “speak” into business-understandable terms. I’ve had the opportunity to manage multi-million dollar books of business and work with employees from entry-level staff through Sr. Management, both at Maritz and within our client organizations. Responsibilities have included proposal preparation, costing and pricing of work, and extensive coordination and organization.

I am a strong leader and make decisions decisively and thrive under pressure.

I am organized and thorough. I tend to gather information, analyze it and make informed decisions. I am not afraid to make decisions and hold firm on unpopular topics if it’s the right thing to do.

I am strongly interested in the employment of individuals with disabilities. I believe there is a job out there for most everyone and that prejudices will be broken down only if we integrate everyone in community to demonstrate each members worth.

Selfishly, I have a 14 year old son who suffered a prolonged seizure at the age of 3 which left him with permanent brain injury. Through his education I have met and befriended many other families and individuals with disabilities. I feel I have a responsibility as a parent and friend to make sure our kiddos receive all of the opportunities they can. I do not want to sit back and assume others are “taking care of it.” I am a person of action. I’m a fun person. I have a can-do attitude. I am a hard worker! I have a large network of parents and individuals with disabilities to draw upon for perspective and needs.

I can bring a different point of view to the board than strictly an employment services frame of mind.

I am a leader. Aside from my employment leadership experience, I have also…

o served as the leader of the Lindbergh School District Parent Advisory Council (L-PAC).

o attended the Special Education Foundation Parent Leadership Institute training.

o graduated from the CORO Women in Leadership series, nominated and sponsored by Maritz Sr. Management

o participated in the Maritz Accelerated Institute for Management Studies

o been selected as a YWCA Woman of Distinction by Maritz Sr. Management

o selected and participated in Maritz Vanguard leadership development program

Additional community involvement/volunteer experience (past and present)… o Team Activities for Special Kids (TASK) -- Kids Club Organizer & Operator

o Equine Assisted Therapy -- Fundraising committee support

o Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital -- Golf Tourny Fundraiser Committee Member

Shari Fleshman I have many years experience advocating for individuals with special needs.

I began working in a residential facility for adults with disabilities in 1980. I began as a night aide and progressed to a Teaching Counselor. In addition to the daily living and community integration supports they needed, I advocated for them in their positions in the sheltered workshops. Later I transitioned to Residential Manager where I supported individuals in their own apartments. Many of these individuals were competitively employed and much of my work was in helping them obtain or maintain employment. In 1999, I began working for Head Start . In the positions I held there, I advocated for children and families with special needs. Most of my work was in supporting the children with disabilities or mental health issues. However, some of that also included supporting parents with special needs as well.

In 2005 I began working as a specialist for the training and technical assistance team supporting Head Start programs in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri. Much of my work was training staff of Head Start how to support families with special needs. This often includes adults with special needs.

In 2008 I transitioned to Project Manager for the new Head Start State Based TTA team. Our work includes collaborating with other early childhood communities to support the children and families of Head Start, training Head Start staff, and this includes working with higher education and the community providers to help them understand the special needs of Head Start staff and families.

In addition to my work experiences, my husband and I have adopted 5 children with special needs and advocacy for them continues on a daily basis. The oldest is almost 14, it’s just a matter of time when we will begin working on employment supports for him.

I am excited about the opportunity to be able to make a bigger impact in the lives of individuals with special needs. I also am excited to be a part of a state based governing board, one I could be active in outside of my current role with early childhood yet still advocating for individuals with special needs. I would love the opportunity to enhance my professional development while continuing to use my previous experiences and passions to advocate for others.

I believe I would bring over 30 years experience advocating for children and families with special needs. My experience encompasses a variety of settings, (residential, day programs, sheltered workshops, supported employment, competitive employment, and early childhood programs.) I believe I would bring my passion for advocating for those with special needs brought on by not only working in the special needs environments but also in living in them.

I believe I could bring my connections with early childhood state level agencies and higher education to help reach the general community and educate them on the importance of supporting individuals with special needs at all levels.

I am a dedicated, passionate, self motivated individual who gives everything she has to supporting others, especially those with special needs, developmental disabilities, physical disabilities and mental health concerns.

Barb Hoelzer I have been employed with the Missouri Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) for over 17 years. I sought a position as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor due to my desire to help individuals with disabilities achieve their vocational potential. I have maintained employment with VR because I continue to be committed to this effort. During my career, I have worked as a General Counselor, a Transition Counselor, a District Supervisor, as well as my current role as Regional Director. Each of these opportunities has provided a unique perspective which prepared me for some broader projects I am assigned to on a statewide level.

I am interested in being a part of the APSE governing board because I believe it would provide opportunities for networking and facilitating partnerships with leaders representing the team of people necessary to assist consumers in achieving success.

As Regional Director, my responsibilities are quite varied. They include counselor assessment, program development, transition liaison, team leadership and development of a statewide business network. The vision and purpose of the business network as well as the Vocational Rehabilitation in general, aligns directly with the belief statements and mission of APSE.

In terms of what I might bring to APSE-MO, I would hope my participation might continue to facilitate the partnership of Missouri VR with this important organization. When Maureen Alexander indicated that she would be stepping down, and that she would like me consider becoming involved, I knew I would be attempting to fill some very big shoes. I would hope to bring some of the same hard work which Maureen has provided in her role on the APSE Board. Jessica Boffa – nominated by John Savage Jessica has been working in the Supported Employment field for over ten years. She currently is the Program Manager for ACT Career Services in Columbia, MO. Jessica is responsible for the overall operation of the program, including assessment, job development, and job coaching. Her responsibilities include: quality assurance, quality enhancement, supervision of staff, and management of overall service delivery at ACT Career Services. Jessica began as an employment specialist in the field, completing situational assessments, job development, training, and follow-along services.

Jessica would be an excellent addition to the APSE-MO Governing Board because she has spent her entire professional career supporting individuals with disabilities, assisting them to achieve the highest level of independence and improve their quality of life. Jessica is a strong advocate who believes every individual should be given the opportunity to work in his/her community. She sees APSE-MO as a wonderful resource for the professional development of staff and for impacting public policy.

As a Board Member, Jessica would bring not only her experience in the field, but the willingness to uncover new ways to improve service delivery and outcomes. Jessica is determined to find ways to implement national best practice trends in Missouri. She is passionate about supporting people with finding employment and is very committed to the mission and belief statements held by APSE-MO.

Brian Garms My experience in employment services starts with my advocacy experience in helping build solid job skills and strategies for my consumers and helping them implement these strategies that result in pragmatic solutions. In addition to my professional experience, in my personal life I have had a wide variety of jobs ranging from the music business to politics. I can use these experiences to help promote useful skills that may not have been tried in the past.

The APSE-MO Governing Board will be an invaluable opportunity to actively promote successful employment strategies for disabled Missourians. I hope to aid APSE-MO in becoming the leading network on employment opportunities. This governing board will prove to be a great platform for thought provoking dialogue and solution-based thinking. Through my unique personal and professional experiences, I will bring a forward thinking approach with the goal of promoting practical, real-life solutions to complex problems. I will be an assiduous asset to APSE-MO and my dedication to employment solutions will go unmatched. In such an unpredictable economic climate, the time is now for unique solutions for problems facing people with disabilities. I am excited about this opportunity and am looking forward to working with APSE-MO in the future.