Mayor Judy Kennedy helped kick off National Disability Employment Awareness Month at Unitex’s Newburgh plant on October 6th. Unitex hosted OSCEAN’s (Orange and Sullivan Counties Employment Alliance Network) event and helped honor select employers who have hired qualified employees with disabilities to be part of their workforces. Mayor Judy Kennedy was onsite along with other community and business leaders. “Expect. Employ. Empower.” was the 2014 official theme of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Observed annually, National Disability Employment Awareness Month is a nationwide campaign that raises awareness about disability employment issues and honors the many diverse contributions of America’s workers with disabilities.
Christina Tuttle, Human Resources Manager, Unitex, Danny Wilmer, Newburgh Plant General Manager, Seth Gershman, Director Marketing & Communications, Unitex, David Potack, Vice President of Unitex, Mayor Judy Kennedy, Al Sindone, Marketing Director for ACCES-VR, Michael I. Kochler, Employment Services Coordinator, Independent Living, Inc. and OSCEAN Chairman, Christine Essex, OSCEAN member and Supported Employment Coordinator, CRVI, Josie Longstreet, Independent Living, Inc.’s (ILI) Systems Advocate, Paul Biagiotti and Tony Lebron, CIP Program Assistants, along with participants in the Community Independence Program at Independent Living, Inc.