Meeks, Hantens Honored for National Disability Awareness

Bonnie Gusso, Black Hills Special Services benefits specialist and NDEAM committee member, is helping to organize the reception.

He says: “I started this job 10 years ago, and I’ve loved every second of it. “These events (Gusso also coordinates events in other southeastern South Dakota cities) are what make the whole year worthwhile. It’s a great time to honor people with disabilities in our community, the agencies that support them and the employers that employ them. It makes a big difference. ”

The NDEAM committee brought in motivational speaker VJ Smith for two keynote speeches.

Smith, a former SD state representative, wrote the book “The Richest Man in Town” about a Brookings Walmart salesman named Marty. Many have heard the story of how Marty changed Smith’s life and the lives of almost anyone he met at the registry.

He was not “rich” financially, but he was rich in compassion, kindness and community involvement.

When it came time for the awards, Patricia Meeks was named NDEAM employee of the year.

“For the past 10 years, Patricia has worked in the photo electronics department at Walmart,” Gusso said. “She does photography on the side and says it’s what she loves and is passionate about. Shirley Mines, a long-time community worker, helped Patricia find her career. , is a good fit for him, as he matches what he needs and what he likes to do.”

Ben Hanten, who was a presenter at last year’s event, and his wife Brooke were named Employer of the Year.

“For 14 years, Ben and Brooke Hanten, and Ben’s Brewing Company, have been advocates for people with disabilities and employment,” Gusso said. “They allow individuals to come in and complete job matching through job evaluations so they can gain knowledge of what to expect on the job and test those skills. This has led to paid work experience through development. of crafts and from there, trying to hire them as permanent workers.

“Ben has shared at our previous NDEAM events that hiring someone with a disability is no different than hiring someone without it. Everyone has their own strengths and maybe they need to do things with a little different way. Ben’s Brewing Company is a good example of ‘Why not hire someone with a disability?’

In a twist from the usual awards, NDEAM had a special recognition for Walter Cyrankowski, who worked at the Human Services Center for 30 years before his passing in July.

Reading the letter provided by HSC, Gusso read a short biography of Cyrankowski.

He read: “Walter has had a relationship with us since 1994 when he started vocational education as a general clerical worker. “After the Yankton Vocational Rehab program started a sales program in (HSC), he worked on maintenance of machines as a general item. He continued to do this job until he was terminated.

Since then, he has been recruited into the HSC program as a ‘destroying guy.’ He will be greatly missed by all the staff at HSC, so we wanted to give a shout out to Walter. This proves the point behind NDEAM. If you are looking for employees who will be reliable, who will raise morale in your work – right now, you feel that it is difficult to find good help – we are here to tell you that we have a pool of people who will make a difference, not just for of your work and your business, but also for you. ”

Gusso said the importance of this event and working with people with disabilities is important to him because he is a disabled person himself.

“It really hits home for me,” he said. “Being a disabled person who couldn’t work for a few years and knowing what it takes to overcome that, it hits close to home.

“One of the first people I worked with when I started my job, he wanted to work badly, and he always felt that he could not work because it would destroy the benefits of home,” Gusso continued. “If you have a disability, health care is at the forefront, and I will never forget this man. He broke down when, after meeting me, he found out that he could say goodbye to Walmart 10 hours a week. It was life-changing for him, and, frankly, it was life-changing for me.”

There was a good turnout at the event with over 70 people. Gusso says this is due to the program’s interactions.

The event was also the fall conference for the Southeast South Dakota Society of Human Resource Managers.

Other partnerships and sponsorships included: Capacity Building Services, Pied Piper Flowers, Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan, Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health, Independent Living Council and SD Boards of Vocational Rehabilitation & Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Hy-Vee and River Rock Event Center.