Manassas, VA Eleana Boyer, Director of Supported Employment at Manassas-based Didlake, Inc., is the recipient of the Virginia Rehabilitation Association’s 2003 Corbett Reedy Award for Excellence. The award, given annually to a Virginia resident who has “creatively pursued excellence in contributions to the rehabilitation program, projects, issues, publications or a significant rehabilitation cause”, was presented to Ms. Boyer at the annual Virginia Association of Community Rehabilitation Programs (VaACCSES) Collaborations Conference in Portsmouth, VA.
Since joining Didlake in 1998, Ms. Boyer has managed the development and growth of the company’s Supported Employment Program which finds employment opportunities for people with disabilities, and provides ongoing assistance, such as job coaching and training, to help each individual succeed. She was nominated for the award by Mark Fletcher and Teri Bertsch of the Virginia Dept. of Rehabilitative Services (DRS) who stated “Under [Ms. Boyer’s] leadership, creativity and modeling of quality services, Didlake has earned a reputation throughout the Northern Virginia Region as a leader and advocate, enabling persons with disabilities to achieve gainful employment”. Ms. Boyer was also cited for her excellent work developing a pilot project for the City of Alexandria that created a positive work experience for young people with disabilities, and for her ongoing work “above and beyond the call” on planning efforts for the annual Collaborations conference.
A rehabilitation services professional since 1978, Ms. Boyer is known for her creative approaches to uncovering the potential in each individual. In a letter supporting Ms. Boyer’s nomination, Didlake’s Training and HR Benefits coordinator Mary Presler commented, “Eleana has a rare gift of being able to motivate individuals with disabilities to seek the best quality of life for themselves. She uses her kind sense of humor to encourage others to achieve”. Didlake President and CEO Rex Parr added, “Eleana is a great asset to the entire rehabilitation services industry and the people it serves. We are proud she is part of the Didlake team”.
Ms. Boyer completed her undergraduate education at Strayer University, and is currently part of the Master’s Certificate in Rehabilitation Program at George Washington University. She resides in Woodbridge, VA.
Contact:
Betty Dean
bdean@didlake.com