Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy
Manassas, VA (08/18/22) – Didlake Inc., a nonprofit that connects people with disabilities to employment and community engagement opportunities, announces that its COO, Joe Diaz, was recently named a member of the Board of Directors for Virginia Career Works – Northern Region, a team of private and public sector partners that promote Northern Virginia economic prosperity and long-term growth. Virginia Career Works – Northern and its partners operate seven One-Stop Centers in the Northern Virginia Region, providing comprehensive free employment, training and career development services for businesses seeking to hire and retain qualified workers, and to job seekers.
The board receives and administers annual federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) dollars that help fund these employment and training services. The WIOA Act is a United States public law that replaced the previous Workforce Investment Act of 1998 as the primary federal workforce development legislation to bring about increased coordination among federal workforce development and related programs. WIOA is designed to strengthen and improve our nation’s public workforce system and help get Americans, including youth and those with significant barriers to employment, into high-quality jobs and careers and help employers hire and retain skilled workers.
“It is an honor to be a part of this organization that is integral to the continued economic development of Northern Virginia businesses and residents. I am excited to leverage my long career creating employment opportunities for persons with disabilities to drive broader employment initiatives across the region,” Diaz said.
Diaz, who was nominated by Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chair at-Large Hon. Ann B. Wheeler, was installed for a four-year term on Aug. 4 during a virtual board orientation.
About Didlake
Didlake is a nonprofit rehabilitative services organization headquartered in Manassas, Virginia. It was founded in 1965 to create opportunities for people with disabilities through services that connect them to employment, education and the community. Through its Day Support, Employment Services, and Workforce Support and Development programs, Didlake serves over 2,000 people with disabilities annually throughout Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Didlake is licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia, accredited by CARF, is CIMS-GB-certified, and proudly serves the nation through the AbilityOne® Program.