The Special Needs Family Hour Presents: Brian West, Publix Super Markets!

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Brian West, Publix Super Markets

Join us Sunday afternoon on the Special Needs Family Hour at 1:00 pm!
Our guest is Brian West, Media and Community Relations Manager for Publix Super Markets. We will be discussing Publix Super Market’s philosophy of showing no preference when it comes to hiring employees who are differently-abled.  As Brian says,“We look at what a person is able to do, not what they aren’t able to do.”

  • Publix has been hailed as the No. 1 supermarket for customer satisfaction,
  • one of FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,”
  • and as an inspiration for its sustainability efforts and community involvement.
  • It is the largest Employee-owned company in the nation.
  • Publix has never laid off an employee in it’s eighty-nine year history.

Today, Publix Super Markets has over 800 employees who are Special Olympics Athletes in Florida. Each year in January, Publix associates and customers come together to raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics. In 2019, Publix customers and associates contributed more than $4.8 million to the Special Olympics to ensure athletes were able to train and compete free of cost. This brings Publix total donation since 1993 to $51.3 million. 

The relationship with Publix dates back to 1972. The state’s Special Olympic athletes faced skipping the National Games in Los Angeles because they couldn’t afford the flight. Publix founder George Jenkins stepped up and covered the cost of the flight.  

Pictured:  Brian West, Media & Community Relations
                     Manager for Publix Super Markets.

Vocational Rehabilitation Program to help employers become more confident hiring individuals with Disabilities

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The Business Center for Diversity & Inclusion!

This week we have representatives from The Business Center for Diversity & Inclusion (BCDI). We will be discussing their new three year Pilot Program to help employers in our community to become more comfortable and confident in hiring and managing individuals with disabilities. The Program covers Hernando, Pinellas, Pasco, and Hillsborough Counties. The focus of this pilot program are individuals with intellectual disabilities and persons with autism.

The Business Center for Diversity & Inclusion (BCDI) was established to help achieve the Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation’s (VR) goal of becoming a top resource to the business community. Funded by the Florida Department of Education Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Business Center intends to partner with and offer employers access to no-fee training presentations, consultations and referrals to better promote, prepare, and support their interest in, or commitment to, becoming more inclusive in their hiring practices.

Pictured: Rina Nathan – BCDI Business Developer, Julie Ames SNFH,
Steven Roberto – BCDI Project Management

TDI‘s mission is to promote diversity and inclusion in the workforce by connecting job seekers with disabilities that we have prepared for employment to businesses in the community that have a need for their unique skills, talents and abilities.

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Vocational Rehabilitation – School to Work Transition Programs with Milton Moss

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Vocational Rehabilitation-School To Work Transition!!

Milton Moss, Area Supervisor for Hillsborough, Hernando, and Pasco Counties for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation – FL Dept. of Education, and Kate Saksefski a Supervisor for Adult and Student Customers explain what Vocational Rehabilitation is; and the new STAR Program for students 15 to 21 years old that helps students train for a job, continue their education and / or work after leaving high school.

Pictured: Milton Moss, Area Supervisor for Hillsborough, Hernando, and Pasco Counties for the
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation – FL Dept. of Education, Kate Saksefski a Supervisor for Adult
and Student Customers, Julie Ames, SNFH,

Vocational Rehabilitation – Transition to Work Program with Milton Moss

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Vocational Rehabilitation – Transition to Work Program with Milton Moss

Pictured: Julie Ames, SNFH, and Milton Moss, Supervisor of the School to Work Transition Unit, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Tampa

Pictured: Julie Ames, SNFH, and Milton Moss, Supervisor of the School to Work Transition Unit,
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Tampa

Milton Moss, Supervisor of the School to Work Transition Unit with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation in Tampa explains what Vocational Rehabilitation is; and the School to Work Transition Program that helps students train for a job, continue their education and / or work after leaving high school.