WORCESTER, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Greater Boston Business Council honored UMass Medical School’s Work Without Limits program with its Outstanding Business Member of the Year Award for Excellence in Community Service at its recent annual awards ceremony.
Work Without Limits is a statewide network of employers and partners who aim to increase employment among individuals with disabilities. Launched in 2009, the program is the result of a comprehensive plan to address the many challenges that contribute to unemployment and underemployment of people with disabilities.
The program works with several disability-employment organizations to deliver services, such as candidate recruitment and training, to Massachusetts employers. It also provides businesses with information and resources needed to manage and accommodate an increasingly diverse workforce.
The Greater Boston Business Council (GBBC), the Boston area’s leading business group for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community, was established in 1990 to promote the business and professional interests of its members.
“We are very honored to receive this award from the Greater Boston Business Council, a leader in promoting more diverse workplaces in the Boston area,” said Alexis Henry, PhD, director of the disability, health and employment policy unit at UMass Medical School, the home of Work Without Limits. “The award underscores our continued strategic partnership with the GBBC to create more meaningful work opportunities for people with disabilities. Our work would not be possible without such partnerships, so in addition to thanking them for this honor we are also extremely grateful for their assistance,” Dr. Henry added.
The GBBC recognized Work Without Limits’ leadership not only in the disability community, but also for aligning its work to reduce barriers to employment for other diverse communities.
“We could not be happier to present this community service award to Work Without Limits,” said Valerie B. Clark, president of the GBBC. “In many ways, the mission of Work Without Limits complements the mission and focus of the GBBC, which at its core is about promoting acceptance, eliminating barriers and increasing inclusion of populations whose strengths and talents are too often overlooked in the wider business community.”
Ms. Clark also praised Sean Driscoll, director of business relations for Work Without Limits, for working with the GBBC to increase employer engagement activities. “I think we all recognize that this partnership would not have been possible, or as successful, if not for Sean’s passion and hard work. This award is an affirmation of everything he has done to make this a meaningful and productive collaboration for Work Without Limits and the businesses we represent,” she said.
Other recipients at GBBC’s awards ceremony included Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts as Corporation of The Year, and the Massachusetts General Hospital, which received the President’s Award.
To learn more about Work Without Limits and how the program can assist businesses in developing a more diverse and inclusive workplace, visit www.workwithoutlimits.org.
For information on the Greater Boston Business Council, visit the GBBC’s website at www.gbbc.org.
Courtesy Photo attached:
- Suggested Caption: UMass Medical School/Work Without Limits Team at the GBBC Awards for Excellence Dinner on Friday, January 25, 2013, at the Top of The Hub in Boston. Work Without Limits was awarded the GBBC’s Outstanding Business Member of the Year Award for Excellence in Community Service. From L to R: Jason Stanislawzyk, Marlene Tucker, Michelle Nowers, John Trobaugh, Kathy Petkauskos, Sean Driscoll, Alexis Henry, Clara Orlando, David Polakoff, Jorge Sanchez.
About the University of Massachusetts Medical School
The University of Massachusetts Medical School, one of the fastest-growing academic health sciences centers in the country, has built a reputation as a world-class research institution, consistently producing noteworthy advances in clinical and basic research. The Medical School attracts more than $255 million in research funding annually, 80 percent of which comes from federal funding sources. The mission of the Medical School is to advance the health and well-being of the people of Massachusetts and the world, through pioneering education, research, public service and health care delivery. Commonwealth Medicine, the Medical School’s health care consulting and operations division, provides a wide range of care management and consulting services to government agencies and health care organizations. For more information, visit commed.umassmed.edu.