DHHS Secretary Aldona Wos congratulated three Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) employees for their achievement and contributions during the 12th annual VR All-Star Awards ceremony on Jan. 9. 

Secretary Wos shared with honorees and the audience saying, “we internally fulfill our own potential.” She pointed out that assisting individuals with disabilities in getting jobs creates individual self-worth and “massive savings” for the U.S. Treasury. She encouraged attendees to “continue to improve internal collaboration” to assist in achieving the highest possible return on the department’s investment in VR services.

Those recognized for their exceptional contributions to the Division’s mission are:

Leadership: Becky Setliff, Unit Manager in Wilmington. Setliff, a 30-year veteran of the division, has managed DVRS’ Wilmington office since 2004, supervising a team of 33 staff. Christinia Smith, Rehabilitation Counselor II, presenting the Leadership award to Setliff, discussed how Setliff had provided services for Smith’s grandparents and helped establish DVRS’ Independent Living program and write its Independent Living policy. She related how Setliff taught her the meaning of the word “leader” and nurtures people to perform at their best, allowing her office to be a performance leader in the state and enabling many staff to advance to higher positions. 

Customer Service: Becky Tyndall, Rehabilitation Casework Advisor in Greenville. Tyndall, who has worked for DVRS for 26 years, assists clients with independent living and accessible housing needs. Billy Ross, Manager of DVRS’ Greenville office, presented the Customer Service award to Tyndall, explaining how she strives to find ways to meet the consumer’s needs. He described how she was so focused on assisting a consumer preparing to transition from an institution to community living that she worked during the Christmas holidays to ensure a successful transition. He also related how she helped an East Carolina University graduate student with a project to interview a counselor, and now that student works alongside Tyndall as the Greenville office’s Counselor in Charge. During her acceptance speech, Tyndall asked attendees to go back to their offices and thank staff for their work serving persons with disabilities.

Creativity/Innovation: Lynne Deese, Assistive Technologist in Raleigh’s N.C. Assistive Technology Center. Deese has held a variety of responsibilities for the NCATP over the past 14 years, including assessment, equipment demonstrations, technical assistance, presentations/trainings, state and national project/program collaboration and webmaster duties. Tammy Koger, director of NCATP, praised Deese’s ability to see things differently, allowing her to explore better ways of making things work. Deese, Koger said, has a knack for creating products to meet client needs. Highlighting Deese’s understanding of the Internet’s role in reaching people, Koger noted that in 2013 Deese launched the “Assistive Technology Daily”  blog that reaches AT professionals across the U.S. and in the British Isles and Europe. Already, Denmark has sent a delegation to observe and learn from Deese’s experiences. During her acceptance speech, Deese shared how she values “collaboration and support resulting in the best possible outcome” and how consumers may be overwhelmed by the information she shares but leave with a feeling of hope.