Mayor’s committee honors OKC disability advocates
The Oklahoma City Mayor’s Committee on Disability Concerns honored advocates Tuesday at its 27th Annual Awards Luncheon at St. Luke's United Methodist Church.
Mayor Mick Cornett, making his final appearance as mayor at the annual event, declared Oct. 24 Special Disability Awareness Day in Oklahoma City.
The city’s longestserving mayor, Cornett is not running for reelection next year. About half of the disability awards events have been conducted on his watch.
This year's disability award winners were:
• George Lewis Award: Heather Hancock Blackburn, Oklahoma Department of Education.
• Employer of the Year: Dale Rogers Training Center, Oklahoma City.
• Public Personnel Employee of the Year: Jana Woodward, program manager, Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services.
• Media Public Affairs Award: Lacey Lett, Justin Reed, Travis Schutten, KFOR-TV News.
• Special Award: Anne Buvinger, Music Therapist; Tahira Johnson, Oklahoma Office of Disability Concerns, EMBARK volunteer; and Ronda Parker, Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services.
• Don Davis Award: Mayor Mick Cornett.
• Clearing the Path Award: Jack Werner, Universal Design Master Instructor.
• OKC MCDC Outstanding Member of the Year: Dana Tallon, Communications Manager, Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services.
Winners of the "Barrier Free for You and Me" poster/billboard contest were: 1st, Hallie Tadajewski, Francis Tuttle Tech Center; 2nd, Olivia Roberts, Francis Tuttle Tech Center; 3rd, Danielle Brown, Putnam City North High School.