Looking to the Future...

   
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Congressman Burr received this national award in recognition of his commitment to the JWOD Program. In addition to impacting the lives of North Carolinians , Congressman Burr’s actions over the years have enhanced the lives of more than 38,000 Americans with disabilities. According to Dan Boucher, President of Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, a non-profit agency in Mr. Burr’s Congressional District, “Richard Burr is always there for us, he is an incredible supporter who has directly contributed to improving the quality of life for those people we serve. Our industry is fortunate to have Richard Burr.” 

Among those who attended the presentation ceremony were Senator George F. Allen of Virginia; William Hudson, President of L.C. Industries; Dan Boucher, President of Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind; and Eric Bridges of NIB. Also in attendance were the employees of LC Industries.  

Photo from left to right: Bill Hudson, Senator George Allen, Rep. Richard Burr, Eric Bridges, Dan Boucher

• 2005 ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
• 2005 EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR
• 2004 EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR
• 2004 ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
• IFB in the News!

2009 Career Achievement of the Year Award Winner

ENRIQUE MAIZ

The Mayaguez Division proudly recognizes Enrique Maiz for the “Career Achiever of the Year” award.  This is easily understood when you realize that the name ”Quique” is called out in the offices in Mayaguez every few minutes.  His calm response “yes” is enough for his coworkers to know that help is on its way.  

Enrique, a native of Puerto Rico, was born deaf and was unable to speak until at age four  doctors discovered medications that allowed him to gain 60% of his hearing.  After a year of speech therapy, Enrique learned to speak.  It was not until age 18 when his vision suddenly began to deteriorate that he was diagnosed with “Ushers Syndrome”, a progressive disease that leads to total blindness and total deafness.  For some the future may have appeared bleak, but Enrique was not discouraged. 

Following his doctor’s advice he quickly completed his university studies graduating with a BA degree in Business Administration with a concentration in economics.  For two years following graduation he worked with his family in their retail computer and office supply business.  Here he performed the accounting functions related to order processing and invoicing. 

After two years in the family business and a continuing deterioration of vision he experienced a sense of urgency in acquiring training for the skills necessary to continue his independence. Unable to enroll immediately in a rehabilitation program in Puerto Rico, he moved to Chicago and attended a three month program learning orientation and mobility and basic independent living skills.  Enrique feels strongly that this training gave him the confidence to remain independent even though today he only has 15% of his haring remaining and very little remaining vision. 

After completing his rehabilitation training he enrolled in computer courses and a short time later received his Microsoft Systems Engineer certification and began working part time at a local community college as a computer lab assistant. 

Looking for full time work, Enrique moved to Florida where he again worked for a local community college until he landed a full time position with Convergys under a special project with Cisco.  Under this contract he provided customer support to computer engineers for two years.  Unfortunately the contract lasted only two years and once again Enrique found himself in situation where he would have to relocate.  He retuned home to Puerto Rico and continues to work for the family business while looking for another position.  

Enrique was in his fourth year of unemployment when he hears about IFB’s plan to open a facility in Mayaguez.  He was one of the first applicants interviewed and tested for a sewing machine operator position in May 2006.  Although this position would not utilize his specific education and skills he felt he needed to work and establish himself with the organization by accepting an entry level position.   It was important for him to feel useful and he worked hard to learn how to be a productive sewer.

Although Enrique became a successful sewing machine operator, his skills were needed elsewhere and in a few short months he was promoted to an office clerk position. Here he worked answering phones, assisted the HR department with applicant processing and data entry.  It was at this time also that his computer knowledge and skills were put to the test and he his help in this area has been invaluable. 

In October 2008, Enrique was promoted to payroll specialist and is now responsible for all payroll functions serving over 250 employees in Mayaguez. He single handedly processed 23 new hires a couple of weeks ago when we launched the new IPFU line in Mayaguez. He's constantly monitoring the payroll process, making corrections and changes as required to insure employees are getting paid correctly.  He serves as the local on-sight IT support for the Mayaguez division, communicating and trouble shooting with corporate Winston Salem IT department.

Enrique is happy with his career accomplishments so far and his short term goal is to purchase a home.  He is aware that he has personal challenges ahead but no matter what the future may bring he knows he will always work as he was taught to do by his parents.  His goal is to “feel useful” to the company and his community. 

2009 Direct Labor Employee of the Year Award Winner

RODERICK WILSON

Roderick Wilson has had a long journey to the stability and contentment he has found at Industries for the Blind, which he now considers his “home away from home.”  Born in Statesville, NC, Roderick grew up primarily in Philadelphia, where his mom was a well-known chef.  Although his mom and stepfather gave him and his siblings everything they needed, Roderick soon turned to selling drugs to get the things he wanted, starting around age 8.  In an attempt to get Roderick away from the situation in Philadelphia, his mom sent him and his brother to live with their grandmother in Statesville in 1988.

However, Roderick continued his illegal activity in NC.  A year and a half later, a drug-addicted family member shot Roderick eight days after his 18^th birthday, causing him to permanently lose his vision.  Even after this traumatic event, Roderick did not give up his lifestyle, and he was eventually arrested in 1993 on robbery charges and sentenced to 32 years in prison.

At first, the prison system had trouble dealing with a blind inmate, and Roderick went to a few different prisons over several years.  Finally, in 1999, he entered the Forsyth County Detention Center, where he met a social worker who told him about IFB.  It was also at this prison that Roderick earned his GED, something he had long wanted to accomplish and that he is proud to say he passed on his first try. 

In August 2001, Roderick was offered a work-release job at IFB, provided he could get himself to and from work.  He learned to walk alone from the prison to the bus stop and to return to the prison on the bus later in the day.  Roderick was grateful even then that IFB would open its doors to him, and once he was paroled in 2004, he decided to stay at IFB as a full-time employee.  He lived with friends and coworkers for a couple of years, until he married his wife, Tammy, in 2006.  Tammy is also visually impaired, and for Roderick, she is his “anchor.” 

About IFB, Roderick says, “[IFB] opened the door [to me] when they didn’t have to…I look at this job as an extended family.  I love this place.  The pastures can’t be greener than they are here.”  Roderick’s dream is to be able to speak to youth of all ages, to deter them from the road that he took.  “I see myself as a warning sign to kids,” he says.  “I can use myself as an example, to prevent them from taking my path.”

Roderick now works in the Navy Fleece department at IFB, and he has made it part of his job description to keep everyone laughing.  “I’ll find something to make a person smile,” he says.  He also credits IFB with getting him to use a computer; he was one of the first employees to take advantage of A Brighter Path’s JAWS training, and now is proud to own a computer at home.  He is also an active member of IFB’s chapter of Toastmasters, Visionaries in Public Speaking (VIPS), and serves as Vice President of Membership for the group. Roderick is on the W-S Blind Bowling team and thinks he is a pretty good bowler.  He is grateful that due to the stability that working here has given him, he has not been tempted to go back to his old ways.  “IFB, to me, has been a support—they’ve been a family to me.  You can’t beat it!”

2005 Career Achievement of the Year Award Winner

 MARK MURRAY

From manufacturing Thousands of mattresses that made him our 
2001 Employee of the Year
To
Now selling Thousands of mattresses and heading up the 
Customer Service/Mattress Sales Department… 

Mark has Thousands of Reasons why he has been selected as our 
2005 Achievement Award Winner.

If you ask Mark his biggest accomplishment, he will say it was the day he was able to walk away from Social Security Benefits and become totally self-supportive.

Dedication, Commitment, Character and Ambition all are superb qualities to possess. Any agency would be lucky to have an employee with some or most of these attributes. IFB can proudly say we have Mark Murray. We can say Mark Murray is a person that cares about his family. We can say Mark Murray is a person that cares about his career and his fellow workers. We can say Mark Murray is a person with strong character. We can also say Mark Murray truly has focused ambitions. What does Mark Murray say about himself? Mark says, “It’s all in a day’s work.”

While Mark (and his wife Terry) are totally consumed with IFB, they both believe that family is first. Mark says, his family has “supported him throughout it all”. When asked about his wife Terry, Mark gets a smile on his face that matches nothing else. He talks fondly about his daughter, two step children and two grandchildren. A day doesn’t go by with out an e-mail or phone call from his twenty-four year old daughter. 

Mark prides himself on being a “people person”. He and his family truly enjoy helping others that are less fortunate. When Mark is not working, he and Terry have charged themselves with the responsibility of making sure new employees are orientated to IFB and the Winston-Salem area. They offer other employees mobility assistance and help with food, clothing and house shopping. Mark also makes sure every IFB employee has a place to spend the holidays; this year he invited four employees to his home for Christmas.

The amazing thing about Mark is the way his positive attitude always shines through, even when he is faced with extreme hardships. In 1995 he lost his son at the age of 17 in a tragic accident, and then suddenly in 2002, his wife Debbie, also an employee at IFB, passed away after what should have been minor surgery. This caused Mark to leave IFB temporarily and move back to the North Carolina coast, however, he soon realized that he and his family would not be truly happy unless he was back at IFB. It took him very little time to take over the lead in the Mattress Department; replacing Peter J. Salmon Award Winner Commodore Funderburk who had recently passed away. He became IFB’s spokesperson as tour after tour came through IFB, Mark proudly explained how he could never fill The Commodore’s shoes.

Mark’s dedication to his family is matched only by his commitment to his career and fellow employees.

Six months ago Mark was a leader in our Mattress Department “starting” every mattress made there---every day. Today he closes big contracts on Mattress Business with customers—talk about going full circle!

Referencing a recent order of nearly $100,000 that Mark brought to IFB – Mark quickly points out that “sales of that magnitude” are not cultivated over the phone. Instead they require “customer satisfaction” which means face-to-face relationships. Mark who is totally blind does just that. He gets out and visits the customer and rarely comes back without a commitment.

To hear Mark’s awards and accomplishments is like hearing a biography of a hall of fame inductee. Mark has received the:

• Goodwill Achiever of the Year award (1990) in Raleigh, N.C. while working for Sears, Roebuck in Greensboro, NC
• Recognized for two distinguished Circle of Honor Awards (1994) customer service at Sears, Roebuck
• Selected as the IFB Employee of the Year (2001)
• Accepted into the NIB Business Management Training Class on the recommendation of the Senior Management Group at IFB. 

This doesn’t tell you half of Mark’s accomplishments, to really see his accomplishments, you need to know him. Mark is proud of his work at IFB and has recently recruited six new employees in recent months. He states that he is “truly proud of the organization he works for and the opportunity it affords people who want to succeed and advance their careers”. This leads us to perhaps one of Mark’s biggest accomplishments--his ability to become totally self-supportive. In October 2004, Mark proudly went off of Social Security Disability. He will happily tell you that, “because of IFB and its people he was able to make the transition”. Mark also states, “Now, I’m even able to earn commission from the products I sell!” 

As Mark looks back and reflects on his professional life, he reiterates that the days when he worked in the plant played a key role in forming a strong foundation for what it turning out to be a very successful career. In IFB’s Customer Service and Sales Department he says he is constantly challenged, but at the same time he is happier at this job than any other before. Mark states, “No two days are ever the same, so it never gets boring. If I’m not making a sale, I’m a problem solver and that’s what I want to be known for. If anybody needs something, I want to be there with the solution and want them to know they can count on me once we’ve spoken.” According to Dan Boucher, “in all of my years and experience in Marketing and Customer Service, I have never had anyone who was so responsive to the customer’s needs as Mark.” 

According to Mark, five years ago he set three goals: Win the IFB Employee of the Year Award, win the IFB Career Achievement of the Year Award and be completely self-supportive. This year Mark has successfully completed all three of his goals. When asked if Mark had yet set any new goals, he stated, “Right now, I am focusing on learning all aspects of customer service and sales. I want to be the best I can be for IFB, my family and myself.” 

Now that’s a man with Focused Ambitions.

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2005 Direct Labor Employee of the Year Award Winner

BUDDY URBAN

Bernard Alan Urban, or “Buddy” as he is fondly referred to by all his fellow workers and friends comes to Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind ( IFB ) from Long Island, New York. He recalls his earliest work habits and experiences were picked up on the family potato farm in New York when he was just a child. He contributes much of his strong work ethic to those days back on the farm, but also to his simple yet proven philosophy about work, “ If you are asked to do a job right, do it right the first time. If not, where do you find time to do it over?”

Buddy was diagnosed officially with macular degeneration at the early age of seven. The diagnosis and the profound effect it would have on him for the rest of his life did not deter him from becoming a volunteer fireman in New York as a young man. Before retiring from 18 years of active duty in 1980, Buddy’s official capacity with the department was that of a dispatcher, but he is quick to point out that on many occasions he made the trip to the scene of a fire. The respect that Buddy gained from his fellow firefighters after 18 years of service became evident at his retirement ceremony when his Badge #508 was retired and never to be worn again.

Buddy started working as an IFB drill grommet machine operator in early 2001 after relocating from Volunteer Industries for the Blind in Tennessee. His most recent claim to fame was a comment he made while being interviewed by Fox National News during the early stages of the Gulf War, when asked about his role in The War on Terror at IFB his answer was profound, he said “ Although I’m not able to serve my country because of my blindness a soldier over there knows that I here making sure he comes home safely.” Buddy regularly wears his IFB shirt that he has sewn a small American Flag on the soldier. He is also quick to point out that three of his daughters serves in the National Guard.

At work he is known for the helping hand he always offers those in need, but that kind heart and genuine concern for other human beings is not just found at work. Buddy is an active member of the American Council for the Blind, which is instrumental in helping people who are blind in the Winston-Salem area. He has personally provided financial assistance to fellow workers and friends and has openly admitted he gives to those in need he doesn’t know. As IFB has grown he has been instrumental in recruiting workers from as far away as South Florida, but he doesn’t just recruit he makes sure they reach Winston-Salem safely and is quick to help with any moving issues, orientation and mobility, or anything else the new employees may need.

His supervisors at IFB have documented time and time again that Buddy’s attention to detail and desire to succeed have made him invaluable to the organization. Mr. Boucher, president of IFB, fondly refers to Buddy as his “Biggest Headache”, but this nickname is truly out of respect for what Buddy does for the people at IFB. According to Buddy the thing that drives him is “ Being viewed as a positive person who not only identifies areas of need in the company, but offers solutions instead of complaining.” He states that his main goal is to be part of a Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind team that is someday #1 in the blind agency world, Buddy states “ That will be my proudest moment because I’ll be able to say I was part of something very special.”

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PETER J. SALMON 2004 DIRECT LABOR EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR AWARD

Mark Jenkins

Mark Jenkins was born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.  He has lived in Hawaii, California, and Arkansas and now resides in Fletcher, North Carolina.  Mark is married to Tris and has a daughter Sara, age 12.  Mark graduated from Monte Vista High School in Spring Valley, CA.  Mark was born with Ushers Syndrome and drove a car and motorcycle up until 1990 when he became legally blind and had to turn in his driver’s license.

He started working at IFB in 2001 as a Boxer in our IMP Department.  During the past year he has been trained by Judy Hatton from NIB to operate a sewing machine.  He now sews binding on our Poncho Liners.  Mark is very soft spoken, has a good personality, and is well liked by everyone.  He is always willing to help his blind co-workers.  He is a great asset to the company and we are happy to have him as part of the IFB family.

Prior to working for Industries for the Blind, Mark attended Raleigh School for the Deaf and Blind for one year.  He continued his education and received an Associates Degree in Studio Art in 1998 and a Certificate in Small Engine Repair in 2001.  Mark also has degrees in Pottery, Metal Engraving, Auto Technology and Auto Body.  He was Production Manager of East San Diego Orchard for 2 years where he supervised and instructed 500 workers on duties and proper work methods.

Mark has volunteered for two years as Recreation Director at Camp Dogwood (a summer camp for blind persons) where he helps the camp participants with exercises and play acts.  Through his church, he helped with landscaping the Post Office in Carthage, North Carolina.  His hobbies include re-building motorcycles and he is presently working on an invention of a new insect trap.

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2004 MILTON J. SAMUELSON CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Charles Lindsay

Charles was born in Washington, DC on May 24, 1961.  He attended Ballou High School and graduated in 1979.  While there he was a member of the Chess Club, Basketball Team and the High School band.  He loved playing the saxophone and clarinet.

After High School he attended Cheyney University in Pennsylvania from 1979 to 1981.  During his sophomore year he began to have severe vision problems and had to undergo many eye operations and

treatments.  Even though he has to drop out of school at that time, he developed a real interest and excelled in the use of the computer.  Charles has plans to continue with his education in the future.

After leaving school and receiving the eye treatments, Charles worked as a cashier/clerk at Swarthmore College.  Later, he went to work for South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) where he cleaned buses.  He also worked as a handyman at J and R Construction.  In 1995, Charles moved back to the Washington, DC area and acquired a position with the US Census Bureau as an Enumerator.  When that temporary position ended in 2001, he went back to school (Career Blazers) and took classes in Computer Programming and Repair.  While still attending this school, Charles came to work for the Department of Energy Paperclips division of the Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind where he worked as a Cashier.

Due to his outstanding achievements at IFB, he was promoted to Assistant Manager at the Paperclips division of the Treasury Department.  Charles has strived to be the best in whatever field he has chosen to work and doesn’t use his vision as an excuse.  Despite his limitations, he has moved ahead.

Among his hobbies, Charles enjoys working on computers.  He and a group of friends meet regularly to discuss the latest computer technology.

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