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2010 Ability Awards Honors Local Individuals and Organizations who promote the employment of people with disabilities
Orlando’s Harris Rosen and Rosen Hotel & Resorts’ Associates Honored as Largest Employer of the Year
For more information, contact: Mary Deatrick DPR
(407) 332-5212 mary@deatrickpr.com
Photography available at http://www.rosenhotels.com/media
ORLANDO, Fla. (June, 2010) –This week, The Able Trust recognized Orlando’s Harris Rosen and the Rosen Hotel & Resorts team with a 2010 Ability Award for their outstanding contribution to advance employment opportunities for people with disabilities in the community. The award was presented during Rosen Hotels’ 36th anniversary luncheon in front of many of the company’s 4,000 plus team members, all of whom made employing people with disabilities a priority within the organization.
The 2010 Ability Awards honor contributions by individuals and organizations who improve the quality of life for the individuals they serve—people who just happen to have a disability. These dedicated individuals and organizations help The Able Trust fulfill its mission to get people with disabilities trained and working, and remaining or becoming productive members of their communities. Rosen Hotel & Resorts is among the nine individuals and four businesses from throughout the state who received a 2010 Ability Award for their outstanding efforts on behalf of people with disabilities.
“In a tough economy where jobs are already hard to come by, Rosen Hotel & Resorts has shown compassion and leadership by opening the door to disabled members of the community and allowed them to flourish as dedicated employees,” said Susanne Homant, President and CEO of The Able Trust. “The Able Trust is honored to recognize these dedicated individuals and we are greatly appreciative for their continued support.”
The Able Trust Ability Awards annually recognize individuals and organizations for outstanding contributions toward the employment of Floridians with disabilities. Rosen and his dedicated staff at Rosen Hotel & Resorts has shown both compassion and activism in the Able Trust’s cause. Rosen’s leadership and his staff’s extraordinary advocacy efforts have earned him the honorary title of this year’s Able Trust “Large Employer of the Year.”
Other Orlando recipients honored earlier this month in Tallahassee by The Able Trust are:
Lighthouse Central Florida– Beverly Chapman Award for Outstanding Employment Placement Program
In partnership with the National Statler Center for Careers in Hospitality Service, the Lighthouse Central Florida created a successful training and placement program for individuals who are blind or visually impaired seeking a career in Orlando’s busy hospitality industry. At a time of economic crisis and high unemployment rates the Lighthouse/Statler placement team has had a 65% employment placement rate for graduates, which is a testimony to the highly skilled program training offered and the dedicated efforts of the employment staff.
Jim Payne, NBC’s WESH-TV Channel 2 – Media Representative in Television
Jim is well known to many as the news anchor for WESH-TV, and he is also an award-winning journalist, having won the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and numerous other awards. His sincere belief in the mission and his experiences with people with disabilities makes him special indeed.
Mervin Hernandez – Young Adult Leadership Award
Mervin is a shining example of leadership, having participated in The Able Trust’s Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) as a delegate in 2004, he returned as a Junior Staff member and is now an Adult Volunteer. Mervin plays a key role in operations management for a successful YLF each summer. Mervin is a recent graduate of the University of Central Florida in Accounting.
Rogue Gallart, Center for Independent Living of Central FL– Volunteer of the Year
Rogue is honored as The Able Trust Volunteer of the Year for both his leadership work with the Central Florida Disability Chamber and as a volunteer member of The Able Trust’s Ability Celebration. Rogue is known for going above and beyond the job description and creating events, advocacy efforts and committee work that shows his distinctive efforts and touch of success.
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About the Able Trust. The Able Trust, also known as the Florida Governor’s Alliance for the Employment of Citizens with Disabilities, is a 501(c) (3) public-private partnership foundation established by the Florida Legislature in 1990. Its mission is to be the leader in providing Floridians with disabilities fair employment opportunities through grant programs, public awareness, public education, policy recommendations and fundraising. Since its establishment, The Able Trust has awarded more than $25 million to individuals with disabilities and nonprofit agencies throughout Florida for employment-related purposes, enabling more than 2,000 Florida citizens of all ages with disabilities to enter the workforce each year. In addition, The Able Trust youth programs provide career development and transition to approximately 2,000 students with disabilities annually, helping to reduce the dropout rate and prepare young adults for life beyond high school. For more information about The Able Trust, visit www.abletrust.org.
For more information, visit www.rosenhotels.com or call 866-33-ROSEN.