Good News Friday!

I have been very fortunate in my years at Imagine! to have worked alongside so many talented, caring, and dedicated individuals. Those qualities have been especially important in this past year, when unprecedented system changes and a bad economy have combined to challenge our organization in many ways.

Even in a year when so many Imagine! employees have gone above and beyond to serve individuals with developmental disabilities, there are a few among us who excelled so greatly that they were worthy of the title “Employee of Distinction.” We received dozens of nominations from throughout our organization for this honor, and it was not easy to narrow the nominations down to six.

Below you find the names of the six winners, along with a little information about what made their work so special in the past year, taken from their nomination. I think that when you hear some of what their coworkers had to say about them, you will agree that the six individuals selected as Employees of Distinction this year truly represent the best of Imagine!.

Wendy Breitenfeld

“I’ve repeatedly noticed that Wendy is always working with others, taking into consideration their unique schedules, needs, problems, and trying to come up with something that works. She devoted a fair amount of time to our department this spring to talk about our situation with all of our temporary employees, and she’s worked with us when we’ve been in unique situations that cause us to get into a scheduling knot. She seems to always be so level-headed, fair-minded, and willing to work things out.”

Ben Gallagher

“Ben maintains a laid back and positive attitude everyday. He is very respectful when working with the adult participants, acknowledging that while they may have an intellectual disability, they are still adults and should be treated as such. He is kind, caring, and knowledgeable while on shift and upholds Imagine's! mission in his devotion to the participants.”

Martha Heimbaugh

“Martha is continuing her friendly, caring ways as she learns her new job and assists consumers and staff in navigating the maze that is government healthcare. Everyone loves her and relies on her for the answers they need. She is a quiet, unassuming employee, but definitely the 'go to' gal in Innovations, without whom we would all be poorer and certainly less efficient!”

Mandy Holland

“Mandy is always looking for the “best fit” between families and therapists the very moment a service coordinator contacts her about a new referral. She asks service coordinators several questions in order to get as much information as possible and start making the best match. She does not just “plug in” a therapist who has space in their schedule. Making the best match possible up front contributes significantly to successful therapeutic outcomes for the child and family.”

Gail Scott

“Gail is incredibly dedicated to the families that we serve at Imagine!. She shows a great deal of compassion for families in the many dealings she has over phone and email and often tries to problem solve how we can help them. Many times just listening to a kind voice on the other end of the line is all a person needs – I have heard over and over how many of our families appreciate how she does that with such compassion and skill.”

Brian Shaw



“Brian teaches our consumers perspective in our photography class. He teaches our consumers how to view the world with an objective mind. He takes his students into the community to observe and appraise, through the lens of the camera, the world they view. A premise of his class is that none of us is limited in life, that the entirety of our community is available to us if we simply take the time to engage with it.”

Congratulations to all of our Employees of Distinction.