The Texas Association of Disability Examiners (TADE) has been very successful in involving all of its members in activities such as the award-winning newsletter (THE TADE TIMES), the Brown Bag lunch seminars, fundraising activities, and special projects. Continuing education topics at the luncheons have included case management tips, vocational evaluations, pharmacology issues, CE vendor services, the evaluation of cerebral-cognitive deficits, and children’s speech/language disabilities updates. Fundraising was taken to a new limit this past year, as the Ways and Means committee raised over $10,000 including $6,500 for a member needing a bone marrow transplant. The members also donated their time to projects such as the National Childrens Miracle Network telethon. Several of the chapter’s members served on both the national and regional NADE Boards. National Disability Professionals Week was a big hit with daily treats for all employees, as well as drawings for special gifts, door prizes, and sponsored memberships. The chapter as a whole has been very successful involving its members in all of these multiple activities.

This service award given to an individual who has made major contributions toward the advancement of NADE was presented to Carolyn Dockery from North Carolina. Carolyn has earned the reputation in her chapter as someone who can get the job done, get it done on time, and get it done well. A member of NADE since 1996, she directed efforts to raise funds for hurricane victims and encouraged all members to assist in the agency’s annual Christmas project and the annual campaign to provide blankets and fans for the homeless and elderly. Other projects have included donations to a depleted food bank, providing new underwear and linens to the local Rescue Mission, and helping to build a playground for children with cerebral palsy. As well as wearing many hats for her local chapter, she has also served on NADE’s Long Range Planning Committee for the past two years. Her level of involvement in NADE tells a story of commitment, both to the goals of our organization, and to its ideals.

Roberta Hawley from North Carolina was recognized as the disability professional of the year who substantially has contributed her time and talent to promote more effective working relationships among her immediate professional community. For the past several years, Roberta has served as the DDS’s chief disability examiner specializing in vocational issues and is well respected for her immense knowledge of vocational matters. She recently designed training packets for both new and experienced DEs showcasing the attention to detail Roberta places on her work and its value to the entire DDS staff. She serves on a workgroup comprised of managers from the regional DQB, DDS administrators, and DDS QA supervisors involving discussions of quality issues especially in regards to consistency. She has been very instrumental in facilitating the working relationships between so many individuals with diverse backgrounds. Roberta has also been very active in her local NADE chapter and has served on and chaired many committees. She is a very deserving recipient of this award.

The recipient of the award to recognize the superior performance of a DDS supervisor was Mark Bernskoetter from Missouri. Mark is well respected in his unit for his outstanding supervisory skills. He is disciplined, yet compassionate. He expects excellence from his employees but not at the expense of affecting morale. He provides constructive suggestions without being critical and emphasizes positive feedback. Mark displays what his unit members describe as an “open door/closed mouth policy”. He fosters professionalism and caring relationships in his unit by his example and is always one of the first to rally his employees to gather donations and provide compassionate interventions for coworkers in need. He also takes the responsibility of holding any office in his local NADE chapter as seriously as his supervisory duties. He enthusiastically recruits all staff members to become active members of NADE, and his leadership has been influential in garnering the largest number of new members to his state chapter in 17 years!

Arnold Bratland from Texas was recognized as an outstanding member of the support staff who makes significant contributions to the efficient operation of his unit and the morale of his coworkers. Arnold’s work ethic and “can do” spirit challenges others to do their best in whatever they undertake. He has initiated cases, filed incoming mail for examiners and assists with telephone calls

from claimants. He continues to train DEs, other members of the clerical staff, and even the unit supervisor in the intricacies of technical case completion commonly referred to in his unit as “technical trivia”. He manages to return the cases to the examiners with a good sense of humor while pointing out ways to improve their technical expertise. He has been active in his local NADE chapter, has served on many agency committees, and also provides counseling for youth going through different types of life changing situations through his church. He also utilizes his secretarial skills by serving as the personal secretary for the Archbishop and is a member of the national secretarial staff. He is most worthy to receive this outstanding award.

The recipient of this prestigious NADE leadership award was Jeff Price from North Carolina. Jeff’s dedication to NADE is exemplary and demonstrates his belief that you teach others by your actions, not your words. He has continually sought to encourage involvement in the national organization at the grassroots level. Since attending his first NADE conference in 1986, he has involved himself in local, regional, and national activities. He has served on numerous committees at all levels and was elected President of his chapter for four years. He also chartered the first chapter newsletter and sought to make members of his chapter more knowledgeable about the national organization and the importance of being active members. At NADE’s national conference in 1990, Jeff was elected as the first Chairperson of the Council of Chapter Presidents and again served as the CCP Chair in 1996. As NADE’s President in 1998, he utilized his writing skills to publish a position paper voicing NADE’s objections to major portions of the Full Process Model of SSA’s redesign efforts, and also wrote a paper encouraging Congress to enact legislation to abolish the five month waiting period for Title II disability applicants. Jeff has spent a great deal of energy over the past 15 years helping the association direct its own future and has encouraged others to see their future in NADE. He is truly a worthy recipient of this award.

The recipient of this award designed to honor an individual who motivates and challenges others toward personal and professional growth was awarded to Perry Watson from Texas. Perry is currently serving as the Manager of the Staff Development department in the Texas state agency. He has also been involved in training personnel in other state agencies such as MHMR and the Department of Health and was asked to train medical professionals from across the state about our disability program. He has been actively involved in developing training initiatives on a regional and national level including serving for the past three years on the Disability Training Steering Committee. He is also a member of the National Disability Trainers Workshop Committee and recently completed work on an IVT program for the prototype states. Perry always presents a positive and professional image while involved in his numerous activities throughout the nation. He is held in very high regard, not only for his training skills, but more importantly for his warm smile and wonderful sense of humor. During a national training conference held in Baltimore this past spring, Perry served as the MC for the conference. One participant commented that Perry’s “positive and up-beat attitude set the tone for a successful conference”. SSA and his peers have recognized him as one of the premier training officers in the nation.

Doug Willman from Nebraska was recognized as an administrator of a disability agency who has made continuous contributions to the Social Security disability program and is actively supportive of the advancement of NADE. Doug has served as the administrator of the Nebraska DDS for the past 23 years and has had many notable accomplishments including implementation of the first computerized case control and information management system. He has established himself an expert on redesign and has been very outspoken at many regional and national NADE conferences. During his term as NCDDD President, he was very supportive of a NADE and NCDDD collaboration. Most recently, Doug has been serving as Chairperson of the NCDDD Systems Committee and has been responsible for helping coordinate the efforts and expertise of the DDS and SSA systems personnel in order to ensure that the interests of the DDS personnel are considered in SSA systems planning and development. Since becoming a member of NADE in 1979, he continues to encourage professional growth of his staff by allowing NADE members leave time and funding to attend conferences. Doug is an excellent communicator and dedicated to the preservation of the role of the DE in the adjudicative process. He is very well respected throughout the nation.