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Read how Business Leaders and Policy
Leaders see the importance of the Oregon Business Leadership Network
and its entrepreneurial approach...
Duncan Wyse, Executive
Director, Oregon Business Council
Representative Brad Avakian, Oregon House
District 34
Dr. Peter Kohler, President, Oregon Health
Sciences University
Greg White, Executive Staff, Oregon Workforce
Investment Board
Scott Hatley, Executive Director, Incight
Lita Colligan, Workforce Policy Advisor, Oregon
Governor's Office
Mike Ray, Transition Counselor, Oregon Commission for
the Blind
Katherine McCary, President, USBLN
Duncan Wyse, Executive
Director, Oregon Business Council: "They help us
elevate the entire discussion of inclusion as a business strategy..."
“I believe that the OBLN has
transformed what is clearly a social justice issue into a business issue
and, in doing so, has broadened the constituency for employment of
people with disabilities. This is new in my estimation and due to an
entrepreneurialism that includes savvy business strategy in meeting its
mission. Beyond that, the OBLN helped spark some new thinking for the
Oregon Business Plan around how we include everyone and every talent in
Oregon's workforce. The new Workforce Initiative in the Oregon Business
Plan was sparked by OBLN's engaging us around inclusion. They help us
elevate the entire discussion of inclusion as a business strategy that
must also address diversity, the needs of working parents, a drug free
workforce and other aspects that you can see at
http://www.oregonbusinessplan.org/workforce.html. “
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Representative Brad Avakian,
Oregon House District 34/ Honorary Co-Chair of the OBLN:
"I look for great things from the OBLN... as we
aim at a business led marketing effort around improving employment for
people with disabilities."
"The OBLN has begun raising the
awareness and investment by political and business leaders statewide
around the importance of employment of all people with disabilities to
our state economy, to business competitiveness, and to tapping
historically under utilized talent. Their initial success is reflected
in the addition to the 2006 Oregon Business Plan of a new section called
“Increase the participation and the stability in the competitive
workforce” that for the first time adds practical steps, led by
business, to increase the inclusion of people with disabilities in the
competitive workforce. This was promoted to the Oregon Business Council
by the OBLN Board of Directors and their business champion Eileen Drake,
VP, Precision Cast Parts/PCC Structurals. This is a significant
departure from the status quo ordinarily led by state service providers.
It brings business and political investment to improving employment for
people with disabilities and opens the way for political leaders and the
governor to invest their political capitol, in partnership with
business, around the issue of improving the historically depressed
employment prospects for people with disabilities.
This is just the beginning, but it
is on the right track and is a fresh approach with a viable business
strategy. I applaud the OBLN, its Board, and its Executive Director for
taking this first step. This result would never have occurred without
the OBLN's ability to market their mission with and to business in
relevant ways. I look for great things from the OBLN and will be working
with them as their Honorary Co-Chair to build on this start as we aim at
a business led marketing effort around improving employment for people
with disabilities."
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Dr. Peter Kohler,
President, Oregon Health Sciences University/ Honorary Co-Chair of the
OBLN:
"The Oregon Business Leadership Network has brought new leadership and
an entrepreneurial approach to the challenge of recruiting and retaining
disabled workers for Oregon businesses."
“Since its inception in 2004, the
Oregon Business Leadership Network has brought new leadership and an
entrepreneurial approach to the challenge of recruiting and retaining
disabled workers for Oregon businesses. Despite being a relatively new
coalition, the OBLN has made significant progress raising awareness and
understanding of disability issues. As Honorary Co-Chair of OBLN, I was
proud to help lead the call for a statewide summit involving 150
business leaders from all corners of Oregon. Conference participants
and OBLN staff engaged in wide-ranging discussions that resulted in the
articulation of the Oregon Business Case for Inclusion of People with
Disabilities in the Competitive Workforce – a set of principles that has
been recognized nationally as a unique and thought-provoking document.
OHSU supports the work of the OBLN
and shares its forward looking philosophy. In addition to my role as
Honorary Co-Chair, OHSU is proud to have another member of our executive
team, Jilma Meneses, on the OBLN Board, currently serving as Board
President. We will continue to help lead this remarkable organization
and to promote inclusion of all people with disabilities in Oregon’s
workforce.”
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Greg White, Executive Staff,
Oregon Workforce Investment Board: "We are
delighted to find in the OBLN, an aggressive, business focused strategy
for employment of people with disabilities.“
“The OBLN is bringing a new
demand-side approach to employment of people with disabilities, an issue
that has long been dominated by supply side efforts. The Oregon
Workforce Investment Board is developing its own demand-side strategies
with business and we appreciate that in the development of the OBLN we
will have a new, business led resource and partner for the employment of
people with disabilities in Oregon. We recently included the OBLN’s
Business Case for Inclusion of People with Disabilities in the
Competitive Workforce as part of a presentation to the Department of
Labor. It is the only such business case in the nation that has been
articulated by business for business and has been printed (Intel) by
business for business. It attracted much positive attention by our
funders and added strength to our presentation. The OWIB bases our
success on building a demand driven system. We are delighted to find in
the OBLN, an aggressive, business focused strategy for employment of
people with disabilities. “
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Scott Hatley, Executive
Director, Incight: "The internship center
partnership undertaken by Incight and OBLN is very novel and
entrepreneurial."
"OBLN has been an important
partnership for Incight and our development. Our relationship focused
mission is unique as we seek to be an intermediary to the youth, high
schools, colleges and businesses. We seek to bring all community
resources together in better serving our youth. The internship center
partnership undertaken by Incight and OBLN is very novel and
entrepreneurial. No organizations in the community are currently
attempting to increase the internship and work experience for youth with
disabilities while connecting business with budding talent. We believe
this focus further builds on the community framework already in place;
mainly, the one stop centers, non-profit agencies, faculty (high school
and college), parent organizations and businesses. Partnerships continue
to be a vital part of the expansion for Incight and OBLN as
organizations. It further enables both to build off the strength of each
organization."
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Lita Colligan, Workforce
Policy Advisor, Oregon Governor's Office: "OBLN
organized businesses, listened to their needs, and responded with the
business case for hiring people with disabilities."
"The OBLN has taken an
entrepreneurial approach to its mission by listening and responding to
the needs of its customers, businesses. Rather than building a business
plan based on a social services paradigm, OBLN organized businesses,
listened to their needs, and responded with the business case for hiring
people with disabilities. Their customers are driven by bottom-line
results. The OBLN is making the case for inclusion with data, and
providing resources to make it easier for business to benefit from
hiring workers with diverse abilities. In the global economy, with
impending labor shortages and firms seeking talent anywhere in the
world, providing accommodations in the workplace to utilize the talents
of all workers is an essential economic imperative."
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Mike Ray, Transition
Counselor, Oregon Commission for the Blind:
"This is the first year we have had the opportunity to develop a
partnership with the Oregon Business Leadership Network and its new
Internship and Summer Hire Center: an effort to link business with
students with disabilities."
"For over 25 years the Oregon
Commission for the Blind has offered a Summer Work Experience Program (SWEP)
to eligible legally blind high school students. This program is
statewide. It is essential that our agency partners with other entities
to identify appropriate job placements for our customers. This is the
first year we have had the opportunity to develop a partnership with the
Oregon Business Leadership Network and its new Internship and Summer
Hire Center: an effort to link business with students with
disabilities. We are helping them, and their partner, Incight, design
and test the Center. We are one of the supply side partners for the
Center in providing talented students to business. Others include the
Oregon Youth Transition Program in the Oregon VR Services, Incight
scholars, Business Education Compact, and Chemeketa Community College.
Our cooperative effort to develop
the Internship Center with OBLN is starting to pay off. We have
identified a job placement for a legally blind young man from the
valley, and he will be working at the OHSU Human Resources Dept. in SW
Portland. He is very excited about his job as an office assistant, and
this was only made possible by the new partnership with OBLN. We will
be keeping their staff appraised of his progress. The OBLN solicited
OHSU, an affiliate of the organization, Incight helped facilitate the
match, and we at the Commission brokered the final match and will
provide the coaching and support of the student.
I am hopeful we will be able to
develop more of these internships in the future through this partnership
with OBLN."
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Katherine McCary,
President, USBLN: "The entrepreneurial drive of
the OBLN was recognized and honored by its peers and the Board of the
USBLN in 2005 as the USBLN Chapter of the year..."
"The entrepreneurial drive of the
OBLN was recognized and honored by its peers and the Board of the USBLN
in 2005 as the USBLN Chapter of the year for exemplary leadership. In a
very short time, the OBLN has established itself in five leadership
areas: including disability as part of a workforce initiative in a state
business plan, developing materials for business promoting the business
case for inclusion; establishment of an employer resource clearinghouse
focused on corporate cultures of inclusion, initiation of an Internship
Center to assist employers in connecting with students with
disabilities, and chapter emphasis on continued sustainability
attracting corporate sponsorship to ensure continued growth of the
organization and its ability to meet the increased demands of the
business community to meet workforce diversity needs.
The US Business Leadership Network (USBLN)
is the only national non-profit business organization created by
business for business to expand awareness and provide tools for
employers to include individuals with disabilities as a diversity
strategy."
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