Congratulations to Our 2021 DSP of the Year Winners!

We are thrilled to announce that eleven Dungarvin DSPs were selected as ANCOR 2021 DSP of the Year winners for their respective states, with one Dungarvin DSP selected as the national winner!

 
Since 2007 the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) has recognized the efforts of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who go above and beyond the call of duty, time and time again, to enrich the lives of the people with disabilities whom they support. In ANCOR’s words, “These extraordinary and essential professionals work tirelessly every day to solve problems, engineer solutions, adapt, innovate, listen and support. Because of their work, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are better equipped to live quality lives in truly inclusive communities.” A DSP of the Year is selected for each state among hundreds of nominations which detail the inspiring work that is performed every day on behalf of a person with a disability. Dungarvin has established a tradition of employing amazing staff who have been selected for this prestigious award for fourteen consecutive years. This is a powerful indicator of the caliber of our Direct Support Professionals and how they are positively impacting the lives of the individuals we support. This year, the Dungarvin DSPs who are honored as winners are:

William Pate, National Winner
Indiana

Arnold Dube
Indiana

Levi Cady
Minnesota

Bill Gass
Oregon

Connie Healey
Colorado

Joseph Samuela
California

Dennis Rivera
North Carolina

Antonio Powell-Fields
New Jersey

Tracy Tallon
Kentucky

Shana Morris
Oklahoma

Veronica Hopkins
New Mexico

Words cannot adequately express our gratitude for the contributions these Dungarvin DSPs have made in the lives of the people they support, nor can we begin to acknowledge the sacrifices that these extraordinary staff have made in order to maintain their commitment to the individuals who rely on them through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many of our staff went to extraordinary lengths to fulfil their commitment, often at the expense of spending time with their own families. This makes the recognition of our 2021 winners so much more special – in spite of the challenges of basic health and safety, these dedicated DSPs went above and beyond in their efforts on behalf of the people we support. They represent the best of everything we do here at Dungarvin and we could not be more proud.

Our DSP of the Year award recipients will be honored at the upcoming virtual awards ceremony which will take place on Monday, June 14th from 12-1:30PM EDT / 9-10:30AM PDT, and will mark the kickoff to Meeting the Moment: The 2021 ANCOR Annual Conference. You do not need to register for the full conference in order to view the virtual awards ceremony.

As we feature these incredible DSPs on our Facebook page, please take a minute to extend your personal congratulations to them. Best wishes to all of our winners of the 2021 DSP of the Year Awards, as well as to all of the nominees. We can’t mask our appreciation for you!