Minnesota-based Dungarvin Claims Seven Winners of Prestigious   2025 ANCOR DSP of the Year Awards

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April 2, 2025                                                            Tony Baisley, Communications Manager, 612-386-8289

Recognition honors professionals exemplifying workforce that empowers community inclusion for people with intellectual, developmental disabilities (I/DD) 

MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MN –ANCOR, the leading voice in Washington for community-based disability services providers, has announced that Minnesota-based Dungarvin has seven recipients in this year’s DSP of the Year award. The Dungarvin winners join a total of 54 honorees in the 2025 edition of ANCOR’s annual Direct Support Professional of the Year Awards program. This year’s awards garnered over 500 nominations from across the nation, a record-breaking total. 

“Dungarvin is so proud of each of our winners,” said CEO Lori Kress, who is also the president of ANCOR’s Board of Directors this year. “We look forward to celebrating all of the dedicated DSPs for this important recognition representing their incredible professionalism and work ethic. More importantly, we recognize that their collective dedication enables true community inclusion for the people we support in Minnesota and across the country,” shared Kress. “The supports they provide are an example of the transformative power of community-based, person-centered services.” ANCOR recognized the following Dungarvin team members as state winners: 

• Rose Musgrave Indiana DSP of the Year  

• Diane Butler Nevada DSP of the Year  

• Fatmata Bayoh New Jersey DSP of the Year 

• Elaine Bahe New Mexico DSP of the Year  

• Earlean Rivers North Carolina DSP of the Year 

• Nikkita Lightsey Oklahoma DSP of the Year  

• Maria Francisco Oregon DSP of the Year 

Since 2007, ANCOR’s annual DSP of the Year awards recognize outstanding direct support professionals (DSPs) who deliver long-term services and supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The awards celebrate the important role DSPs play in ensuring people with I/DD have what they need to thrive and be included in the community.  

These awards also seek to raise awareness about a direct support workforce in crisis. Inadequate investments in this essential workforce have led to a decades-long severe shortage of DSPs, which risks being exacerbated significantly as Congress weighs substantial cuts to Medicaid, the program the funds the vast majority of services delivered by the direct support workforce. 

“I began my career as a direct support professional, and so I have witnessed firsthand just how powerful a difference a qualified and committed DSP can make in the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” stated Kress. “But DSPs of this caliber truly raise the bar on what it means to deliver world-class support.” 

Barbara Merrill, chief executive officer for ANCOR, added: “It is truly a pleasure to hear stories day in and day out about the magic that DSPs make possible as they deliver services that are nothing short of transformative for people with I/DD. It’s the very reason ANCOR began the DSP of the Year Awards program nearly two decades ago, and it’s why we are very much looking forward to celebrating these outstanding professionals in San Diego next week.” 

Each of the Dungarvin winners and the other 2025 honorees will be recognized during an awards ceremony in San Diego, Calif., on Wednesday, April 9, from 7:30-9:30 am (PDT) during ANCOR Connect ’25, the association’s annual conference. Members of the press interested in attending the awards presentation should contact Sean Luechtefeld, ANCOR’s vice president for membership and communications, at sluechtefeld@ancor.org or 571.207.9108.

About ANCOR 

For more than 50 years, ANCOR has been a leading advocate for the critical role service providers play in enriching the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). As a national nonprofit trade association, ANCOR exists to advance the future of supports and services for people with I/DD.  

About Dungarvin 

Dungarvin is a family-owned organization that provides services and personalized community-based supports for children and adults with disabilities. The Dungarvin mission influences its approach to person-centered care: “Respecting and responding to the choices of people in need of supports.” Dungarvin believes each person has their own set of aspirations, goals, strengths, and dreams. Over the past 50 years, Dungarvin has grown to provide supports to over 10,000 individuals across 15 states. Dungarvin’s long and stable history demonstrates its unwavering commitment to quality, reliability, and integrity. If you would like to learn more about the organization, please visit www.dungarvin.com.