2010 IRA Training Conference Re-cap
The 2010 training conference of the Iowa Rehabilitation Association now is history. As usual, it included all that professional good stuff -- (mostly) stimulating breakout sessions, the opportunity to hobnob with rehab colleagues, and of course scintillating business meetings, led by yours truly. We elected the following people to the following positions in IRA: Gary Johnson as president-elect, Jeffrey Morgan as vice president, Mary Ott as secretary, and Jamie Corwin, Jessica Schneider, and Lois Staff as board members at large.
President-elect Matt Bruinekool had enlisted the help of several Drake University grad students in rehab counseling to help him and other IRA veterans at putting together this year's conference. The energy and enthusiasm of these young(er) people was refreshing. Five in particular stood out in their participation: Tony Shafer, Lindsay Walker, Keri Osterhaus, Valerie Osterberg, and Jessica Schneider. Jessie seemed to be everywhere before and during the conference, and she even earned part of the coveted Hokey-pokey Trophy. Her inspired bingo calling (misreadings, such as "B-I" were fondly recalled) won her part, and co-winner Michelle Krefft's inspired table dancing completed the award.
RSA Commissioner Lynnae Rutledge presented that organization's new agenda to us, and some agency administrators had the chance to see her in more small-group discussions.
At our awards banquet we got to celebrate several deserving people. Counselor of the Year went to John Lee-Egan. The Gerry Beyers Award (for distinguished service to this organization) was awarded to Victoria Kollmann. The Bill Donoghue Award for excellence in job placement went to Mary Ott. The Achievement Award, which is for a rehab client who has reached distinction, was given to Emilie Hillman (see next paragraph). In addition to these annual awards, Roger Carter presented Sherri Clark of Atlantic with the Margaret Fairbairn Award, a national award for job placement.
We opened the conference with a presentation by Emilie Hillman and her colleagues from Em and Jerrie's Coffee Shop in Independence. Em endeared herself to us by her friendly enthusiasm and broad smile, as the owner and embodiment of the spirit of Em and Jerrie's.
Friday morning we got to hear Dan Keplinger and his wife Dena. She acted as his interpreter (he has a form of CP that has greatly affected his speech and muscular control). Dan has become famous in his native Baltimore and nationwide for his paintings (done with a paint brush attached to his forehead) and advocacy for people with disabilities in several acclaimed films. His sense of humor and quirky personality drew us into a presentation that otherwise might have been slow and frustrating for the more impatient among us. Dan took a certain glee in getting to speak to an organization with a notorious moniker like "IRA." He appreciated it that we were part of a larger concern called "NRA"!
Everyone who attended concurrent sessions would have his or her own favorite ones. Curiously, among my favorites were the two on the new CRC ethics code revisions, led by UI professor, Dr. Jodi Saunders. I have attended far too many ethics presentations that were presented as no more than a dreadful requirement that we all had to suffer through, thereby belittling their importance and impact. Fortunately, that is not Ms. Saunders' approach. Her positive and enthusiastic take on the subject presented ethics as an essential, living, breathing subject of real relevance to our professional lives.