People representing the past, present and future of the Gainesville-based Rehabilitation Industries of Northeast Georgia were together Thursday morning as a part of National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
The non-profit, known as RING, honored its former executive director's 37 years of helping those with physical and emotional disabilities find work. Paula Phillips, who was presented with several items of recognition at a breakfast, reflected on her work.
"Lots of times in the community, I'll see those individuals who maybe got their first job when they were a part of RING, who are still working, who may have a family now. So we saw their growth happen, so I felt like we were always that hope maybe that other people hadn't found in their lives," Phillips said.
As part of the presentation, Georgia State Senator Butch Miller, R-Gainesville, read and gave Phillips a copy of a proclamation commemorating her work.
The present for the Athens Street non-profit came in the form of an ongoing success story. RING provides employees for several private sector partners, including Caterpillar in Athens.
CAT Section Manager, MHE (mini hydraulic excavator) Assembly, Brent Gates spoke about the work of Johnny Whitehead.
Whitehead started as a shy and reserved RING placement with the company. As time moved on, Gates said Whitehead advanced past his original position, often stepping into new roles when other employees were out.
"After around two years, I just asked Johnny, I said, 'what's keeping you from coming on full-time Johnny?,' he goes, 'I don't know, I'm just doing my job,' I don't know if he'd even thought of it," Gates said.
Whitehead is now full-time and is the go-to guy for new CAT employees with production questions, according to Gates.
The future of RING also took to the microphone Tuesday, outlining plans for her first sixth months on the job as executive director. Joy Duncan said the list includes an assessment of the organization, goal setting and implementation of those goals through community involvement.
"We need you to talk about us. We need you to think about us," Duncan said. "We need you to advocate for us...if you can participate in social media. Like our page, so that when we put something out, maybe people that are on your Facebook page see that, and they have the opportunity to see some of our successes."
The breakfast also included award presentations. CAT was honored as RING's 2017 Employer of the Year. Carroll Daniel Construction, located across the street from RING, received the agency's Good Neighbor Award.
