Simply Biz: A Year In Review

December 31st, 2012:

This past August, Simply Biz turned a year old. Our first year was quite eventful to say the least, with new team members joining us, others leaving, our first employment placements, and otherwise just a whirlwind of activity.

I worked closely with Karen Lynn and others to develop and lay the groundwork for this program and I was proud to be a part of the launch back in 2011. With 2013 approaching, it seems an appropriate time to take a moment to reflect on where things are, how we’ve gotten here, and what’s next.

Rewinding all the way back to the summer of 201, WOW leadership set out to build Simply Biz’s direct support leadership. Of those recruitment efforts, employment specialist Raquel Smith and Vocational Skills Coordinator Arnold Filomeno remain. Raquel and Arnold are incredibly valuable to Simply Biz, bringing expertise in the areas of education, special education, speech therapy, mentorship, and even martial arts.

At the onset of 2012, due to the rapid growth of the program, I was appointed Simply Biz’s first “Program Manager.” During the spring, I worked hard to support the staff as we advanced many participants through the various program stages, developed many unique person centered plans for individuals requiring customized supports and schedules, and finally saw our first placement soon afterwards when Shelley (who you may have read about on our blog) secured employment with Embassy Suites. It was a gratifying experience for the entire staff, especially Arnold, Raquel, and Theresa, who worked so closely with Shelley. Special recognition is also due for Rachel Torres, who left WOW to relocate and start a family with her husband. Rachel, Raquel, and Arnold were all instrumental in Shelley’s early days at Simply Biz.

Throughout the year, staff explored new community training partnerships, special entrepreneurship projects through our Mister Migs studio, and reached out to break down barriers to service for dozens of applicants and participants.

Moving ahead to this past summer, Simply Biz seized an opportunity to shake up our staff for the better. As many of our close stakeholders may know, I proposed to my girlfriend at the beginning of 2012 (and she said yes!). Then, in June, she accepted a fellowship at Arizona State university to study anthropology and global health. This meant I was on my way to Phoenix, AZ in August, 2012.

Obviously, it was a bittersweet development. I’ll always value my time at WOW In-Sync, but we soon realized that no ties need be broken. Instead, Karen and I, along with VP Robbie Harris, began to search for a new Program Manager for Simply Biz, one who could bring extensive experience, credentials, and creativity to the table. Meanwhile, I’d tackle our online presence, development, and other special projects from afar (behold our new website and blog!). Our search soon settled on Jaime Hutchinson.

Jaime brings years of experience from GA Vocational Rehabilitation, and was looking for a new opportunity. Jaime spent much of her career in both Georgia and California where she built numerous successful programs and oversaw a staggering number of job placements through the years. Her specialties lie in curriculum development, program building, a knowledge of state regulations, and the resourceful tackling of problems when faced with difficult barriers, constraints, and other obstacles. She has fought hard for the people she’s supported through the years, and is known not to be satisfied with initial success, or mere entry level job options for her clients.

With her leadership, Simply Biz has taken on a reinvigorated approach to assessing our curriculum, our special projects, and our own internal standards. With many new participants finishing high school and arriving just as Jaime did, it was the perfect opportunity to implement new initiatives and continue you summer momentum. This culminated in many successful year-end achievements, including the MigDovie Project, Andrew’s hire as an administration assistant at WOW (one of our first participants), and so much more.

We’d like to invite you to take a look back at some of the years highlights, including info on job placements, events, and much more, here below:

Mentor Profile: Donna Littrell and Francis Crowe
The MigDovie Project, A Look Back
WOW’s Year-End Celebrations
Introducing “Peace” MigDovie 2012
Hired! Andrew: A Career Profile
Hired! Shelley: A Career Profile
Mary Beth’s Latest Project
WOW’s Bear Club Celebrates First Gathering
Simply Biz Open House

We look forward to a successful 2013, and we hope you’ll continue to stay tuned to our latest happenings! Please like us on facebook, follow us on twitter, and let us know what you think of your efforts.  We thank you for your support.

Happy New Year!

-Will Goble (and everyone at Simply Biz and WOW In-Sync)