Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness David S. C. Chu hosted the 23rd Department of Defense (DoD) Disability Awards Ceremony and 16th DoD Disability Forum on Dec. 9 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Bethesda, Md. This annual event provides an overview of DoD disability policy and initiatives, recognizes DoD organizations with outstanding affirmative action programs for people with disabilities, and highlights the accomplishments of DoD employees with disabilities.
The keynote speaker was W. Roy Grizzard Jr., appointed in 2002 as the first assistant secretary for disability employment policy at the U.S. Department of Labor. Previously, Grizzard served for six years as commissioner for the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired. Grizzard, who himself has retinitis pigmentosa, serves on the board of directors for Prevent Blindness of Virginia and is a former board member of the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation.
The following 17 DoD employees with disabilities received Secretary of Defense awards for their outstanding contributions to national security:
Paula Briscoe, Defense Intelligence Agency
Gregory T. Burrell, Defense Logistics Agency
Michael B. Dell, Jr., Office of the Inspector General
Scott M. Deyo, Office of the Secretary of Defense/Washington Headquarters Services
Alice E. Dickerson, Defense Commissary Agency
Martha G. Fraier, Defense Security Service
Harvey T. Hale, Department of the Army
Charles A. Hoff, Department of Defense Education Activity
Gerald M. Isobe, Defense Finance and Accounting Service
Raymond D. Jenks Jr., Department of the Air Force
Timothy C. Johnson, Army and Air Force Exchange Service
Xiu Hua Kwan, Defense Contract Management Agency
Patrick J. McNally, Defense Contract Audit Agency
“Mr. R" (anonymous), National Security Agency
Warren W. Russum, Department of the Navy
Jonathan D. Stone, Defense Threat Reduction Agency
Ronald J. Siudzinski, National Imagery and Mapping Agency
In addition, three DoD components received secretary of defense trophies for accomplishments in their affirmative action programs for people with disabilities during 2003: the Department of the Air Force (Best Military Department); Defense Logistics Agency (Best Mid-Size Component), and Office of the Secretary of Defense/Washington Headquarters Services (Best Small Component).
Further information about the ceremony and forum are available at http://www.dla.mil/do/NDEAM/2003/DACindex.html . [Link no longer available.]
