OKDHS - City of Muskogee and resident receive commendations from the Governor

Library: New Release

Nov. 17, 2008

For Media Inquiries, Contact:

Sheree Powell – OKDHS Developmental Disabilities Services Division
Phone: (405) 521-4972, Fax:(405) 522-3146
e-mail: Sheree.Powell@OKDHS.org

Lauri Hanna – OKDHS Office of Communications
Phone: (405) 521-3027, Fax: (405) 522-3142
e-mail: Lauri.Hanna@OKDHS.org

City of Muskogee and resident receive commendations from the Governor

Muskogee, Okla. -- The City of Muskogee and a resident received commendations from Gov. Brad Henry Oct. 30 during the Governor’s Disability Employment Awards ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion in Oklahoma City.

Peter Rowland has worked for the past two years at Quizno’s restaurant. Rowland was recognized for his outstanding work at the restaurant as well as his volunteerism over the past six years for the local Meals-on-Wheels program.

The City of Muskogee was presented with a commendation for hiring more than 15 persons with disabilities in the City’s recycling center. The City built an office building with heat and air to provide a comfortable environment for recycling workers and INCOR provided the workforce. The people who work at the center are proud of their jobs and the fact they are helping to keep Green Country green.

“It is employees and businesses like these that have put Oklahoma ahead of every state in the nation at employing people with disabilities,” said Howard Hendrick, Cabinet Secretary of Human Services and Director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Hendrick presented the commendations on behalf of Gov. Henry who was unable to attend the ceremony.

“For the past three years, Oklahoma has led the nation in assisting people with developmental disabilities to find competitive jobs and become working taxpayers,” said Hendrick. “Today, 60 percent of individuals with developmental disabilities served by the OKDHS Developmental Disabilities Services Division participate in supported employment services.”

The Governor’s Disability Employment Awards are co sponsored by Gov. Brad Henry and Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, along with OKDHS/DDSD, the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services and the Oklahoma Association of Persons in Supported Employment.

*To see Oklahoma’s ranking as compared to other states in regard to the numbers of persons with developmental disabilities in competitive jobs (supported employment) go to, www.statedata.info/. This website is a project of the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston, supported in part by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under cooperative agreement with additional support from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. Department of Education.

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Peter Rowland | High Resolution Image | Peter Rowland, right, receives a Governor's Commendation from Howard Hendrick, Cabinet Secretary for Human Services and Director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services on behalf of Gov. Henry.
Mike Stewart and Francie Martin | High Resolution Image | City of Public Works Director Mike Stewart, left, and Francie Martin, center, receive a Governor's Commendation from Howard Hendrick, Cabinet Secretary for Human Services and Director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services on behalf of Gov. Henry.