Martha Garber

Martha Garber is the Director of the University of North Texas Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment project (UNT WISE), home of the Region VI CRP-RCEP and the premier continuing education and consultancy group for employment and disability issues serving Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma & Texas. Her professional experience began as a rehabilitation teacher/vocational evaluator serving youth with disabilities. After that, Martha expanded her experience base to the private sector as a counselor then moved into state and federal settings working as a mediator, employment specialist, manager and administrator. She develops and delivers cutting edge trainings & presentations to national audiences on employment and related areas. Martha serves on the Executive Council of Lone Star APSE - The Network on Employment, and sits on the Board of Directors for the Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE). Martha has a Master's Degree in counseling and guidance and is a Licensed Professional Counselor.

Linda L. Holloway

Dr. Linda Holloway is the Principal Investigator for UNT WISE. Linda has over 25 years experience in rehabilitation program development and grants management. Her professional background includes extensive work with persons with severe disabilities, having worked in a number of community rehabilitation programs providing employment services, psychosocial rehabilitation, and community mental health services. Previous employment settings include the ARC, UCPA, Goodwill, and a community mental health center. She is a certified rehabilitation counselor and a licensed chemical dependency counselor. She has established a reputation as a staunch advocate for the employment of people with disabilities.

Dr. Holloway is an assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation, Social Work and Addictions at the University of North Texas, and is an adjunct faculty member with San Diego State University. She serves on several national and regional boards and advisory committees including the National Council for Rehabilitation Education (where she was selected as the Rehabilitation Educator of the Year in 2003), REACH - Independent Living Center, Disability Law Resources Project, University of Wisconsin-Stout Research Center, the Institute for Rehabilitation Research at the University of Texas - Pan-American, and the editorial board of the Journal of Rehabilitation. Linda has gained a national reputation as a speaker and conference presenter.

Nancy Dysinger

Nancy Dysinger came to UNT WISE at the height of planning for the regional employment conference held December 2001 in Dallas, Texas. In fact, her stellar organizational skills made a significant contribution to the success of that conference and she has been putting those skills and many others to work for the grant ever since.

Nancy started as a temporary employee here in the Fall of 2001 and we realized she was a keeper right away. Her extensive background as a programmer, database manager, and small-business owner set her apart from other applicants and we figured, hey if she's willing to stay, lets make her an offer! Fortunately for us she said yes and then immediately set to work reconfiguring our database, organizing our files, upgrading our technology and reassessing our office structure and ordering processes. Nancy is in large part responsible for bringing our trainers into the 21st century with the introduction of personalized laptops, which she configured for the LCD presentations that are now commonly used by our training staff.

Margaret J. Cortez

Margaret started with UNT WISE as a student employee when she returned to UNT in the summer of 1997 to pursue a degree in the fine arts. Her initial work with UNT WISE was as a student secretary, fulfilling the administrative tasks necessary to get our trainers to community rehabilitation programs in Region VI.

With an extensive background in marketing communications and customer service, it soon became apparent that Margaret, like all our employees, might be able to help the grant in other ways. She initiated an upgrade of our training manuals, presentations and conference materials and eventually landed in the position of web developer and graphic designer for the grant -- her current position. In this role, Margaret has utilized her artistic background and technical skills to revamp our website. Through the collaborative efforts of the grant's leadership, she has also worked on graphic design and marketing projects for other organizations with complimentary goals.

Marcy S. Haag

Dr. Marcy Haag is an organizational consultant and shares her expertise in communication, strengths-based development, self determination/independent living and leadership. Dr. Haag was a key staff member in our Texas CRP/VR Leadership Project. The outcomes of this successful project were presented nationally. She is a Master Trainer in Say It Straight™ , a nationally-recognized evidence-based program that results in developing empowering communication skills and behaviors, a subject on which she has also published. Dr. Haag serves as an Adjunct Professor in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service at UNT. You may contact her at marcy.haag@unt.edu

James L. Humes

Jim Humes is a training manager and consultant with UNT WISE where he has developed and refined several training programs that are now considered essential for newly-hired and veteran employment specialists. His Certificate in Employment Services training program has set the standard in the region for enhancing employment outcomes for people with disabilities. This training examines the real issues in employment which, according to Jim, have nothing to do with the disability! Recently, Jim took on the issue of Substance Abuse in a training module that is now available throughout the region. Substance abuse among individuals with disabilities is very prevalent and needs to be clearly understood by the employment specialist in order to best represent their client. Tackling the fear that some employment specialists have of "selling" their clients to potential employers is Jim's latest project. In Marketing Basics, Jim demystifies this entire process and presents practical, common sense solutions for community rehabilitation personnel.

Jim's background as Chief Executive Officer of a psychiatric hospital and Executive Director of community mental health centers prepared him well for his work with UNT WISE. Since he began his career with us in 1995, Jim's training evaluations have consistently characterized him as fun, sometimes frightening, irreverent, always entertaining, and highly informative.

Yvonne Raffini

Yvonne Raffini, Ed.D., NCC, LPC, is an Organizational Consultant at UNT WISE where she provides training on Supported Employment ( + Transition) and Job Coaching in a five-state area that includes Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Her work experience as a vocational rehabilitation counselor includes service in two states, Texas & Wisconsin. In 2006 she was hired by the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) where she worked in the Division of Blind Services. Prior to this she spent seven years in the Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. Other related experience includes case management at a community mental health facility for two years, District AODA Coordinator providing transition services as a School Guidance Counselor, and Project Director/ Instructor at Benito Martinez Alternative Middle School in Wisconsin for 12 years.

Paul Leung

Dr. Paul Leung chairs the Department of Rehabilitation, Social Work & Addictions where UNT WISE is housed. He is a subject-matter expert on diversity and rehabilitation and was instrumental in developing and promoting products for the grant's Diversity Project.

Dr. Leung is currently working with the grant to conduct an extensive project evaluation. He also monitors our online continuing education course, Diversity for CRPs available through the University of North Texas' eCampus

Click here for a complete list of his interests & accomplishments in a long and distinguished career as a rehabilitation professional.

Instructors

Norine Jaloway

Executive Director of Texas CRP Imagine Enterprises, Norine Jaloway has contracted with UNT WISE to share her expertise on marketing and job development with other CRPs in Region VI who work to enhance employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

Norine has been providing leadership in the development of new and innovative approaches to employment services for people with disabilities for 30 years. Technical assistance, self-directed planning, and advocacy are just some of the activities she has been involved in over the years at various agencies and conferences across the US. Most recently, Norine has narrowed her focus to the Gulf Coast area and Western regions of Texas.

In addition to supervising seven staff members, Norine provides consultant services in numerous communities and schools across Texas . She has been a member of The Arc for more than 30 years, currently serving as Co-chair of the organiization's Texas Governmental Affairs Committee. She is also a member of the Arc's Texas Legal Affairs Committee, President of the Lone Star Association for Persons in Supported Employment, Advisor to the WorkSource Disability Program Navigator, Member of the Disability Policy Consortium, Advisor to the Texas Advocates President, and Chairperson of the Association of Business & Professional Women - Schools Committee.

Mary Katherine Long

Mary Katherine Long, MHR began working in the Disability Rights field as an Independent Living Counselor at Progressive Independence in Norman, Oklahoma . She has also worked as an Advocate/Investigator for the Protection and Advocacy agency in Arkansas and spent 12 years as a Program Development Specialist at the University of Oklahoma National Center for Disability Education and Training. In that capacity she provided direct services in supported employment programs, and developed and delivered supported employment training programs including Job Club, Mental Health Job Coach and Employment Specialist training. She also managed the statewide Benefits Planning, Assistance and Outreach program.

Timothy Owens

Currently serving as the University Training Manager in the Human Resources Department at the University of North Texas and the Associate Director of the North Texas chapter of the National Coalition Building Institute, Mr. Owens is responsible for helping develop and deliver presentations having to do with issues related to relationship management including such topics as: Emotional Intelligence, Conflict Resolution, Diversity Management, Team Building, and Customer Service.

Mr. Owens brings to his position a wealth of knowledge and experience gained through his more than ten years of experience in higher education and over 8 years experience as a presenter/speaker/consultant in this field. He earned his Master of Science degree from the University of North Texas in Rehabilitation Counseling. His Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism/Public Relations is from the University of Oklahoma .

Mr. Owens' service to community/professional associations and boards include: UNT Discovery Advisory Board, UNT Tapestry Council, National Coalition Building Institute, UNT Ally Program, Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education, Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education, and the Tomas Rivera Elementary School Campus Leadership Team.

Mr. Owens is also an accomplished speaker, trainer, and facilitator. He is frequently requested to speak to groups concerning: Personal Motivation and Empowerment, Diversity Management, Conflict Resolution, Team Building, College Admissions, Financial Aid, and College Success.

Zach Sneed

Zach Sneed, PhD, CRC, is an organizational consultant with UNT WISE and a faculty member in the Department of Rehabilitation, Social Work and Addictions at the University of North Texas (UNT). Dr. Sneed has a long-standing interest in bolstering undergraduate rehabilitation education and facilitating the professionalization of rehabilitation practitioners working at Community Rehabilitation Programs. He holds a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation from Southern Illinois University and a Masters Degree in Rehabilitation Services with an emphasis in Vocational Counseling from UNT. He is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and Offender Employment Specialist.

His rehabilitation-related work experience including services to transition age youth; students with disabilities at the postsecondary level; providing drug, alcohol and gambling addiction counseling services; work with ex-offenders; as well as supervision of counselor and rehabilitation services trainees; program design & evaluation; and higher education.

Dr. Sneed currently sits on the editorial boards of both the Journal of Teaching in the Addictions and the Rehabilitation Counselors and Educators Journal.

Ray Williams

Ray Williams, the co-instructor, is a graduate of the Certificate in Employment Services training. Impressed with what he and his staff learned, he returned to his agency and implemented the model. It has worked. Ray proudly notes that 85% of the clients who have applied for employment services are successfully employed . . . some for as long as 8-10 years.

Ray has a long history of work in human services. Most recently, he has been employed by Job Link, the employment services division of the Betty Hardwick MHMR Center in Abilene, Texas. Prior to that, he was Director of Employment Services for the West Central Texas Council of Governments, and Assistant Director of Community Services, City of Abilene. In these capacities, Ray has worked with at-risk youth, seniors, persons with mental illness, and persons with developmental disabilities.

Ray is not only a firm believer in the benefits of community-based employment for persons with disabilities, he is a hands-on employment consultant. In short, he is a person who not only talks about employment services, he does it!

Ray is an excellent speaker and trainer; an individual whose keen sense of humor punctuates his commitment to helping the participants of this training to become even better in their jobs.