The Kick-Off and Celebration included many honored guests: Guest Speakers Brad Emmerson (AT&T-sponsored USA Team Paralympian), Erika Bogan (Ms. Wheelchair America) and Robert David Hall (a.k.a. Dr. Robbins on CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation); our partners, Internal Revenue Service, Bank of America, AT&T, Darden Restaurants Foundation, Acorda Therapeutics Inc., Walmart, 54Freedom, Visa Inc., and Sealund & Associates Corporation; and our first ever Building Economic Strength Together (BEST) Fellow, Joshua Beal. The goal of the BEST Fellowship will be to create innovative economic empowerment strategies to be tested and piloted with government and private sector support.

REI Tour City Awards: Rochester, NY, Las Vegas, NV, Denver, CO and Atlanta, GA

 

REI Tour Deaf Tax Awards: The Independent Living Center, Harlem, NY and Lexington Vocational Services Center, New York, NY

 

Federal Employee Award: Lee Bowman, FDIC

 

Outstanding Leadership Award: Brian Moynihan, President, Consumer Banking Division, Bank of America

 

REI Tour Outstanding Achievement Award: Maria V. Reina, Executive Director, Global Partnership for Disability and Development Secretariat, Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University.

Miryam Lulion, Asset Programs Coordinator, Wayne-Metropolitan Community Action Agency, Detroit, Michigan and Marshall Hunt, Director, Tax Assistance Program Volunteer Accounting Service Team of Michigan, Accounting Aid Society, Detroit, Michigan accepting for Mayor Kenneth V. Cockrel, Jr.

Diana Breen, Senior Project Manager, Children

Mary Dupont, Executive Director, Nehemiah Gateway Community Development Corporation, Wilmington, Delaware (EITC Delaware) accepting for Mayor James M. Baker, Wilmington, DE and Jack Markell, Delaware State Treasurer

Kevin Starks, Chairman, San Diego Commission on Employment of People with Disabilities, San Diego, CA accepting for Mayor Jerry Sanders.

Salima Siler Marriott, D.S.W, Deputy Mayor for Community and Human Development of Baltimore

 Michael Goeken, Family Economic Success, City of San Antonio, TX accepting award for Mayor Phil Hardberger

Tobey Davies, Southern New Hampshire University, School of Community Economic Development and Disability accepting award for Mayor Frank Guinta

 Faith DuBois, United Way of the Bay Area

Kaye Schmitz, Real$ense Prosperity accepting award for Mayor John Peyton

Melinda Burns, Wildwood Programs, Inc., CA$H Coalition of the Greater Capital Region accepting award for Governor Eliot Spitzer

 

Richard Keeling Leadership Award: Richard Keeling

 

Outstanding Accomplishment Award for Improving the Economic Lives of Americans with Disabilities: Judy Stengel

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino

Wichita Mayor Carlos Mayans

West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel