Disability Matters

Joyce welcomes The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law's Jill Bazelon, Member of the Board of Trustees, Holly O'Donnell, President & CEO and Eve Hill one of the nation's leading disability rights attorneys, with Brown, Goldstein & Levy to the show. They will discuss plans for their 2023 Bazelon Center Awards Gala Thursday, October 12, 2023, in Washington, DC.

Joyce welcomes Colleen Mascia, Category Strategy Manager in Pfizer's Global Procurement Group managing the engagement of creative advertising agencies, with a specific focus on Public Relations, and Christine Aurigemma, Senior Manager of Diversity Sourcing in Pfizer's HR organization championing Inclusion and Disability and Neurodiversity Advocacy. The guests will be discussing the Disability: IN Mentor/Mentee relationship and partnering for equity for people with disabilities in the workforce.

Joyce welcomes to the show, Rebecca Willford, the new CEO of Disability Rights Advocates. Rebecca is a seasoned, nationally recognized disability community leader and attorney with extensive experience litigating class action lawsuits on behalf of people with disabilities. She has achieved multiple precedents on matters of first impression, advancing the rights of people with disabilities throughout the country. During the show, she will discuss her advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes John Walsh, a highly successful business leader and real advocate for employing people with disabilities, back to the show. He has hired people with disabilities from Bender Consulting Services, Inc. for years. During the show, he will explain the importance of leadership in the employment of people with disabilities.

Joyce welcomes Dr. Bruce Meyer, Executive Vice President and Western PA Market President for Highmark Health to the show. Dr. Meyer is an experienced senior healthcare and education executive who is passionate about building high-reliability healthcare organizations through integrating coverage and care to deliver a more personalized, simpler, and proactive engaged health experience for individuals and clinicians. A proven initiator and strategic thinker with strong emotional intelligence with a focus on performance excellence while dealing with uncertainty and ambiguity. He will discuss this business philosophy and why hiring people with disabilities helps the organization meet these objectives.

Joyce welcomes Mick Malec, CEO, enGen and Enterprise Technology and Operations Officer, Highmark Health, back to the show. enGen’s dynamic ecosystem of smart automation and technology supports streamlines complex operations for health plans and their provider partners. Founded in 2014 as HM Health Solutions (HMHS), enGen is a wholly owned subsidiary of Highmark Health. enGen has more than 3,500 employees and works with health care plans serving more than 10 million members nationwide. Mr. Malec will discuss enGen’s continued commitment to hire people with disabilities as part of a diverse workforce.

Joyce is honored to have back as her guest Christine Griffin, a strong disability rights advocate and current Bender Consulting Services' Senior Search Specialist Consultant on the show. During the show, she will be discussing her long career which includes her past work as Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Deputy Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management during the Obama Administration. She will also discuss her protection and advocacy work, and her current work with Bender Consulting Services and the Bender Leadership Academy.

Joyce welcomes Ellen Duffield, President and CEO of Highmark Wholecare, to the show. Highmark Wholecare is a health insurance provider caring for the whole person - physically, mentally, and financially. It is committed to connecting its members with the right resources to meet health needs. Ms. Duffield will share with the listeners her story of how she became President and CEO of Highmark Wholecare, and the personal reason she supports the commitment that Highmark Wholecare places on hiring people with disabilities in its workforce.

During Disability Pride Month, Joyce welcomes Gerald Homme to the show. The two discuss disability employment equity, the importance of unity, and disability pride. They also discuss the various products and services that Bender Consulting Services offers people with disabilities and how these services lend themselves to helping people with disabilities have a greater sense of pride in their disability.

Joyce welcomes Mick Malec, CEO, enGen and Enterprise Technology and Operations Officer, Highmark Health, back to the show. enGen's dynamic ecosystem of smart automation and technology supports streamlines complex operations for health plans and their provider partners. Founded in 2014 as HM Health Solutions (HMHS), enGen is a wholly owned subsidiary of Highmark Health. enGen has more than 3,500 employees and works with health care plans serving more than 10 million members nationwide. Mr. Malec will discuss enGen's continued commitment to hire people with disabilities as part of a diverse workforce.