Clallam Transit recently was presented the Clallam County Health & Human Services Business Leadership Advisory Committee Employer of the Month Award by Jamye Wisecup, Emergency Management Program coordinator at Clallam County Emergency Management and member of the Business Leadership Advisory Committee.

This award recognizes employers who demonstrate diversity and inclusion in their hiring practices by having one or more employees with developmental disabilities in their employ.

The presentation took place July 27 at Clallam Transit headquarters in Port Angeles.

Receiving the award was Clallam Transit maintenance manager Kevin Gallacci. They were presented with a certificate to keep, as well as a “traveling” plaque to display in their facility for the month of July. This plaque will travel each month to the award recipient for that month and at the end of 2015 will be displayed in the county courthouse. June’s recipient was The Home Depot.

During the presentation Wisecup expressed appreciation for employers like Clallam Transit who make Clallam County stand out among other counties in the state. Clallam County currently ranks No. 1 in the region and No. 2 in the state for highest percentage of citizens with developmental disabilities seeking jobs who actually reach their goal of employment.

Gallacci said, “For more than 30 years Clallam Transit has had great success in employing individuals with disabilities, meeting our expectations and providing folks with stable, long-term employment opportunities.” General manager Wendy Clark-Getzin said that Clallam Transit is, “anticipating continued placements for the developmentally and physically disabled individuals in our organization.”

The Business Leadership Advisory Committee is a business to business network promoting the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in the community and workforce. They have established a mentorship program for businesses interested in exploring the possibility of hiring individuals with disabilities. For more information about the Business Leadership Advisory Committee, visit www.clallam.net/HHS/HumanServices/blac.html.

Mary Cliffton, Developmental Disability case manager for Clallam County Health & Human Services, will connect employers to the various community employment providers and agencies should they be interested in hiring workers with disabilities. She can be reached at 417-2407.