WILC Board Member Receives
NYS Assembly
"Excelsior Award for Excellence"
On July 13, 2006, Assemblyman Will
Stephens hosted a ceremony to honor Joe Gomez with the NYS Assembly "Excelsior
Award for Excellence". This is an award presented to individuals who have
overcome physical and other personal challenges and honors their extraordinary
achievements and dedication to their communities. "He is one of my heroes,"
Assemblyman Stephens said. "I only made one nomination for this award and that
was he." Mr. Gomez was being honored for his efforts as an advocate for
disability rights in Putnam County. "No matter what your disability is, you
deserve reasonable accommodations," said Mr. Gomez. "If I can help others, then
I feel like I have done my share." "If I can inspire younger people to get
involved, that would be wonderful. I wish the younger generation would get more
active. We need to advocate for ourselves."
Mr. Gomez is a member of WILC's Board of
Directors. He is also a member of the American Council for the Blind, the
Mahopac Lions Club, the Putnam County Community Services Board, among others.
Mr. Gomez was a bookkeeper and devised his own methods of modifying his work
environment so that he could operate the necessary machinery. He also now
volunteers for Putnam County's Retired Senior Volunteer Program. |
