Letter from PaRC Chair for 2008

Dear Council members and all our community stakeholders:

It is an honor to have been elected chair of the PaRC. I will do my best to effectively lead the Council through this coming year.

Over the past several years, the Council has succeeded in strengthening partnerships within the disability community and with our stakeholders. I want to continue this effort and expand our partnerships to include more advisory committees. Our knowledge and understanding of Workforce Development partners has increased and we will continue to develop a stronger working relationship.

We have begun a greater effort toward increasing statewide Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) participation. This effort will continue. Active CAC participation and contribution to the work of the PaRC is vital. OVR customers need a voice regarding the quality of OVR service delivery and this can occur through our local CAC's to the Council.

The Council will continue to monitor activity on the Workforce Investment Act and other disability related legislation on the state and federal level, and to monitor the accessibility of services under Workforce Investment to ensure that Pennsylvanians with disabilities and all other minorities have equal access to CareerLink sites and services.

In partnership with Labor and Industry, OVR, and on behalf of job seekers with disabilities, the Council will be initiating a greater working relationship with the Governors Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities (GCEPD). We will be seeking ways in which the Council can develop stronger connections with other advisory groups such as the Multi-cultural Advisory Committee. With this combined effort, employment opportunities for minorities (i.e. disability, ethnic, cultural) can only increase throughout Pennsylvania.

I look forward to the challenges of the coming year and request, in advance, the assistance of Council members as I stumble through meeting protocols and procedures, and attempt to manage my professional and personal life.

Sincerely,

Carolyn D. Vidt