"Goodwill CEO Presents HCDDS Superintendent with Proclamation at CARA Next Chapter Event!"

The evening of Thursday, August 11th was poignant and memorable in many ways, as members of Ohio Valley Goodwill’s staff team joined with the CARA group in recognizing the accomplishments of retiring HCDDS Superintendent Cheryl Phipps.  Goodwill  is one of the founding members of the Community Ambassadors Resource Alliance (CARA), which is a consortium of 16 non-profit agencies whose mission is raise community awareness and funds to enrich the lives of individuals with disabilities. In honor of Ms. Phipps, the CARA group chose to host an evening reception to allow partners and friends to convey their best wishes and share memories of Phipps leadership over the past 11 years. Held at the Anderson Center, the “Next Chapter” event welcomed more than 75 guests who enjoyed the evening of conversation, delicious appetizers, musical entertainment, and formal tributes provided by a series of special guests. Ohio Valley Goodwill’s President and CEO Joe Byrum was especially pleased to have the opportunity to present Ms. Phipps with a formal proclamation from the organization’s Board of Directors in recognition of her many accomplishments over the years. Byrum’s presentation was then followed by the heart-felt words of advocate and friend Melinda Gabelman, who captured the emotion of the evening by saying, “Thank you for what you’ve done on behalf of all of us…I will be sad when you leave but you’ll always be in my heart.” Superintendent Phipps leadership was based on the principles of “Self-Determination” which simply means that individuals with disabilities make the decisions and  choices to determine their own futures. Phipps is widely regarded as  an inspirational and effective leader  who  served the more than 10,000 individuals that the Board  supports with distinction. The CARA  “Next Chapter” event was viewed as a wonderful success and a fitting tribute to HCDDS Superintendent Phipps.