RESPECT of Florida is the central non-profit agency for the State of Florida that helps employ about 1,200 Floridians with disabilities through the production of commodities and contractual services that are sold to government entities.
If you would like to learn more about us or browse our catalog, visit us at respectofflorida.org.
RESPECT Recognizes Partner ECs
RESPECT recognized two outstanding partner Employment Centers for their wonderful work on RESPECT contracts this year.
Lighthouse Works in Orlando received the award for Employment Center of the Year for Services for their performance on their contact center services at the Department of Economic Opportunity. They demonstrated how agile and responsive they could be when asked to adjust the number of agents to fit the demands of reemployment assistance inquiries for the state of Florida.
Brevard Achievement Center received the award for Employment Center of the Year for Commodities for their dedication and diligence in providing high demand PPE products to the state agencies of Florida. BAC was able to keep the pipeline flowing often working with a reduced staff to get products where they were needed most.
RESPECT Honors State Customers
RESPECT cannot honor our partners and workers without also honoring our loyal and supportive customers.
Each year we are so appreciative of the agencies that use the RESPECT program and help us fulfill our mission of employing Floridians with disabilities.
RESPECT recognized the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Florida Highway Patrol as the RESPECT Customer of the Year for Services.
We are so appreciative to have such a great customer like FHP, who consistently reaches out to RESPECT with new opportunities. Currently, RESPECT performs janitorial services at five FHP locations.
RESPECT recognized the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as the RESPECT Customer of the Year for Commodities.
We are honored to provide needed supplies, such as PPE products, garbage bags, batteries, and sanitation supplies to State Parks all over Florida. RESPECT is very appreciative of their continued support.
Thank you, FHP and DEP, for helping employ Floridians with Disabilities!
RESPECT Awards Two Micro-Enterprise Grants
RESPECT was able to give two Micro-Enterprise Grants for self-employment this year. The goal of the grant is to assist an entrepreneur who has a disability in starting or expanding his or her business.
Congratulations to our two winners:
Geneva Wilkinson owner of Chick-a-dee's Crafty Creations and Branden Hankins and Maryssa Weaver co-owners of Pasco Pickers.
Geneva will be primarily focusing on a line of hand-drawn greeting cards. Eventually, she plans to branch out into other custom, handmade items.
Branden and Maryssa will be working on refurbishing and reselling gently used items while also creating a line of tactile greeting cards.
Congratulations to the grant winners! They are officially open for business!
New Products
As offices are re-opening, freestanding screens can create a barrier when you cannot be six feet apart. RESPECT offers three different sizes to meet a variety of needs. If the standard sizes will not work for your space, please inquire about custom work for your space.
Kationx improves water quality by using cationic technologies. Kationx products improve settleability, help upstream flow, and are environmentally friendly.
On September 29, RESPECT held its first virtual award ceremony to honor its customers, partners, and workers. This past year has been very challenging, but we have found ways to band together and thrive.
Each year, we ask our partners to nominate RESPECT contract workers in one of four categories: Rookie of the Year, Most Improved, Employee of the Year for Services, and Employee of the Year for Commodities. It is always a difficult decision as all the nominations we receive are outstanding. Congratulations to all our dedicated RESPECT contract workers!
To view the virtual event, please visit Success Stories on the RESPECT website. If you have issues viewing the video, you can also find the video on YouTube.
Congratulations to all the winners and nominees! Thank you for your hard work this year.
Rookie of the Year
Pictured top left descending: Felisha Thomas, Joseph Quinn, Lucy Pistey. Right: Silvia Dozer.
The Rookie of the Year award was presented to Silvia Dozer.Silvia works with RESPECT partner SMA Healthcare at the Flagler County Weigh In Motion (WIM). Silvia has proven herself to be the consummate professional, giving attention to even the most minor details making it difficult for inspectors to find anything left undone or requiring attention. This attention to detail is a huge accomplishment and a tremendous asset! Silvia is exceptionally kind, always cheerful, and supportive of others. Her personality radiates and others instantly like her. An example of how much she is liked: on her birthday, the FDOT WIM employees brought in cupcakes and gave her a house plant to show their appreciation for all that she does to make the environment a good place to be.
Most Improved
Pictured: Left, Scot Abshire. Top right descending, Ravindra Latchman, Theresa Jules.
The award for Most Improved Employee of the Year was presented to Scot Abshire. Scot works at RESPECT partner Louise Graham Regeneration Center and has shown tremendous growth in developing a positive attitude. Before working on RESPECT desk calendars, Scot had very little patience, explosive behaviors of aggression towards others and property, and a negative attitude towards fellow employees and his work. Working on the RESPECT desk calendars helped Scot tremendously to learn patience and wait his turn for the portion of the job he was completing without becoming frustrated. Once he learned all aspects of the job, collating the months, placing the cardboard on the back of the calendar, and sealing the plastic bags, Scot's attitude changed, and he has since been described as "radiant." Scot now displays a hard work ethic and is willing to do all tasks, including the less desirable ones - this is a fantastic transformation.
Employee of the Year - Commodities
Pictured: Left, Lily Kindred. Top right descending, Carol Davis, Eric Webster
The winner of Commodities Employee of the Year is Lily Kindred. Lily is described as someone who is a "positive light" by RESPECT partner Brevard Achievement Center and is a leader who consistently sets aggressive goals for herself. Lily tackles her work with enthusiasm, and no job is too daunting for her. The products Lily works on have steadily grown and expanded over the past five years, and now Lily regularly achieves 90 to 100% productivity. Because she has the drive to learn and excel in her work with RESPECT, Lily was one of the four participants in the Adult Day Training Program who was approached about applying to staff positions within the BAC production facility while ADT was closed to participants. Even with the additional PPE and COVID-19 safety protocols in place, Lily exceeded all of the productivity thresholds and was able to get the job done no matter what.
Employee of the Year - Services
Pictured: Left column descending: Vince Clause, Malvin Fahie, Bruce Mayo. Center descending: Matthew Seeger, Ian Levine. Right column descending: Anthony Hilery, Trisha Adams, Norman Gibson.
The winner of Services Employee of the Year is Matthew Seeger. Matthew is an employee who strives to be an excellent agent with the DMS Call Center with RESPECT partner ServiceSource. During the beginning stages of the pandemic, Matthew did a phenomenal job taking calls directed to the Department of Economic Opportunities (DEO) over questions of the status of their unemployment checks. He gave support for the citizens of the State of Florida, handling various callers, who at times would call in literally crying for help because they had no unemployment money coming in for them. He even helped a caller who stated that they wanted to commit suicide due to their economic situation. Matthew has always wanted to help people, and the RESPECT contract allows him to help dozens of people every day to get the answer they need for their questions or concerns.
Professionalism, Your Career
Secret Weapon
If you were told that there is one trait that you could master that would make you instantly a more valued employee, would you be interested to know what that trait was? This trait, when executed correctly, has the ability to heighten every aspect of your job and make the end result better all-around on how you do your job - knowing how this skill will help you climb your chosen career ladder, would you work hard to achieving this one particular trait? Sounds too good to be true? Well, it is not, but maybe it is not quite as simple as one single trait, but rather a collection of attitudes and behaviors that reflect your ability to respect others and demonstrate competence in your chosen profession.
Success in your chosen career will come much easier if you learn from the beginning how to be a professional in your chosen business environment. So, let us dig in a little deeper and review what it means to be a professional in your field.
Professionalism is not a single trait.
Professionalism is not one single trait - it is a set of learned behaviors that take practice and repetition. Some of the skills are innate and easy for some individuals to replicate; others will take a bit of work to master. Skills and behaviors such as punctuality, dependability, good manners, ethical conduct, strong communicator, positive attitude, emotional control, and manner of dress all go toward building a professional employee.
Professionals are not a one size fits all.
Professionalism is not a one size fits all. Certain parts of being a professional will be different depending on the type of industry the person works in – attorneys may be expected to wear a suit, but a custodian or a firefighter will not. Yet, all are equally professionals in their field. But the essential elements of Professionalism apply to every industry, and they can be learned.
Professionalism will boost your career.
The level of professionalism you demonstrate can make or break your career. When an employee can be described as being very professional, it is a great compliment and it is a significant factor in achieving career success. It might seem dramatic, but it is true! The ability to display professional characteristics will affect all aspects of how you do your job. A lack of Professionalism can cost you your next job or promotion, and it can even put you at the head of the line for a layoff.
Professionalism is not defined by how you dress.
Like it or not, the way you look is a part of how people view you, and that includes your level of Professionalism. How you dress and speak will create first-impression indicators of your level of professionalism. That is not to say that professionalism is solely about these things, but dressing the part does help with the image, but it alone is not enough to deem you professional. Professionalism goes beyond how you dress; it is how you behave in the work environment and how well you represent your company and yourself as an employee. It includes simple things like how well you follow mandated behaviors outlined in an employee handbook, as well as qualities more challenging to master, but all are critical components of being able to be called a professional.
Professionals mind their manners.
Professionalism encompasses how an employee interacts with other people. You do not have to like your co-workers, customers, or even your boss, but you do have to be able to work with them positively. The ability to interact respectfully with your colleagues, conducting yourself with integrity, and being courteous are all vital professional traits. They are so crucial in the workplace because they show that you not only care about your career but also that you respect your peers, and no matter who you work with or for, you will always represent your organization well.
Professionals make mistakes.
Part of being a professional is the ability to display appropriate ethical behavior. At some point in everyone’s career, they will stumble and wish they could have done something better or differently. Because a professional maintains a firm adherence to moral and ethical principles and values, they will readily own up to their mistakes and try to right any wrongs they make.
Professionals are like a duck on water.
You may have heard the saying about how a duck looks serene gliding across the water, but meanwhile, down below, their legs are pumping for all they are worth to move across the water. A professional should be the same way. When a job or situation is causing stress and difficulty, a professional should attempt to handle the situations that arise without negative complaints or causing a scene. They should strive for a positive resolution, maintain their composure and be mindful of their words and actions.
Professionalism is more than a checklist of requirements. It is more than the way you dress. At its heart, it includes being able to embody the company's values and the capacity to be an excellent representative of the organization. When a company hires an employee who can be described as the consummate professional, then that company knows the employee possesses an innate ability to do what is expected of them and deliver quality work because they are driven to do so. As a result, employees who behave professionally are frequently regarded as their company's leaders.
Now that you have the secret weapon for success: How will you choose to use it?
The information contained in this article is intended to provide useful information on the topic covered but should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion.
