Rockville, MD – Goodwill Industries International is pleased to honor Aaron Bishop, executive director of the National Council on Disability (NCD), with the Goodwill 2011 Outstanding Leadership Award for Federal Executives. The award is given by Goodwill Industries International and its board of directors public policy committee.
The Outstanding Leadership Award is awarded to a federal executive who has clearly demonstrated support for Goodwill’s policy agenda, including advocating on behalf of people with disabilities. Bishop is being recognized for his past leadership working as a top disability advisor for the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee for ranking member Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) as well as his leadership at the NCD.
While working on the Hill, Bishop worked on legislation to modernize the AbilityOne program, reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), and the Rehabilitation Act. Each of these initiatives is a priority for Goodwill. More than 172,000 people were placed by Goodwill through WIA last year. In addition, 75 independent Goodwill agencies employ more than 7,000 workers to fulfill more than 350 AbilityOne contracts, including custodial work, food service, landscaping, manufacturing, and document management and destruction, while offering job training programs and support services to their AbilityOne participants.
“Aaron Bishop has shown great initiative and leadership during his tenure with the Senate HELP Committee to increase visibility of legislation that advances people with disabilities and the people that Goodwill serves,” said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. “His leadership helped Goodwill utilize federal supports to generate opportunities for people to achieve economic stability and additional job coaching and skills training.”
In his current role, Bishop leads the NCD, an independent federal agency that provides advice to the president, Congress, and executive branch agencies on disability-related policies, programs, practices and procedures that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities. NCD’s mission is to further the goals enshrined in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990: equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for all people with disabilities. Bishop is a well-respected disability advocate with an extensive legislative background and history of providing a voice and opportunities on behalf of people with disabilities.
“Goodwill is honored to recognize Bishop for his 20-plus years’ experience of working with and for individuals with disabilities,” said Gibbons. “We are appreciative of his efforts on behalf of Goodwill and look forward to continuing to work with him in his current capacity.”
The Outstanding Leadership Award was given at an awards ceremony and reception on Monday, April 11 in Washington, D.C. The reception was part of Goodwill Industries International’s fifth Advocacy Day.
