Stephanie Wilson nominated for Sharon K. Bird Humanitarian Award

Stephanie Wilson, CLO's Senior Administrator of Governmental Relations, was recently nominiated to receive Creative Community Living's Sharon K. Bird Humanitarian award.Creative Community Living’s board of directors presents the Sharon K. Bird Humanitarian Award each year to one staff member and one person from the community who have made extraordinary efforts on behalf of the individuals CCL serves. It recognizes those who have treated CCL individuals with compassion, dignity and respect.

The award is given in honor of Sharon Bird, who has been a role model for others for many years. Without her leadership, CCL might not exist today. She was a founder of the organization in the 1990s when the Winfield State Hospital and Training Center was about to close, and she has served as president of the board of directors ever since. Not only does she offer loving support for her son, Michael, but also to his housemates and all the other individuals CCL serves.

Linda Misasi, CCL’s executive director, nominated Stephanie Wilson for this year’s award. Linda said of Stephanie:

Stephanie Wilson, a long-term friend of Creative Community Living, is deserving of the Sharon K. Bird Humanitarian Award.

Stephanie was a senior administrator at Community Living Opportunities when CLO became the mentoring agency for CCL. Soon, though, Stephanie left to work for Kansas Social and Rehabilitation Services at the time CCL was developing transition plans for individuals moving from Winfield State Hospital and Training Center to the community.

Stephanie provided good, constructive feedback to Linda Misasi so CCL’s plans of care could be funded but would not compromise the services needed by the individuals. She was one of only three SRS employees from the Topeka office who toured and met the men and women served by CCL. She did this on a number of occasions in order to really understand their needs.

Stephanie left SRS and returned to CLO. She became executive director of the Alliance for Kansans with Developmental Disabilities about two years ago. In this capacity she has spent innumerable hours before the legislature advocating on behalf of all individuals with developmental disabilities. She is very adept at gaining access to meetings, work groups and other behind-the-scenes opportunities to advocate for special tiers, waiting list funding, separation of Community Developmental Disability Organizations and other topics important to CCL.

Stephanie is always available to answer questions, review affiliate agreements and give feedback on movements occurring within the state.

I feel Stephanie is a friend of CCL who deserves to be recognized for what she does everyday for all Kansas citizens with developmental disabilities. Her compassion and concern are never-ending.

There were 9 nominees for the community award and 11 for the staff award. Five community leaders from Winfield, Arkansas City and El Dorado read the nominations and selected the winners. All nominees will be recognized at CCL’s family picnic on Aug. 14.

Stephanie Wilson plans to attend the CCL family picnic, and noted, "It is a great honor to be nominated for this award, especially considering the wonderful outcomes Sharon Bird has achieved for many persons with developmental disabilities.  It is also an honor to be nominated by Linda Misasi, a person who has also worked tremendously hard to achieve the best for the persons CCL serves."