CTP CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY AT GALA EVENT

CTP Executive Director Joan Breves MC's as OST Grad Evelyn Taylor-Markham presents award to former CTP Employment Specialist Pauline Vela.

The Computer Technologies Program (CTP) celebrated its 30th Anniversary at a gala dinner event at Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto in Berkeley, the scene of many CTP graduations over the years.

The full spectrum of CTP’s history was represented, with people from our founding class to our current students in attendance. In all, over 170 people took part in the festivities, which honored CTP’s co-founders Neil Jacobson and Scott Luebking, as well as former CTP staff members Maureen Fitzgerald (Deaf Services Coordinator) and Pauline Vela (Employment Specialist).

The event brought together members from every wing of the “CTP family”, reuniting graduates of CTP’s Programming and Office Systems Training Programs with former CTP Staff members, long-time supporters from the Business and Rehabilitation communities, and representatives of partner agencies from the Disability community. The event celebrated and chronicled 30 years of CTP’s role in expanding employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

The following people were honored and acknowledged at the 30th Anniversary celebration for their significant contributions to CTP’s success over the years:

NEIL JACOBSON, Senior Vice President of Wells Fargo Bank.

Neil, a co-founder of CTP, is currently responsible for Database and Business Infrastructure Services at Wells Fargo Bank. Neil has served as a member of the Board of Directors for both CTP and the World Institute on Disability. Neil has been a strong advocate within the civil rights movement for people with disabilities, focusing primarily on economic development and expanding employment opportunities.

SCOTT LUEBKING

Scott is a co-founder of the Computer Technologies Program. Scott continues to support CTP as an accessibility consultant for CTP's ARTech Building. Scott is also recognized for his lifelong dedication and commitment to the cause of independent living, disability access and disability rights.

MAUREEN FITZGERALD, Interpreter and Deaf Services Coordinator.

Maureen held the position of Coordinator of Deaf Services at CTP from 1986 until the spring of this year. In addition, Maureen also pioneered the Women's Recruitment Project at CTP (formerly known as the Ophelia Project), which resulted in increased numbers of women applying for technology training at CTP. Maureen has been an active member of the Northern California Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, and has worked as an interpreter at Laney College, University of California at Berkeley, New Bridge Foundation, and at Yosemite National Park. An artist and a poet, Maureen also had the unofficial but esteemed role of resident grammarian during her tenure at CTP.

PAULINE VELA, Office Systems Training Coordinator and Employment Specialist.

Prior to coming to CTP, Pauline worked in the corporate environment for almost 20 years. Pauline joined the CTP staff in 1995 as the first Coordinator and Instructor for the new Office Systems Training Program. Pauline then assumed the position of Employment Specialist, developing and coordinating the job seeking skills curriculum for students in both the Programming and OST training tracks.

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