Joseph Macbeth, President and CEO:

As a direct support professional, you are making a difference in the lives of so many people, and it’s clear that you recognize the importance of both your role as someone who provides support for others, and the balance needed to care for yourself during the holidays. Taking the time to reflect, rest, and connect with loved ones is vital for staying grounded and maintaining the energy that’s needed to continue to provide high quality support.

I hope that all direct support professionals acknowledge the often-unspoken gratitude from the families of those you support, the organizations for which you work, your co-workers, and most importantly those with whom you directly work. During the holidays, it can be easy to forget that, even when people are busy or distracted, they truly appreciate the dedication and thoughtfulness that direct support professionals provide. During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, I hope you get the time to pause, breathe, and enjoy the simpler moments of the holiday. You’ve certainly earned it!

Desiree Loucks Baer, Chief Operating Officer:

As I reflect on the last year, I see where it would be so easy to get overwhelmed with the weightiness of the country and the world and the uncertainty of it all. It is in these times, when things feel so out of control, I find it necessary for me to focus on gratitude with intention. I intentionally try to unplug from all the noise of the news and social media, and focus on ways to feed my soul, such as hikes in the woods, a good book or working on a quilt.

Looking towards Thanksgiving this year, I am grateful for the simpler things in life, like the love and support of my family and friends, the opportunity to live out goals, and the comfort of the smaller world I have created around me. These things are grounding and help restore hope for good things to come.

My wish for you this thanksgiving is that you are able to stop and notice the beauty and power in the small world around you. I hope you can take the time to reflect on the good and with intention appreciate all your life can offer.

Garrett Cole, Chief Financial Officer:

I am thankful our small team has grown in 2024! Three new employees have brought new experiences, expertise, perspective, ideas, and energy to the team this year. I am grateful to be able to support NADSP in its mission, and grateful to be privy to so many positive outcomes from work being done around the country through our staff travels to conferences and individual organizations for speaking and training events. We’ve also continued to see significant growth in the E-Badge Academy and through user surveys and individually provided testimonials have heard remarkable accounts of personal growth and transformation that demonstrate the power and effectiveness of the E-Badge Academy process.  As I reflect on the past year, it’s my hope that people can take a moment for themselves to reflect on their own year and are able to find growth and positive outcomes within themself and the people around them.

Dan Hermreck, Director of Certification and Accreditation:

I am thankful for the work of DSPs across the country. NADSP’s E-Badge Academy’s provides us with a window into the skilled work that direct support professionals are doing across the country. While the human service systems across the country are facing many challenges that must be acknowledged and addressed, so much amazing support work is happening across the country.

The E-Badge Academy would not be possible without the contributions of hundreds of people: the reviewers who choose to dedicate some of their time to providing both validation and feedback to DSPs, the local administrators who provide DSPs with the support they need to be successful, and our growing team at NADSP as well. I hope everyone involved (and everyone else as well) has at least a little bit of time to relax and enjoy the holiday.

John Raffaele, LMSW, Director of Educational Services,:

I have had such good fortune in my life.  Approaching 60 years on the planet, I have had relatively good health, steady employment, and most of all I have been blessed with becoming a parent.  In all the work I have done professionally, the most challenging and rewarding work has been that of being a father.  My children are in their adolescence, and I am using SO MANY things I learned as a direct support professional in my early life as I raise my kids.  I am not equating parenting with the profession of direct support, but I utilize the importance of relationships and quality of interactions with my kids in similar ways I used to have relationships with the people I supported over the years.  I am grateful for my children, my career and the NADSP.

Nicole DamaPoleto, Director of Communications and Programs:

As a family member of someone who receives services, I am so grateful to all the direct support professionals and team members who work to support families just like mine. Thank you for your work, not just today but on those days when you may think no one notices how impactful you are.

Turkey day is always a time for me to reflect on the past year. I always love to hear from my colleagues about what they are grateful for this time of year. Gratitude is a practice that I always love to do when I’m not feeling my best. It helps me to see the light around me. I am feeling so bright and grateful for all of the people and opportunities in my life. This year, I travelled more than ever meeting members, partners and new professionals in our field. It’s been a joy to connect with folks and hear how important our workforce is. It has reignited in my “why” to recognize how we must continue to elevate this invaluable workforce.

I have to say – I’m feeling extra grateful this year for my family and friends both near and far. I’m grateful for our the growing NADSP team.  Bringing more voices and talent to our team enhances our ability to serve our members and partners effectively. Happy to be continuing to grow and remembering to always be looking for the light around us.

Janet Wilson, Certification and Accreditation Manager:

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to connect with so many individuals through the E-Badge Academy. Whether working alongside my dedicated colleagues at NADSP, engaging with agencies, local administrators, users, or our team of reviewers, I am continually inspired by the incredible direct support work happening across the country.

As we approach Thanksgiving, we naturally focus on gratitude, which is so important. Yet, it’s just as crucial to remember the “giving” part of the holiday. Each day, I strive to embrace this spirit of giving—whether through a kind word to a stranger, lending an ear to a friend, or supporting causes my family holds dear.

Wishing you an abundance of life’s blessings, not just during Thanksgiving but throughout the coming year.

Kathy Brown, NYS E-Badge Academy Administrator:

I am very fortunate to now understand the gift to be grateful. Not just at Thanksgiving but each day, when the sun rises and sets, I purposefully focus on all that I have and I am grateful for that day. My family and their well-being, body, mind and spirit as well as myself. For that I am truly grateful. I continue to be grateful to be working with people who passionately believe, as I do, that all people deserve to be happy and live the life of their choosing. That the DSPs are the foundation of that truth for the people they support. And that I can support and advocate for those DSPs to be able to do that role with pride, dignity, and with quality.

Wishing you all the gift of gratitude and the blessing of hope this Thanksgiving!

Rachel Jacob, NYS E-Badge SUNY Coordinator

To all the remarkable Direct Support Professionals out there: thank you for the dedication and heart you bring to this work. As a former DSP, I know how deeply your efforts shape the lives of others—Every day, you’re creating a sense of belonging, helping people live fully, and offering them the support they need to feel understood and valued.

I am grateful for the space this field creates for growth, celebrating knowledge, and for supporting each other. Whether you’re helping someone reach a goal, navigating the unexpected, or laughing at the little things, your work has a profound impact on lives. Thank you for your commitment, your heart, and most of all, your resilience. Keep making magic happen!

James Baptiste, NYS E-Badge Academy Certification Coordinator

This year I had a lot to be grateful for, including the opportunity to attend the Reinventing Quality Conference in Baltimore, MD. I love going to conferences, and this one was especially rewarding because I got to meet so many amazing people doing amazing work. One of the most impactful moments for me was hearing Dr. Karyn Harvey speak about how people with IDD are often overlooked when it comes to receiving therapy, despite their right to it. It was eye opening and made me think about how we as a society can do better to support those with disabilities. Practicing gratitude helps me stay grounded and appreciate moments like these even more than I already do. 

Brian Gelb, NYS E-Badge Academy Certification Coordinator

 I often reflect on how I truly feel as if I am the luckiest person in the world. I am blessed with a loving family that I cherish with all of my being. My family now includes foster dogs, who will one day go on to make huge impacts for a family as they train to be autism service dogs for children.

Professionally, this year has brought me to the NADSP, an organization I always admired for everything they do from my first interactions with them. To be part of this agency, to work with like-minded coworkers, and to be involved in this national movement—the E-Badge Academy—are all moments for which I am truly thankful. Every testimonial I review offers a glimpse into the amazing work the DSP workforce is doing day in and day out, and I thank you for all your hard work and dedication.

For all of these reasons and more, I have more to be thankful for this year than ever before. I hope everyone has a moment to reflect on everything they are thankful for and enjoys the holiday in their own way.

Jen Muller, Quality Assurance Specialist

 Thanksgiving for many people is a time to reflect on our many blessings, no matter how big or small.  Because life is filled with struggles and conflicts, it can be easy to have those be the focus of our thoughts. This is one reason it’s very important to name what we are thankful for; it really helps put things/life into perspective. About 5 years ago, I began a new journey of gratitude. Every morning before getting out of bed I reflect on 3 things I am grateful for in my life and before going to bed I reflect on 3 things that went really well in my day. The change in my perspective on life has been huge! This year I am beyond thankful for the opportunity that National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals has given me, I feel I have landed my dream job. I’m still pretty new, but I’m looking forward to being able to work for a company that I am very passionate about and the ability to help reach DSPs on a different platform.  I’m wishing each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!