Opportunity Builders exec to be honored

Vicki Callahan had been production manager at Opportunity Builders Inc. for less than a month when she arrived at work one morning to find the front door padlocked because the landlord grew tired of waiting for the rent.

That was 20 years ago. Now, under her leadership, the nonprofit organization has swelled to serve over 300 clients with disabilities, runs on a $5 million budget, and opened a new, multimillion-dollar location in Millersville.

Callahan will be honored for her work at the 2009 disABILITY Awareness Day tomorrow afternoon at the Westfield Annapolis mall, when County Executive John R. Leopold and the Commission on Disability Issues will present her with the 2009 disABILITY Awareness Day Award.

"I love the work that we do with the individuals, it's very rewarding," Callahan said.

"Probably what I'm most proud of is seeing how happy the individuals are with the new building."

Opportunity Builders Inc. works with adults with mild to severe disabilities, providing training and job placement services to help them become more independent.

Callahan, who studied rehabilitation education in college, joined the organization in 1987 as production manager.

But a management shake-up after the padlock incident saw her promoted to assistant to the executive director almost right away. She became the executive director in 1991.

"Vicki is Opportunity Builders," said Jennifer Brienza, president of the board of directors.

"She brought them from the brink of disaster."

Callahan has helped in all aspects of the organization, Brienza said, working directly with clients as well as with legislators and officials.

"She is incredibly passionate about what she does," she said. "I know that woman has worked round the clock, sacrificed her own personal time - she's even slept there."

Though she doesn't have a background in finance, Callahan has still overseen a budget that has grown from $500,000 to more than $5 million - and is still running a surplus despite an economy that has hit nonprofits hard.

"I contribute my financial savvy to watching my parents make every penny count," Callahan said. "(We make) sure there's a good reason to spend every penny."

Callahan was selected by the county Commission on Disability Issues, and was nominated by the commission's only founding member, Iris Littig.

"I've known her for years," Littig said. "It's an excellent agency; it does a terrific job, and she's the director of this agency."

Littig was impressed by how hard Callahan worked to build the new facilities in Millersville, and by how the organization can help people even with significant disabilities.

"They do a great job of treating people with severe disabilities, and they do an absolutely excellent job of placing (them) in the public sector, in public employment," she said.

Leopold, who will present Callahan with the award, said: "She's done an excellent job as one of the county's leading advocates for individuals with disabilities, and as someone who shares her vision to uplift those with disabilities in our society, I applaud her."

Thanking employers

The event also is held annually to honor employers willing to make an extra effort to hire people with disabilities.

"This is an event where we recognize employers who have hired individuals with disabilities, providing opportunities for (them) to be in the mainstream of life," Leopold said.

"It's generally recognized that a good job is an important hallmark of a fulfilled life."

Those opportunities are important to Callahan.

"(People with disabilities) want and deserve a life just as normal as you and I have. They have the ability to contribute, they feel good when they contribute and it's the right thing to do," she said.

And she finds her work rewarding.

"The people that we support, that receive the services, are very appreciative of what we do and how we help them," she said. "It's fun to see them progress and be more independent."

The disABILITY Awareness Day event will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. tomorrow at the Annapolis Westfield mall, near the Pottery Barn. Service and product providers will offer information on what they have available, and entertainment will be provided by various groups including the Opportunity Builders Inc. hand-bell choir.

For information or special accommodations, call 410-222-4383 or use Maryland Relay 7-1-1.