Overcoming Adversity to Teach Future Generations

Susan Decker standing in her preschool classroom

Overcoming Adversity to Teach Future Generations Susan Decker didn’t go to college planning to be an early childhood educator.  The Flagstaff native was in her first year at Coconino Community College, working on her general education requirements, when she started looking for a job to save up for the following semester’s tuition.  “There was a […]

Empowering Our Support Teams

Brandon Gill, Behavioral Health Coordinator, leads a training session at Quality Connections.

9 Empowering Our Support Teams Caregiving staff at Quality Connections – from workers in our six group homes to job coaches to the instructors in our adult day program – undergo extensive training before they work with our members with developmental disabilities. That training is conducted by Brandon Gill, our Behavioral Health Coordinator, who joined […]

Board Spotlight: Candy Owens

Candace "Candy" Owens helping organize the Quality Connections Fourth of July float.

Board Spotlight: Candace “Candy” Owens About 45 years ago, Candace “Candy” Owens came to Flagstaff as a leap of faith. Her former husband had gotten a job offer in the area and the couple were ready to leave southern California to find a place where they could raise a family. So she moved, sight unseen, […]

9 Essential Job Search Tips for Everyone

Young Downs Syndrome man sitting on bed getting dressed for work.

9 Essential Job Search Tips for Everyone With our overarching goal of increasing employability and independence for individuals with physical or developmental disabilities, we are incredibly aware of the importance of all aspects of the job search process.  Figuring out what you want to do (and whether you can do it) is the first part […]

Join Us! Evergreen Academy Preschool Open House 5/1

Front door at Evergreen Academy Preschool

Join Us! Evergreen Academy Preschool Open House 5/1 One of the most important principles at Evergreen Academy Preschool is that exploration is the foundation of education.  Experiencing a place – the sights and sounds and textures – is one of the most powerful ways we learn at any age. Which is why we are inviting […]

Another Banner Year for Quality Connections

Another Banner Year for Quality Connections As we head into our 25th year, Quality Connections is continuing to make a huge difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities through its programs, whether it’s at our member’s homes, in the workplace, or through our training and employment programs.  We’ve just completed our 2023 Community Impact […]

A World of Opportunities

A World of Opportunities We couldn’t let March go by without talking about Developmental Disability Awareness Month.  The observance was created through presidential proclamation in 1987 and every March, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) and its partners collaborate on an annual campaign that highlights how people with and without disabilities can […]

Quality Connections in the Community

Quality Connections in the Community It’s been a busy month for Quality Connections, but many of the highlights didn’t happen at our Adult Learning Program or QC Office or the workplaces where community employers are helping us break down the barriers to employment for individuals with disabilities. Instead, we were skiing the slopes and joining […]

Growing Our Environmental Impact

Armando Bernasconi and Manuel Sanchez in the offices of QC Office standing next to the jig Manuel uses in his work.

Growing Our Environmental Impact This past year has been a story of growth for QC Office.  Between 2022 and 2023, we almost doubled the number of businesses we served, jumping from 370 to 698. We added a sales representative in Phoenix to ensure that customers in Maricopa County (primarily the state government) had the support […]

QC Leader Nominated for ATHENA Award

QC Leader Nominated for ATHENA Award Welcome to QC Enews Empowerment Each February, we look forward to going to the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce annual meeting. It’s a great place to meet and network with local stakeholders and the business community and make people aware of the work we do in workforce development for […]

Recognizing the Best of the Best

Recognizing the Best of the Best Welcome to QC Enews Empowerment It is always wonderful to recognize achievement, and to see how people in our organization have grown – both Quality Connection members who use our services and the members of our team who provides them. It’s why our quarterly STAR Awards have such meaning […]

Spotlight on QC Learning

Spotlight on QC Learning Welcome to QC Enews Empowerment Happy New Year from Quality Connections! A new year seems like the perfect time to introduce the team that has assumed leadership of our QC Learning program. Both have been with Quality Connections in other roles, but have recently stepped up to coordinate the wide range […]