Our Talent Tribute Monthly Feature is designed to celebrate the phenomenal staff that serve our Members.
Before joining VALLEYLIFE’s Vocational and Employment Services program in 2010, it has always been clear that if there was one thing Jennifer Baier was passionate about, it was helping others. From a young age, she always knew that she wanted to make a positive difference in the lives of others. That drive led her to pursue her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in special education at Arizona State University. Following graduation, she didn’t hesitate to jump into the field, spending the first seven years of her career as a special education teacher. In 2002, Jennifer made the transition into the nonprofit sector by taking on the role of Director of Rehabilitation & Training Services for Goodwill of Central Arizona. Wanting to spend more time interacting directly with Members, Jennifer accepted the position of VALLEYLIFE Senior Program Manager within the Vocational and Employment Services program.
Throughout her 14 years with the organization, now serving as the Director of Vocational
and Employment Services, Jennifer has played a critical role in transforming the program into a department that assists hundreds of individuals with various disabilities with their employment needs every year. With the underlying goal of helping to mainstream and normalize disabilities in the workplace, Jennifer and her staff never shy away from an opportunity to help Members reach their employment goals.
Outside of VALLEYLIFE, Jennifer enjoys a quiet life with her husband and high school sweetheart, Mike, and their three cats. The pair enjoy auto racing and watching sports like hockey. She also enjoys spending quality time with her mother.
We asked Jennifer about her VALLEYLIFE experience thus far, and this is what she had to say.
1. How would you describe your ideal day at VALLEYLIFE?
I think for me, the ideal day is a day when you hear about successes. Now, those successes can be different things, it doesn’t always have to be a job … it can be someone getting to work on time or even coming to work at all because we have some Members that just getting out of the home every day is absolutely terrifying for them. The ideal day is being able to celebrate those successes that are bringing somebody closer to their goal, and for us the goal is usually a job.
We work hard to make sure that we celebrate the successes in a group email so that we can all celebrate and remember why we’re here.
2. What has your time at VALLEYLIFE taught you over the years?
I think for me, it’s been to be patient and to recognize the journey. When I first came here (VALLEYLIFE), Cletus told me "you want to go from point A to point B like this (motions a straight line), when it’s actually a curvy road and you need to remember to back it down." It seems so small, but it has stuck with me because it really is that sense of needing to be patient, recognizing that everything isn’t going to happen overnight, appreciating the path that everyone is on, and knowing that sometimes people jump off the path but you need to be willing to welcome them back.
3. Can you tell us what you enjoy most about interacting with Members?
For me, it’s just the stories. It’s listening to some of the barriers, the challenges, the disappointments, and the successes that Members share. The greatest part about interacting with Members is listening and really taking the time to hear.
Everyone has a backstory and just listening to that story and learning about people is what I think really keeps me grounded and reminds me of why I’m here. If you don’t understand the story and you’re not going to listen to the story, then you’re never going to be able to provide quality services.
4. What skills or qualities do you think are most important for success in your position?
I think it really comes down to being available for people and being available to listen to Members and to my team. I want them to feel they are being heard. It really is making sure there is that open door and understanding that you can reach out to me and that there is that human side of the interaction.
5. Lastly, what do you hope to accomplish or learn in your future at VALLEYLIFE?
What I hope to accomplish is to continue to promote the idea of true inclusion for people with disabilities into their broader community. I want to continue to focus on the idea that people with disabilities can work and should work and that employment should be the starting point rather than the last point.
I think that a lot of people don’t recognize the importance of work and how it makes people feel, how it increases independence, and how it builds that sense of value to ourselves. For me, it’s really about continuing to push that, not only internally for VALLEYLIFE but also for other providers.
My mission is to always reinforce the value and importance of having a job and the power of employment. I want people to recognize that people with disabilities aren’t different. They might look different, they might act differently, they might talk differently, but they’re not different. At the end of the day, they want to work, so let's get them a job!
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