Staff Member At Village Northwest Receives Award, Recognition

Sheldon, Iowa — A staff member at Village Northwest Unlimited in Sheldon has received some recognition from a statewide organization and from the Village.

Village officials tell us they’re proud to announce that Wil George has received the 2021 Frontline Supervisor Community Builder Award.

George received the award, given by the Iowa Association of Community Providers, during a virtual ceremony this week. The association supports Iowa community providers so they in return can fully support Iowans in need of mental health and disability services. The Leadership Cabinet and Managers at VNU nominated George for what they call, “this prestigious award.”

Village officials tell us George has worked for VNU for nearly 6 years. He started his career with VNU in 2015 as a part-time Direct Support Professional and currently serves as the Residential Leader in one of the Village Intermediate Care Facilities for Intellectual Disabilities homes on the VNU campus — known as ICF/ID homes. They say George is known for his creativity and love of all things dealing with technology and that he has played a key role in the introduction of new scheduling software for creating work schedules for all five of the ICF/ID homes on the VNU campus.

The Village’s Director of Residential Services and Admissions, Jerry Postma, says, “Wil is very dedicated to VNU’s mission to provide Purpose, Privacy, & Dignity to all People. He sets a high standard in implementing it in every aspect of his job. Both the residents and staff can count on Wil to always have their best interest in mind.”

To demonstrate his desire to serve the VNU clients in the best possible manner last summer during the pandemic, Village officials tell us George and a few of the staff members of his house formed a band, “The Wil-age People.” The band performed outdoor, socially-distanced concerts for the residents and staff at VNU during the pandemic. They tell us George is always looking for ways to bring joy to the lives of those served by VNU. George is tireless in his desire to improve the lives of the individuals served within the home he leads.

Village CEO Barry Whitsell says, “Wil’s peers had so much to say about why Wil was more than deserving of this award in his nomination we submitted. Wil’s peers noted how passionate, hardworking, dedicated, and relentless he is in his pursuit of what is right for individuals with disabilities. The Village is fortunate to have Wil leading our staff and daily demonstrating what it means to live the Village mission of providing Purpose, Privacy, and Dignity.”

Photo caption: Pictured Left to Right: Barry Whitsell, Wil George, Brian Robyn

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