Dear Friends and Colleagues,

As we head into the season of gratitude, I want to take a moment to recognize and thank the amazing people that make up New York’s developmental disabilities service system. Whether you are a self-advocate, the family member of a person with a disability, an agency employee working in an office, a provider partner, a business that has hired a person with a disability or one of the vital direct care workers who is out in the field providing needed supports every day - many working on Thanksgiving Day - each one of you is essential to ensuring that people with developmental disabilities can enjoy a full, rich life with supports that help people thrive.

For me, Thanksgiving is a time of year to pause and reflect on the many blessings in life.   I hope everyone is able to take a moment to focus on how much there is to be grateful for in our personal and professional lives, and within our larger communities. I wanted to take this opportunity to say that I am grateful to work among all of you as we tirelessly advocate and strive every day for better.  I am thankful for every one of you.

I wish you and your loved ones a Thanksgiving filled with warmth, joy, and good health.

Willow Baer,
Acting Commissioner