L to R: Ryan Mountain, Aaron Stone, Mike Murtha
(Auburn, ME) On May 23, 2023, Aaron Stone, a Career Resource Specialist and Team Leader on the Auburn Team, was presented a Success at Work award during a team meeting. He was nominated for the award by Director Mike Murtha. Work Opportunities Unlimited (WOU) periodically presents the Success at Work award to honor and recognize team members who have delivered outstanding service to our clients consistent with the company’s core values.
Aaron believes that all people can work, and he is a shining example of someone who commits himself to this core value every day. A major initiative for DHHS in Maine has been to increase the number of successfully employed individuals with disabilities through Career Planning services. Aaron has dedicated himself to this purpose, using a person-centered approach to help place his Career Planning clients in great jobs that meet their goals. He also builds successful, reciprocal relationships with WOU’s referral sources to deliver rewarding employment activities for his clients. Maine’s state manager for Career Planning services has remarked that Aaron is “the best in the business at developing work experiences that match the client’s exact career planning goals, and then facilitating the client’s participation and learning in that chosen field.”
One example of his Career Planning success is an individual who was referred to Aaron because she had moved and wasn’t sure what jobs existed in her new community. He performed community mapping to locate a Circle K Store that was within walking distance of her home, and due to the excellent work experience Aaron developed and facilitated with her there, she was hired. She has enjoyed the job so much and became so proficient in her duties that she was recently selected as Circle K’s Employee of the Month.
In recognition of his incredible efforts, DHHS in Maine selected Aaron to star in a Career Planner training video and to serve as keynote speaker at the Maine Association for Community Service Providers Annual Conference. Aaron represents another WOU core value as he uses these platforms to encourage employment stakeholders throughout Maine to join him in his mission of changing the world of work.
During the award presentation Ryan Mountain presented Aaron with a certificate which read:
“Aaron’s commitment to our core values, “We believe all people can work,” “It is our responsibility to change the world of work,” and “We build successful, reciprocal relationships” is evident in his dedication to expanding access to employment for individuals through Maine’s Career Planning services. His person-centered approach and ability to build strong relationships with referral sources helps his clients find the perfect job match for their goals. Recognized as a premier Career Planner, Aaron served as keynote speaker at the Maine Association for Community Service Providers, and was handpicked to star in a state-level marketing and training initiative video. By sharing his best practices and leading by example, Aaron inspires others to create success in the workplace every day.”
