People with disabilities have an important role in the success of America’s economy.
As a nonprofit organization that specializes in providing employment opportunities to individuals with disabilities, Occupational Development Center (ODC) is celebrating National Disabilities Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) by sharing our background and understanding of what this means for our staff, persons served, and partners.
The ... Read more
Manufacturing an important part of Greater Minnesota’s economy.
Throughout the month of October, tours are taking place across the state in celebration of Minnesota Manufacturing. We would like to highlight the contributions of our production divisions to Minnesota’s manufacturing industry by providing tours of our production facilities in Bemidji, Buhl, and Roseau.
Bemidji: October 10th, 12:30-2:00pm
Buhl: October ... Read more
MaryBeth Gibson, Program Specialist
MaryBeth Gibson to lead and mentor International Falls program staff.
We are delighted to announce MaryBeth Gibson as International Falls division’s new Program Specialist.
With a degree in Business Administration Management and over 18 years experience in various performance, training and development, and operations management positions, Gibson brings her experience and passion to ODC ... Read more
Program Specialist Rebecca May
We are delighted to have Rebecca May joining our Bemidji division as Program Specialist!
May possesses a Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work from Bemidji State University along with graduate work in counseling psychology. She has presented research completed on inclusive/exclusive communities in Croatia and has developed innovative approaches in the delivery of ... Read more
We would like to highlight the accomplishments and contributions of the many direct support professionals working in our organization during Direct Support Professional Recognition Week, Sept. 8-14.
Direct support professionals at ODC go by many titles, such as job coach, program specialist, instructor, or employment specialist. They work directly with individuals to mentor and develop their ... Read more
We are delighted to welcome Justin Leonard as the new Production Lead in Thief River Falls!
Justin is hard at work in his new office.
As a nonprofit organization specializing in employment training and support for individuals with disabilities, Justin’s safety and leadership skills are a valuable asset to the TRF production team.
With over 16 years of ... Read more
Appointee aims to share expertise and learn more about the effect ODC has in the communities we serve.
We are delighted to welcome Amy Ballard as a member of our board!
Ballard is the Director of Lake of the Woods County Social Services. She brings to the board her expertise and insight acquired from working within county ... Read more
Patrick hoses down the floor at the county engineers’ garage after washing vehicles and equipment.
When Patrick first began working on job skills with our Baudette division six years ago, he had just moved to the Lake of the Woods area. Troubled by a lengthy gap in his work experience, he sought out the assistance ... Read more
Alexandra flashes her contagious smile as she goes about her work at Log Cabin Bait and Tackle near Baudette.
Alexandra Schell is someone who likes to keep busy. When she first started with our Baudette division back in 2015, she was very shy and lacked confidence in her abilities – believing she wasn’t capable of performing ... Read more
Isaac stops for a moment next to his Greenway work truck before moving onto the next customer. He enjoys the responsibilities of his role and values being able to work independently. Working outdoors is a major perk of the job!
Due to some mental health problems he experienced last year, Isaac Walski was fearful about not ... Read more