With a big, warm smile on his face and a copy of his acceptance speech neatly encased in a plastic portfolio cover in his hand, Shane Collins sat down with me in the beautiful Tavistock Development Company (TDC) office to answer a few questions about his success. This particular TDC employee was recently named Central Florida’s Employee of the Year by Best Buddies International, and I was eager to learn more about him and the path that led him to this well-deserved recognition!

If you haven’t heard of Best Buddies yet, you’re missing out! It’s a nonprofit organization focused on pairing volunteers and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) together to provide one-to-one friendships, as well as creating opportunities for integrated employment and leadership development for people with IDD, positively impacting more than 104,600 in Florida alone. The program serves the IDD community, which includes (but is not limited to) people with Down syndrome, autism, Fragile X, Williams syndrome, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, and even some undiagnosed disabilities. In fact, it is the largest organization worldwide with a mission to end the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people with IDD.

This incredible program was no secret to Senior Planning and Entitlements Manager of TDC, Heather Isaacs, who serves on the Central Florida Best Buddies Board. Heather is responsible for introducing the TDC Employee Engagement Committee to the Best Buddies Jobs Program and therefore igniting momentum and support for the organization, which eventually led to interviewing and hiring Mr. Collins.

Shane’s award comes after less than eight months of working as Tavistock’s concierge. When I asked him how he feels about being the Best Buddies Employee of the Year, he modestly responded, “You know what, to me, it feels special. It feels wonderful and rewarding.”  He takes pride in making sure everything in the office is well stocked and organized as part of his effort to provide what he calls “better than best service.” Fellow employees told me Shane is always smiling and is a joy to work with. I asked Shane if this “better than best” mantra was something he learned during his eight years of Best Buddies job training and leadership development. Nope, that’s all Shane.

Shane mentioned in his acceptance speech that working for Tavistock has been his dream job. When I asked him why, he said, “Everybody is so nice, and it gives me something to do coming to work Monday through Friday. We have employee celebrations. And the people are just so great and inspiring.” Collins wanted to work for Tavistock “because of the great atmosphere.” I replied, “There’s definitely a feeling of greatness here.” Shane agreed without hesitation, “Yes, I feel it!”

You might recognize Shane from his days at Publix. That customer service job coupled with his interview and resume skills learned at Best Buddies helped prepare him for his new career at TDC. “You know, [Publix] taught me customer service, and it taught me some things like how to be kind to others.” It was important to Shane to find a job where he could work more hours that are consistent and predictable, a fulfilling career where he felt needed. TDC provides him with guaranteed hours, five days a week.

As you can imagine, Shane feels Best Buddies has been a huge impact on his life. “For the last eight years, I’ve got to do more things inside of high school and I got to travel to Indiana and I got to learn how to write speeches, Best Buddy speeches, and I got to travel to Tallahassee and talk before the legislature about inclusion.” Shane writes his own speeches and even helps fellow Best Buddies write their speeches.  

I mentioned to Shane that I had read on the organization’s website that their vision is to put themselves out of business: “Best Buddies envisions a world where people with IDD are so successfully integrated into schools, workplaces and communities that its current efforts and services will be unnecessary.” When I asked Shane what his role is in fulfilling that goal, he answered,

“My role is to keep going, meeting friends. My role is no matter what student you are or what race you are, join Best Buddies [and] become an influence and be an impact on someone’s life.”

What would Shane like the Lake Nona community and businesses to know about Best Buddies? “I want people to know that no matter if you are a bachelorette student or an ESE (Exceptional Student Education) student in high school – join the Best Buddies program!” He feels it’s so important for potential employers in the area to get involved in the program, too! Shane said these business owners are missing out on talent, skills, heart and passion by not hiring people like him. Interested potential employers can sign up to interview and hire a participant through the Best Buddies Integrated Employment Program: https://www.bestbuddies.org/hire/. This is the easiest way for business owners to sign up and get the ball rolling.

I asked Shane if there was anything else he’d like the Lake Nona Community to know. His answer: “Be humble and kind.” Then, he thought for a moment and said one more thing:

“Everybody deserves a great friend.”

You can view Shane’s acceptance speech here: http://nonahood.to/Shane.
For more information about Best Buddies Florida and to get involved, please visit https://www.bestbuddies.org/florida/.