Business Observer
Posted: 4th Quarter 2014
Dr. J.R. Harding has been elected to the Disabled Veterans Insurance Careers operating board.
Harding is a two-time U.S. presidential appointee, seven-time Florida gubernatorial appointee (four different governors), author of “Now What?” and recognized international disability expert who has made significant contributions to both public policy and the community.
He has testified on issues affecting persons with disabilities to both the U.S. Congress and the Florida Legislature. As the only two-time student regent (1996-1998) with a disability, he placed issues affecting students with disabilities into the 1998 State University System master plan for the first time. A contributing author to the 2004 Accessibility Guidelines, which are now the 2010 standards, Harding served as one of two disability representatives that contributed to the National Volunteer Voting systems guidelines (2006) under the Help America Vote Act.
During his five years as chairman (11 years total service) on the Commission for Transportation Disadvantaged he ushered in the first ever return on investment study for mobility of persons with disabilities – this labor helped to produce a $5 million annual increase to the TD trust fund.
Through community service and as the Able Trust director, he co-founded the Florida Disability Mentoring Day and has personally secured more than $800,000 in corporate sponsorship to advance meaningful mentoring experiences for Floridians with disabilities.
A graduate of Leadership Tallahassee (Class 19) and Leadership Florida (Class 27), Harding completed his doctorate in higher education from Florida State University and currently resides in Tallahassee and works full-time with The Agency for Persons with Disabilities as a member of the External Affairs team.
In addition to Harding, the organization’s operating board consists of retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James L. Dozier; Roger C. Mercado Jr., Community Cooperative Ministries Inc.; James R. Pender CPCU, CLU, ChFC, ARM, Oswald Trippe and Company, co-founder; Gary V. Trippe CIC, Oswald Trippe and Company, co-founder and chairman; retired insurance agency executive Gay Trippe, co-founder; John M. Pollock, CIC, BB&T Insurance Services; retired U.S. Army Col. Thomas A. Dials, chairman emeritus of the Armed Forces Insurance Corporation; former U.S. Air Force Capt. Wayne Smith, professional speaker; and Todd E. Gates, Gates General Contracting.
Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Gary L. Bryant is president and CEO.
Disabled Veterans Insurance Careers is a nonprofit organization with the mission to educate, train and create meaningful employment opportunities within the insurance industry for disabled veterans. For additional information, call 239-433-8523 or visit http://www.DVIC.us. – See more at: http://www.businessobserverfl.com/press/detail/dr.-j.r.-harding-named-to-dvic-operating-board/#sthash.Qgt4tjxU.dpuf