After a successful and rewarding 45 year career, he has decided to retire in July.  For most of us, work is the cornerstone of independence, productivity and personal identity. Throughout his 45 year career, Michael has enabled hundreds of people with disabilities to achieve self-actualization and participation in society through employment. Michael has been a visionary leader whose passion, dedication, and strategic guidance have been instrumental in shaping the success and growth of the organization. Michael’s colleagues know him as a passionate, dedicated innovator whose positive leadership has not only established a strong foundation for the organization but has also impacted countless individuals, families, and the business community. Under Michael’s leadership, TCS secured numerous contracts providing valuable outsourcing services within the government and the private sector. Today, TCS provides jobs for nearly 400 individuals with disabilities throughout New York City, Long Island, the Albany Capital Region, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Through steadfast advocacy, Michael has been a driving force in heightening public awareness of the value that people with disabilities bring to the workforce and society. His ability to cultivate and sensitize government and corporate partners affected a sea of change within these communities. Michael also served as the Northeast Representative for the National Council of SourceAmerica Employers (NCSE) representing Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRPs) from Maine to Virginia. SourceAmerica is a national organization committed to increasing economic and social inclusion and advocating for a more accessible future of work for people with disabilities. Please join us in celebrating Michael’s exceptional career and in expressing our heartfelt gratitude for his unwavering commitment to making a difference in the lives of others. We wish him a fulfilling and joyous retirement, knowing that his legacy will continue to inspire us for years to come.

During National Disability Employment Awareness Month, a local employee of The Corporate Source earned the 2023 William B. Joslin Outstanding Performance Award from the New York State Industries for the Disabled (NYSID.org) . Ramon Hunte, of East Flatbush, Brooklyn was presented with the award in a ceremony on October 25th at the New York City Human Resource Administration (HRA) building where he is employed through The Corporate Source, a Garden City non-profit organization dedicated to the employment of people with disabilities. Employed by The Corporate Source (TCS) since 2012, Ramon enjoys a career that offers fulfillment, independence and financial freedom. He was first hired to work at a preschool through a TCS commercial cleaning contract and learned job tasks with significant support from TCS job coaches and supervisors. Ramon had to work through transportation issues and other challenges outside of his job---but he stayed determined, focused, and was ultimately named the lead janitor. COVID brought the closure of many workplaces in 2020, including where Ramon was working. TCS began offering state-of-the-art disinfecting and high-touch cleaning. Ramon joined the TCS team of essential workers learning new skills, vital safety measures, and collaboration. Because of his outstanding service, Ramon was chosen for a full-time janitorial position in the NY government building where he works today. Michael Kramer, The Corporate Source CEO describes how: "There are hundreds of people who walk through the doors at NYC HRA everyday, so keeping this location clean and neat is a constant challenge. It is an important responsibility for Ramon which he carries out with meticulous care. He takes great pride in his job and is a wonderful example of how employment can provide for growth and independence." Ramon is one of nearly 400 talented and qualified people with disabilities who work in a variety of jobs with private sector businesses and government agencies to meet outsourcing needs through The Corporate Source. ( www.thecorporatesource.org )

Garden City, NY, March 13, 2022….President Biden signed the bipartisan Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations omnibus into law. The bill, which US Representative Kathleen Rice and Senator Chuck Schumer voted for, provided Congressional funding in the amount of $125,000.00 to The Corporate Source for its innovative Information Technology Training & Certification Program for People with Disabilities. “I don’t often get to vote on legislation that has such an enormous and immediate impact on my district,” said Congresswoman Rice. “These investments will help increase our education resources, protect our local environment, rehabilitate our infrastructure, and more. I fought hard for their inclusion in the 2022 budget, and I’m proud to be able to deliver the results to Long Island today.” “The Corporate Source is delighted to receive funding for our Information Technology Training & Certification Program for People with Disabilities, which is creating exciting career paths and providing greater opportunities for disability employment and inclusion,” said Michael Kramer, CEO of The Corporate Source. “Thank you to Congresswoman Rice for her wonderful support and joining TCS in changing lives!” The TCS IT Training Program is a twelve-week program collaboration with IT industry partner CompTIA to provide instruction and certification in CompTIA A+ and earned competencies in Infrastructure, Applications, and Software; Database Management; Security; Hardware and Mobile Devices; Networking; Operating Systems and Procedures; Software and Network Troubleshooting, and Cloud Computing. The IT Training Program helps TCS meet its mission in creating new career paths as IT Specialists for people with disabilities. The Corporate Source is dedicated to creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities and providing services leading to independence and fulfillment. TCS achieves its mission through outsourcing services for federal, state and private sector clients throughout Greater New York and the Caribbean.

TELL US ABOUT HOW YOU/YOUR COMPANY STARTED. The Corporate Source was founded in 1996 as a way to help people with disabilities lead lives with independence and fulfillment that’s derived through the world of work. In the past, people with disabilities often weren’t invited to join coworkers for lunch or otherwise feel integrated and welcomed at their workplaces. Many felt disconnected, resulting in high turnover due this lack of acceptance and connection. With TCS as the provider of outsourced services and the employer of record, there was greater opportunity to create employment that brought this workplace environment to people with disabilities that would be consistent with the more traditional workforce. At TCS staff develops the “soft” skills as well technical skills needed to succeed in their jobs, with attention to vital social components as well. Creating a “work family” to fully care about the individuals we employ brings out everyone’s best and has worked well for more than a quarter-century as we fulfill our outsourcing contracts. Providing a more inclusive, friendly workplace helps TCS continually balance the needs of our workforce – who have proven their value so well for us and for our customers- as we fulfill our contractual obligations to federal, state and private sector customers. WHAT WAS A TURNING POINT FOR YOU/YOUR COMPANY? There were actually two turning points for our organization for me. The first was when TCS saw the first of many contracts expand in scope, based on the success we were having employing talented individuals with disabilities. As a local example, TCS had been hired as an outsourcing service provider strictly for janitorial and landscaping services at the Alfonse D’Amato Federal Court House Complex in Central Islip. This in itself was a major accomplishment, as this is one of the largest federal buildings on Long Island. When the government saw the quality of our work, they were so impressed that TCS was asked to take over Total Facilities Management for the entire government campus there. The second turning point was when our TCS management team started seeing the tenures of our employees increase. As a result, our employees were able to purchase primary residences, get married and have children of our own – dreams we all share. The success of our nearly 400 employees reinforces every single day how vital our mission and impact is in changing lives when ALL people are included in the workplace. WHAT IS YOUR COMPANY’S PHILOSOPHY? Treat everyone fairly and equally, and with dignity. We all want to be respected at work, and to feel that our work gives us a sense of purpose and fulfillment. TCS fosters this in our work environment that respects our employee contributions and offers flexibility and a healthy work/life balance. Work at its best brings these attributes, not just for the economic independence it provides. In this challenging time of “The Great Resignation,” it’s more important than ever for companies to embody a sense of purpose and mission, and for employers to focus on the health and wellbeing of their employees, which can lead to stronger loyalty and long-term commitment. TCS is a mission-driven organization and these elements have always been integral to the fabric of our organization and in the partners we work with. TELL US ABOUT YOUR COMPANIES PROFILE TODAY. The Corporate Source has built an organization that is competitive with any commercial provider in the United States. The caliber of TCS’s work fulfilling our federal, state and private sector contracts is top-notch, earning our organization the Cleaning Industry Management Standard’s highest ranking of “CIMS-Green Building with Honors” for best practices and environmentally-friendly LEED measures. Our dedication to our customers – through hurricanes, floods, power outages, 9/11, and more – has always remained steadfast and provided guidance and comfort to our clients in some of the worst challenges that have faced our country and the regions we serve. During these past two years of the pandemic, our hardworking employees have been deemed “essential” and bravely have continued maintaining and disinfecting key facilities throughout the New York metropolitan area, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands – never missing a beat as we continue to provide the services our customers count on in these ever-changing times. I think our acronym – TCS – also stands for the Tenacity, Courage and Spirit our staff has shown on the front lines. The Corporate Source time and time again has demonstrated what people with disabilities can achieve in the most arduous of circumstances. WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DO YOU SEE IN THE FUTURE? I see TCS continuing to improve perceptions on what people with disabilities CAN contribute. I think that our management team has made significant strides in the lines of business we offer, and have expanded those lines to meet the interests of our workforce and the ever-evolving needs of the workplace. For example, a huge opportunity for growth for people with disabilities is within Information Technology. Businesses, becoming increasingly remote and reliant on computer systems to keep colleagues and customers connected, has made IT support paramount. In response, TCS has launched an innovative IT Training & Certification Program for People with Disabilities. Our inaugural graduating class later this month will be newly certified as IT Specialists ready for placement throughout Long Island, New York City, even nationwide where work environments are fully remote. Our rigorous IT program has earned some truly remarkable individuals cutting-edge, industry-recognized credentials including CompTIA’s A+ and IT Fundamentals badges plus competencies within IT Infrastructure, Applications and Software; Database Management; Security; Hardware and Mobile Devices; Networking; Operating Systems and Procedures; Software and Network Troubleshooting; and Cloud Computing. IT Training has created a dynamic new career path for people with disabilities while meeting the needs of the future. We are now working on job placement of our qualified IT graduates with potential employers, so please contact our office to interview your next IT Specialist. TCS continues to help companies meet their Corporate Social Responsibility objectives and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, and we’d love to tell you more about this program. The greatest opportunity that TCS has is in changing the perceptions of what people with disabilities can do, and this training program helps broaden the array of services that illustrate competency in the workplace. HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS PIVOTED THROUGHOUT THE PAST YEAR AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC?

LI nonprofit helps train disabled jobseekers for IT careers Corporate Source graduate Geoffrey Johnson at his computer that he built at his home in Shinnecock Hills on Friday, March 4, 2022. Credit: Morgan Campbell By Victor Ocasio victor.ocasio@newsday.com Updated March 9, 2022 5:00 AM Six trainees selected by the Corporate Source, a Garden City non -profit that hires individuals with disabilities, are graduating Wednesday from the organization’s inaugural IT training program. The graduates, all individuals with physical or intellectual disabilities, applied and were accepted to participate in the 12 – week program free of charge last fall. The virtual training sessions began in November and ended last month. “I feel like my confidence is higher than it used to be,” said Geoffrey Johnson, 33, of Hampton Bays, one of the graduates. As an avid computer gamer, Johnson, who is on the autism spectrum, said he built his first computer at 13. Despite his interest in technology, Johnson said the course load for the program was no easy task. “It was 4-hour days, Monday through Friday, then homework on the weekends,” he said. “This was like taking more than a couple of college courses. It was not easy by any means.” The program is the result of a partnership between the Corporate Source and CompTIA – the Computing Technology Industry Association – an Illinois-based trade group that issues professional certificatio ns for the IT industry. After finishing the program and passing two exit exams, Johnson and his classmates earned their CompTIA A+ certification, an industry-recognized training certificate. The Corporate Source hires and coaches people with both physical and intellectual disabilities to work on contracts for other companies and government agencies, usually in jobs like landscaping, janitorial services and mailroom work. Students in the IT program were trained to analyze, troubleshoot and evaluate common te chnology problems, and their certification will prepare them for jobs as entry level IT specialists and tech support staff, organizers said. “There are so many job opportunities in IT,” said Kelly Quinn, chief financial officer for the Corporate Source. “T he next step is to provide these participants the support they need to get them a job.” Helping disabled individuals train for the growing tech field should provide them more work opportunities, program organizers said. The unemployment rate for individuals with a disability was 10.1% in 2021, compared with 5.1% for those without disabilities, according to federal data. Christos Morris, chief executive of eVero Corp., a Melville software developer that makes tools for organizations that provide services to the intellectually disabled, said IT needs have only grown as remote work has made businesses more reliant on technology. “It’s a growing demand because IT is running everyone’s business,” he said. Teresa Varela of Coram, director of workforce development for CompTIA, said employers last month “advertised openings for nearly 25,000 IT support specialists and 388,000 IT jobs in total.” She said the New York metro area had more than 20,000 IT job openings last month, the most in the country. John White, another graduate, said the training has given him the tools he needs to get back into the workforce after several years of being out. White, 55, of Jackson Heights, Queens, said he had been on disability since 2017, when an autoimmune issue forced him to leave his job as an electro-mechanical field technician. White said he now hopes to land a job handling IT issues for a nonprofit. “I’m very hopeful,” White said. “I feel good because I think there’s a lot of positions open especially for entry level peopl e in the IT world since the pandemic started.”