Florida Rehabilitation Council

Stephen R. Wise Advocacy Award Recipients

James Byers — 2022
**James "Chip" Byers**

Rhonda Beckman — 2021
**Lileana de Moya**
Founder
DMF Employment Opportunities

2020
**Ann Siegel, JD**
Disability Rights Florida

2019
**Becki Forsell**
Founder
YES! of America United

2016
**John Ficca**
Founder/CEO
Hands on Education

David Jones — 2015
**David C. Jones**
Founder/President Florida
Disabled Outdoors
Association

2014
**Carol Borden**
CEO
Guardian Angels Medical
Service Dogs

2013
**Steven Howell**
Executive Director,
Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology

External Link Disclaimer: As a convenience and for informational purposes only, the Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) provides external hyperlinks on its website, directing website users toward certain outside sites; links to these websites do not constitute VR's endorsement or approval of the linked websites, or the information, products or services contained therein. All links VR provides are consistent with the mission of its website. However, VR exercises no editorial control over the information website users may find on external websites. VR also cannot attest to the accuracy or appropriateness of information provided by external websites and organizations.

The Florida Department of Education, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) is an equal opportunity employer. It is against the law for VR as a recipient of Federal financial assistance to discriminate against any individual in the United States on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation or belief. The application process used by VR to determine eligibility for services, any subsequent services and the entire VR process are subject to these non-discrimination requirements. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. VR program receives 78.7 percent of its funding through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. For the 2024 Federal fiscal year, the total amount of grant funds awarded were $184,931,573. The remaining 21.3 percent of the costs, in the amount of $50,051,366, were funded by Florida State Appropriations. Revised October 2025.