Sundberg lauded for professional excellence
Jan. 13, 2004
KALAMAZOO--Carol Sundberg, director of the Center for Disability Services at Western Michigan University, has received the first Professional Excellence Award presented by Community Advocates, a Kalamazoo organization dedicated to helping persons with developmental disabilities.
The award citation praised Sundberg's "vision, leadership, creativity and record of significant accomplishments" and cited as one example, "...she not only supported her staff to set up an art studio, she made sure that the paintings of their clients were on display as part of the Arts Council [of Greater Kalamazoo] Art Hop, for sale at competitive prices."
The award was presented at Community Advocates' 50th anniversary celebration. The organization was founded in 1952 as the Kalamazoo Association of Retarded Children by parents of developmentally disabled children to provide special programming for their children and educate the community.
Sundberg has served for 12 years as director of the Center for Disability Services, which at the time of her appointment in 1991 was known as the Center for Developmentally Disabled Adults. She now also serves as director of the WMU Unified Clinics.
The Center for Disability Services is funded by Kalamazoo Community Mental Health and is administered by the WMU College of Health and Human Services, with programmatic oversight by a community advisory board. CDS operates a variety of services for people with disabilities and their families. It serves an average of more than 100 clients per day at four primary locations, including the Unified Clinics.
"We pride ourselves on empowering people to control their own lives and removing barriers to their community participation," says Sundberg.
Sundberg earned both a bachelor's and master's degree in psychology from WMU. She is a doctoral candidate in the School of Public Affairs and Administration.
Media contact: Mark Schwerin, 269 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu