“Everyday at work, something makes me smile!” For those that know Linda, these are not surprising words. She is always at work with a smile and willing to give a helping hand.
Linda is a dedicated employee that wears many caps. Even though her professional job title is Program Support Specialist, she holds many other roles such as the “keeper of keys” and the “fixer of vacuums”. On a normal day, you can find her in supported employment systems training job coaches, contacting contract sites, and managing day habilitation operations such as the ‘vending machine project’.
Linda has been with Systems Unlimited for almost 30 years. She stumbled upon the organization when a day habilitation position was posted looking for a rug weaver with a passion for helping others. Itching for something new, she jumped at the opportunity and has been with Systems ever since. She has held many different positions at Systems Unlimited but found her home in Employment Systems. As Iowa City’s first job coach, she really cultivated the mindset of inclusivity. Working with hotels across Iowa City, Linda helped create a cleaning crew that represented employment for so many people we serve. Linda says, “everyone is employable”, and after seeing the opportunities she works to create for clients at Systems Unlimited, it is evident that she embodies that mission on the job every day.
For the future, Linda’s biggest hope is that the organization keeps growing and adapting. Systems Unlimited has always fostered growth and valued constant learning of new ideas so people we serve can thrive. The people she works with are Linda’s favorite part of her job. Despite the ups and downs, she is constantly reminded of the reason why she found her home here at Systems 30 years ago. Regardless of whether Linda is job coaching, instructing basket weaving, or fixing the vacuums, she is an asset at Systems Unlimited and we are thankful to have such a dedicated employee.
