CSUSM’s Wayne Veres, Kaine Thompson and Penny Lanese with counselor Jackie Gabby from the Department of Rehabilitation at the awards luncheon.

Cal State San Marcos Department of Instructional and Information Technology Services and Penny Lanese (IITS) were honored at the annual Department of Rehabilitation Awards luncheon in San Diego on April 16, 2008. 

Wayne Veres, Dean of Instructional and Information Technology Services, accepted the “Employer of the Year” award on behalf of the university. Lanese received the Client Award.

Lanese was born with spinal muscular atrophy.  SMA has affected muscles throughout her body, and she has used an electric wheelchair since she was very young due to her fatigue and stamina issues.  She came to the Department of Rehabilitation while in high school through the Poway Unified School District’s Transition Partnership Program.  She was a delegate at the youth conference in Sacramento when she was a senior in high school, which is sponsored by the California Governor’s Committee for Employment of Disabled Persons. Lanese enrolled at CSUSM and received her bachelor of arts degree in 2006. She was then hired by IITS for telecommunications and user support services. She was nominated for the client award by Jackie Gabby, a rehabilitation counselor with the Department of Rehabilitation.

“One of the strategic priorities of our campus is to promote educational equity,” said Veres when accepting the award. “Instructional and Information Technology Services provides state of the art technology to the entire campus community, including making classes and technology accessible to everyone.” 

Many of the employees in IITS are CSUSM alumni. Today IITS employs 65 staff and over 30 student employees.

Each year the Department of Rehabilitation honors employers, community agencies, and clients for providing opportunities to people with disabilities. Cal State San Marcos was honored for “looking beyond disabilities and extending opportunities for employment to individuals who face significant barriers in obtaining employment.”