Region: 4 – Taconic
DSP Nomination Name: Ronald Knox
Position: Developmental Assistant I
Years of Service: 32
The nominee's favorite or most rewarding part about being a DSP:
“Seeing the individuals smile when you do something nice for them” – Ronald Knox
About Ronald:
Ronald is a very dedicated part of the team, according to Tracy England, DA III and Ronald’s supervisor.
“Even during a global pandemic, Ron worked almost every single day, volunteering for overtime, coming in at all hours of the night, day and evening to meet the needs of not only his house, but also various houses on the team,” England says.
“Ron always advocates for the people he supports. Most of all he has a great attitude, he stays positive and when times get tough, he steps right up to the plate, swinging for the fences,” she adds.
What sets Ron apart is his willingness to be a team player for the entire team, not just his location. The team had some serious struggles during the pandemic with staffing, but Ron was willing to work almost every day, doing almost 16 hours each day. He even volunteered to be reassigned to another very difficult location to assist with that houses’ supervisory needs.
“Ron volunteered to work at another home for a long period of time. This location really saw some serious struggles during the pandemic with the house going on quarantine multiple times, supervisors and staff being out on leave, and the tragic loss of a person in our care,” England said. “Ron saw the need and volunteered to assist a new DA1 that was in that location. He came in and worked with the new supervisor as a team player. He saw the need and took it upon himself to offer to help run this house that was struggling so very much. His sacrifices to this house helped keep the entire team afloat during a dire time.”
“With the staffing crisis and pandemic, it was very hard to always keep regular staff. Ron brought a familiar face to the home every day and he was someone the individuals could turn to in need,” she adds. “Not only did he help with the team, he helped the individuals with some normalcy during uncertain times.”
“If it were not for Ronald Knox, I am not sure where our team would be today and how well we would have made it out of the pandemic. He is a true hero and deserves to be recognized for his hard work, sacrifices and dedication,” England concludes.