JOHNSTOWN, Pa., March 14, 2008 /PRNew! swire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- EP Global
Communications, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: EPGL), the parent company of
Exceptional Parent (EP) magazine, is pleased to announce today that its CEO and
President, Joseph M. Valenzano, Jr., will be honored with the 2008 Man of the
Year Award presented by the Arc of East Middlesex, located just outside of
Boston. The award presentation will take place in November of this year in
Boston at the Arc of East Middlesex's signature event, the Richard Tucker
Memorial Dinner and Auction. Founded in 1954, the Arc of East Middlesex (EMARC)
is a nonprofit organization, which assists children and adults with
developmental disabilities and their families.
Mr. Valenzano was selected in recognition of the outstanding information,
support, and resources he provides to parents of children with disabilities and
the public awareness he raises through Exceptional Parent. Jo Ann Simons,
Executive Director of the Ar! c of East Middlesex, said regarding Mr. Valenzano's
selection as th eir Man of the Year, "Joe is the perfect choice because the
mission and values he espouses through Exceptional Parent are in perfect harmony
with the mission and values of the Arc of East Middlesex: to value and empower
individuals with disabilities and their families." When hearing of the award,
Mr. Valenzano commented, "There are far many others more deserving than I, but I
am humbled by the recognition."
Mr. Valenzano is the first to say that the last 15 years, after he took the
reins at Exceptional Parent (EP) magazine, are the most fulfilling of his life.
For Joe Valenzano, EP was a prospect where his love of disability-related causes
and, more importantly, the people behind them could take flight and soar. When
Joe arrived at EP, the magazine had a solid reputation as being a trusted
periodical for families caring for children with special needs. Joe had a vision
and took it to the next level. EP magazine now is endorsed by a pro! fessional
medical society and is considered a peer-reviewed journal offering Category I
CME credit for physicians inside its monthly pages. And its reach goes beyond
physicians to therapists and teachers and caregivers of both children and
adults.
Also, noteworthy was Joe's inauguration in 2002 of the Disability Awareness
Night (DAN). Through this community outreach program, which partners with
professional sports teams from all over the country, Joe is fighting for
recognition of both the challenges that people with disabilities and the
individuals that support them encounter and the vast contributions that they
can, and do, make as valued members of American society. The Night of Military
Distinction, a special annual DAN event that recognizes military heroes who have
returned from the theaters of war with a battle-acquired disability, highlights
another area of outreach Joe has championed. Joe recognizes the unique struggles
! of military families, both those who have a service member who has ret urned home
from war newly disabled or who have a child with a disability.
With this group in mind, EP instituted a special monthly insert in the print
magazine that covers topics and offers resources unique to military families who
have a member who is challenged with a disability. This insert is but one aspect
of EP's Exceptional Family Transitional Training (EFTT) program, a U.S. Army
Cooperative Agreement. EP's purpose in launching the EFTT program was to
increase unit readiness and decrease the stress affecting Army servicemen and
servicewomen and their families by providing information, resources, and support
for people with disabilities and special needs and all those who participate in
their care and development. In addition to the monthly magazine insert, this
program offers military families and professionals online education programs,
many for Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit. Joe was instrumental in the
design an! d implementation of the EFTT program since its inception in 2006 and
has carefully guided the program. The importance of this program is recognized
by many of Joe's military colleagues and contacts. Annette Conway, the wife of
the current Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James Conway, commented that
Joe is "a man of passion and drive. We are lucky to have found him and his
desire to help our families." Isabel Hodge a Marine Corps veteran who currently
works as a content analyst for the Department of Defense's Military Community
and Family Policy Program Support Group said, "Another well deserved award! Joe
is the man of every year! Semper Fi!"
Mr. Valenzano's many professional colleagues in the field of disabilities had
much to say about his being named Man of the Year. R. Sandlin Lowe, III, MD, a
neuropsychopharmacologist and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of
Psychiatry and Department of Physiology and Neurosci! ence of the New York
University School of Medicine, commented, "The y could not have picked a better
man for this award ... Well deserved for all [Joe's] hard work but, more
importantly, [for his] empathy and compassion."
The Arc of East Middlesex is a well-respected organization, which has received
three consecutive certifications of Two Years with Distinction, the highest
rating given by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Retardation.
About EP Global Communications, Inc.
EP Global Communications, parent company of Exceptional Parent (EP) magazine is
a 37-year-old, award-winning publishing and communications company which
provides practical advice and emotional support to families and professionals
caring for the needs of children and adults with disabilities.
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