Wil George Receives IACP Award

Village Northwest Unlimited Employee Recipient of Iowa Association of Community Providers (IACP) 2021 Frontline Supervisor Community Builder Award

Village Northwest Unlimited (VNU) in Sheldon, IA is proud to announce that Wil George has received the 2021 Frontline Supervisor Community Builder Award. Wil received the award, given by the Iowa Association of Community Providers, during a virtual ceremony held on Tuesday, May 11.  The IACP supports Iowa community providers so they in return can fully support Iowans in need of mental health and disability services.  The Leadership Cabinet and Managers at VNU nominated Wil for this prestigious award.  

Wil has worked for VNU for nearly 6 years. He started his career with VNU in 2015 as a part-time Direct Support Professional and currently serves as the Residential Leader in one of the Village ICF/ID (Intermediate Care Facility for Intellectual Disabilities) homes on the VNU campus. Wil is known for his creativity and love of all things dealing with technology. He has played a key role in the introduction of a new scheduling software for creating work schedules for all five of the ICF/ID homes on the VNU campus. Jerry Postma, Director of Residential Services and Admissions noted, “Wil is very dedicated to VNU’s mission to provide Purpose, Privacy, & Dignity to all People.  He sets a high standard in implementing it in every aspect of his job.  Both the residents and staff can count on Wil to always have their best interest in mind.”

To demonstrate his desire to serve the VNU clients in the best possible manner last summer during the pandemic, Wil and a few of the staff members of his house formed a band, “The Wil-age People.” The band performed outdoor, socially distanced concerts for the residents and staff at VNU during the pandemic. Wil is always looking for ways to bring joy to the lives of those served by VNU. Wil is tireless in his desire to improve the lives of the individuals served within the home he leads.

Barry Whitsell, Village CEO commented, “Wil’s peers had so much to say about why Wil was more than deserving of this award in his nomination we submitted. Wil’s peers noted how passionate, hardworking, dedicated and relentless he is in his pursuit of what is right for individuals with disabilities. The Village is fortunate to have Wil leading our staff and daily demonstrating what it means to live the Village mission of providing Purpose, Privacy and Dignity.”

Village Northwest Unlimited is nationally recognized as one of the premier providers of services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder or traumatic brain injuries.  Village Northwest Unlimited builds successful lives for 180 individuals by providing opportunities and choices in residential, vocational and social programs while fulfilling its mission of providing Purpose, Privacy and Dignity.