[quote style=”2″]Hermiston Man to Serve on Statewide Board[/quote]
Daniel Tucker is not one to shy away from responsibility. He attends the Hermiston School District’s Next Step program for developmentally disabled individuals who have graduated from high school. He also has a job at Crazy Mike’s Video. And as of today, he is a voting board member of the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities.
“Congratulations, Daniel – we’re so very proud of you and thank you for serving,” said Dr. Fred Maiocco, superintendent of the Hermiston School District after swearing in Daniel, making him the only representative on the board from Hermiston and just the second representative from this side of the state.
When asked how he felt about his new role, Daniel succinctly summed up his feelings:
“Very exciting!”
Daniel, 21, was approached by Kathrine Palmer, the president of the Arc of Umatilla County, to become a board member. Palmer is the other Eastern Oregon rep on the council’s board.
“I thought it would be neat to be able to speak up on important issues,” he said.
As a board member for the council, Daniel will be an advocate for himself and other developmentally disabled people.
Daniel lives in Hermiston with his aunt and uncle, Laura and John Tucker. Laura is a proud aunt and a big fan of Daniel.
“Daniel is the sweetest, kindest man I know,” she said. “He’s eager to help speak for all the people in this room.”
The room is the Kik Center where the school district’s Next Step program is held. About a dozen or so individuals meet each week day to learn life skills and job skills. It’s a transitional program that helps the developmentally disabled move on to independent living. Some of them, like Daniel, hold jobs and they take part in recycling efforts by collecting cans around the community to help raise a little extra money for the Next Step program.
In his spare time, Daniel enjoys running, movies and music, but he is eager to take on his new responsibilities as a board member for the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities.
“I think this is a very, very good opportunity for me,” he said. “I’m ready to be a spokesman.”
