Congratulations to John and Joan Quigley for receiving the 2003 Alan Mayer Award. They have been key members of the brain injury support community for many years. Joan began volunteering with the Association as the information and resources chairman in the early 1990's. In this position she developed specialized packets for mail out, researched articles on brain injury from journals and newsletters, provided informational packets to callers into the helpline, and attended all support groups at Falls Church High School where she provided newcomers information on services available and contact information. Joan was a member of the NVBIA Board for 5 years.
After retiring in 1997 John became more active in the association. He served first on JTI committees and managed the Silent Auctions from 1998 through 2002. In 1998 he became Treasurer of the Association and served in that capacity for four years. Then, in 2002 he agreed to serve as Vice President and, while the President, Amy Fitzgerald, was on maternity leave, he was the defacto President. In 2003 John agreed to serve as the Chairman of JTI. During his years on the NVBIA Board he conceived several ways to raise monies for the association, most recently through doughnut sales at shopping centers. He has also been a strong advocate for survivors, participating in numerous panels and workgroups on transportation, MEDICAID waivers, family education, and Olmstead implementation. (In his spare time John has become the NVBIA office carpenter, building and installing shelves and providing for overall office maintenance.)
In addition to serving on the NVBIA Board for six years John has been an active member of the Brain Injury Association of Virginia's Board as well as the Board of Directors of Brain Injury Services.
Together the Quigleys have worked for the association in numerous ways: advocating for the needs of the brain injured; providing information to survivors and family members, writing articles and providing photo coverage for newsletters, attending support groups, and serving in positions of increased importance for our annual conference, "A Journey Toward Independence". The Quigleys are active members in the Parents Group for Caregivers of Brain injury Survivors. Their son, Brian, is a survivor.
During the past 15 years John and Joan Quigley have strived to increase the level of recognition of the needs and increased support for survivors, have developed many innovative ways of meeting the needs of survivors, and have been key members of NVBIA, BIAV and Brain Injury Services. NVBIA thanks them for all of their hard work and dedication to the brain injury community.