Association of California
State Employees with Disabilities (ACSED)

AWARDS CEREMONY
June 2, 2025

This is a picture of the ACSED logo. It consists of two concentric circles. The inner circle contains an image of the State of California. Around the larger circle are the words “ACSED: Action and Equality for Employees with Disabilities since 1976.
Event Agenda
Welcome – Joyce Steingass, ACSED President
Opening Remarks – Monica Erickson, Chief Deputy Director, CalHR
Keynote Speech – Nick Maduros, Government Operations Agency Secretary

Awards Ceremony

    Disability Advisory Committee (DAC) Awards, presented in collaboration with the
    State Disability Advisory Committee (SDAC)

    • DAC Achievement Awards
    • DAC of the Year

    Awards to Departments and Agencies

    • Rising Stars
    • ACES
    • Sustained Achievement
    • Special Recognition

    Individual Awards

    • Ralph Black Public Service
    • Carolyn Bonkowski Dedicated Service

    Closing Remarks
    Networking and Refreshments

PHOTO RELEASE

Be advised that photos will be taken at this event. By attending this event, you agree that ACSED may take photos of you, alone or with others. You are also granting ACSED permission to publish, modify, use, re-use, or display these photos for ACSED-related purposes. If you do not want to be photographed, please notify an ACSED board member immediately.
DAC AWARDS

ACSED and the State Disability Advisory Committee (SDAC) recognize Disability Advisory Committees (DACs) that have made outstanding contributions to support the success of their department’s disability employment efforts. Presentations will include the DAC of the Year Award, along with two DAC Achievement Awards.

RALPH BLACK PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

This award acknowledges an individual’s exemplary efforts to advance disability rights and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities over an extended period of time, above and beyond efforts in their paid work.

RISING STARS

The Rising Stars award is a new category that ACSED designed to recognize departments which have made significant progress in increasing the hiring and representation of people with disabilities

CAROLYN BONKOWSKI AWARD

The Award is given to an individual who has made an especially noteworthy contribution of time and energy, over a period of years, to support the activities and mission of ACSED. If the individual has served as an officer, the award would be intended to recognize work above and beyond the basic requirements for the position(s) they held.

ACES AWARDS

ACES Awards honor those state agencies that have shown a strong commitment and made substantial progress in the employment of persons with disabilities. The ACES Awards will be presented to one large, one medium, and one small department.

SUSTAINED ACHIEVEMENT

This category of awards was established by the ACSED Board of Directors. These awards will be given, when applicable, to Departments whose sustained achievement has led them to receive the ACES Award for at least three out of the last four consecutive years.

ACSED Board Members:

Joyce Steingass, President

Nick Stack, Vice President

Catherine Campisi, Secretary

Karen Chesmore, Treasurer

Karen Taylor, Assistant Treasurer

Jasper Jacobs, Alex Pineda, and Ralph Black, Members at Large