By Patricia Villers
Register Staff
pvillers@newhavenregister.com

ANSONIA — The successes of clients from Birmingham Group Health Services Inc. were recognized Wednesday at the Business Advisory Council’s 17th annual Employment Salute and Luncheon.

“This is a fun time for us, seeing the success of the people we’re working with (and) being able to recognize that is very heartwarming, ” said job developer John Yeager.

About 70 attended the event at John J. Sullivan’s restaurant. Birmingham Group Health Services, Inc. is a behavioral health organization.

Honorees included Paul Mulligan of Ansonia, who was named Employee of the Year and Carlos DelValle of Derby, who was presented with the Veronica Swiski Inspirational Achievement Award.

Yeager said he first met Mulligan in 1994 and has seen him work hard. Mulligan worked at Ansonia Copper and Brass Co. for more than a decade and for the past 11 months has been employed as a janitor at BJ’s Wholesale Club in Derby, where he is “doing tremendously well,” Yeager said.

Mulligan thanked Birmingham Group’s staff and said, “I’m very grateful to have you in my life.”

DelValle, who was named Employee of the Year several years ago, is part of the organization’s enclave of people with developmental disabilities.

He’s been a loyal employee at the W.E. Bassett Co. in Shelton.

In 2009, Yeager presented the late Swiski with the same award, calling her “kind, courteous and friendly.” She was the first recipient of the new award.

Swiski also had been employed at W.E. Bassett Co. in Shelton. Continued...

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The Employer of the Year Award went to Staffworks Inc. in Seymour.

The temporary-to-permanent employment agency has been affiliated with Birmingham for more than 14 years.

The keynote speaker was Bernard M. Sweeney, Connecticut district director, U.S. Small Business Administration. He said the makeup of his Hartford office reflects the diversity of the workforce.

“You never know if people are disabled,” he said, as he removed a cochlear implant hearing device. Sweeney also said he is a liver transplant recipient and has other “hidden” disabilities.

He said the benefits to an employer who hires someone with a disability are “immeasurable.” Sweeney said hiring the disabled may not be “the chic thing to do,” but it’s “the right thing to do.”

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