We are both delighted and saddened to announce the retirement of Vicky Illar, our esteemed Database Manager, effective August 2024. Vicky has been a cornerstone of our Consortium for the past eight years, demonstrating unwavering dedication and expertise in managing our data.
Vicky is a member of the Western Pennsylvania disability community and was one of the first entrepreneurs to offer her clerical services through the innovative “Working Order” project, a disability-focused business incubator that operated in the 1990s and early 2000s. Tina Calabro, the consortium’s outreach and preservation manager, became acquainted with Vicky’s services through Working Order and brought Vicky onto the consortium team in 2017.
“The consortium is so appreciative of Vicky’s work,” Calabro said. “Vicky helped develop our organization through her diligent effort on a range of duties, including coordination of the outreach survey that has provided valuable information about historical materials that tell the story of disability rights, services, and experiences. Working with Vicky through the years has not only benefited the consortium but has created a lasting friendship. She will be greatly missed.”
