As we close out our state’s 2025 celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we honor and recognize this year’s recipients of the Lex Frieden Employment Awards. Named in honor of disability-rights champion Lex Frieden, one of the key architects of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the awards acknowledge employers, entrepreneurs and advocates who expand opportunities and remove barriers in the workplace.
This year’s highest honor, the Governor’s Trophy, was awarded to Judy Telge of Corpus Christi. For more than 45 years, Ms. Telge has served as a tireless advocate for Texans with disabilities, co-founding what is now the Coastal Bend Center for Independent Living (formerly ACARE, Inc.), securing its federally recognized Center for Independent Living status in Corpus Christi, and continuing to serve as its Development Director and Housing Navigator to this day. Her work spans local, state and national efforts: from moving individuals out of nursing homes into community-living settings, to advocating for enhanced attendant-care wages, to advancing accessible housing, transportation and education.
The Lex Frieden Employment Awards also recognized outstanding recipients across several categories:
- Large Employer Award: City of Brownsville – for its commitment to inclusive hiring and embedding accessibility into city services.
- Medium Employer Award: DHL–Nike (Hutchins) – for cultivating a workplace model where people with disabilities are fully integrated across multiple departments, from logistics to leadership.
- Small Employer Award: Mermaid Café (San Antonio) – a small business that made access and opportunity a core value, employing staff with disabilities and offering flexible work accommodations.
- Non-Profit Organization Award: West Texas Counseling and Guidance (San Angelo) – for growing its workforce to include approximately 35% of employees identifying as having a disability and implementing strong employment practices that support all team members.
- Entrepreneurship Award: Kristen McNabb Pattison (Fort Sam Houston) – a legally blind entrepreneur who owns KAMPFoods LLC / Café Espresso at Brooke Army Medical Center, and who embodies resilience, adaptive leadership, and service.
Additionally, the Pharr Police Department’s Mental Health Unit received the Martha Arbuckle Award, which honors a local committee or community initiative that exemplifies partnership, innovation, and commitment to improving the lives of people with disabilities. The department’s unit has built a model of collaboration between law enforcement, behavioral health professionals, and community organizations by improving crisis response, reducing unnecessary incarceration, and connecting individuals with disabilities to the supports they need. Their leadership demonstrates how local action can create lasting statewide impact.
GCPD also recognized Chairman’s Commendations for several individuals and organizations for their outstanding contributions to advancing employment and opportunity for Texans with disabilities, including:
- Texas Veterans Commission for its deep commitment to empowering Texans with disabilities through internal hiring practices, with more than 85% of its workforce identifying as having a disability, and for their public support to hire veterans with disabilities across the state.
- Cord Shiflet (Austin) who was a driving force in the recovery of Camp CAMP following the catastrophic July 4 floods in Center Point, Texas. Under his leadership, teams of workers cleared massive amounts of debris along the riverfront, saving weeks of labor and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- Rusty Bourland (Austin) who utilized his years of experience in disaster recovery and played a pivotal role in rebuilding Camp CAMP after the July 4 floods. His leadership combined practical skill with deep compassion, ensuring the work was carried out with dignity and care.
As the month draws to a close, GCPD encourages all Texas employers to consider how they might further strengthen their hiring practices, build accessible environments, and champion the skills and talents of people with disabilities. Photos from the 2025 Lex Frieden Employment Awards and the Texas HireAbility Employer Forum can be viewed online. Nominations for the 2026 Lex Frieden Employment Awards are accepted year-round. For more information on the Lex Frieden Employment Awards, please visit https://gov.texas.gov/organization/disabilities/employment_awards.
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