Joy Matoney: Discusses Stellar Career with Highmark, Inc. and the Commitment to Hire People with Disabilities in the Workforce

Welcome to Disability Matters with your host Joyce Bender. All comments, views, and opinions expressed on the show are solely those of the host, guest, and callers. Now the host of Disability Matters, here's Joyce Bender.

And hello everyone, welcome to the show. This is Joyce Bender on Disability Matters. And it is always such a pleasure to be with all of you. May I say, I would put my listeners up against anyone. Yes, I would, because we have the greatest listeners. Thank you so much for being so dedicated and loyal. And listen, we all need help, so make sure you tell other people about this show. Other people, especially people living with disabilities like me. You know, I live with epilepsy and I'm hard of hearing, which is why this is my 30th anniversary of my company Bender Consulting Services that focuses on the competitive employment of Americans with disabilities. So thank you, thank you so much And now to all my listeners around the world. Oh my goodness, we have listeners in 73 countries, 73, from Australia to China, all around the world. So, you know, I always say, I don't care if you're one person, one person can make a difference, one. One person. So you may be somewhere around the world and, you know, you see discrimination, lack of opportunity for people living with disabilities. This is something you can do. Tell them about this show. And a special shout out to Yoshiko Dark. Hi, Yoshiko. How are you? You know I love you, Yoshiko. Everyone knows I love Yoshiko because Yoshiko is the widow of the late, great Justin Dart, the greatest disability rights leader, and Yoshiko is still heading the charge. She is so awesome. And hi, Mark. Thank you. Hi, Mark. For being the lead sponsor of this show for so many years. You know, what can I say? I always say Highmark sets the high mark for other companies to follow. And yes, this is my 30th anniversary, but the 35th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act this year. This year is the 35th anniversary. So we've been celebrating all year. And who better than an executive from Highmark to celebrate today these 35 years? So welcome to the show, Joy.

Wow. Thank you so much, Joyce. I'm so just proud to be here with you and all your listeners. And just— I have been a fan of yours for years, and I've gotten to really know you closely over the last 5 years. And I must say you just continue to impress me every day. So I'm so happy to be here. Thank you for asking me to join you.

So I will tell all of you listening to the show, and I know you know I always have genuine people on this show, but I have to tell you about Joy Matoni. She is the real deal. I mean, she is, she is so nice. All the time. I don't know how she does this all the time, but she does. And for all of you around the world, guess what else she does? Hire people with disabilities. And we know that is where the rubber meets the road. So, Joyce, welcome, welcome. You are one of my favorite people, uh, and just a great leader. And as I said, always so refreshing and so joyful. That's what I would say. Always so joyful. But our listeners don't know you. So how about if you tell our listeners a little bit about you, you know, like where you grew up, where you worked, where— I know you just told me where you went to your college since it reflects my favorite colors, purple. But let's hear, where did you grow up, Joy?

Sure. So I grew up here in Pittsburgh, born and raised. Um, I was the third of six children. Um, we didn't have a lot of money growing up, but what we lacked in funds, we were definitely, um, we're just surrounded by love and support. My parents, they were always encouraging us to, you know, achieve anything. You can achieve anything you set your mind to, you know, with hard work, perseverance. And never let us feel like we were limited by our resources. So I was very fortunate with the home I grew up in and just, um, you know, having that— those role models, you know, um, to be able to grow up with every day. Um, the other thing you should know about me is my mother, um, was disabled. So she lived most of her adult life suffering from MS, um, until she later passed from breast cancer at at the young age of 55. But as you can imagine, you know, she faced a lot of struggles, and the struggles that she faced, we all faced as a family. So I say this because it really helped shape, you know, my life and kind of who I am and kind of how I think about things today, because, you know, it, it's just given me a very strong sense of family and my faith. I think even just the broader sense of community and duty, right, to one another as we like help help our fellow citizens and really just making sure that we're advocating for each other. So, um, like I said, I'm just very happy to be here. I know you mentioned, um, I went to Northwestern University. I think growing up I, um, I studied biomedical engineering. I, um, had always kind of been like naturally inquisitive and wanted to understand how things worked and just love to solve problems. That's what really led me to engineering. And then I think, you know, with the challenges my mother faced within her health and with medicine, that's where the linkage, right, to biomedical kind of came to play. And I had every expectation because I was the typical third child, where a middle child, where, you know, I wanted to make sure that I would carve out a place for myself, right? And knew I had to work hard to kind of succeed in life and to overcome some of you know, just the other barriers, social barriers that we were faced with growing up that, you know, I knew I would have to work hard to go to school and to get into school. So that was, again, all of the different parts of me that kind of helped shape me into who I am today. And, you know, a little bit about me and my background.

Now, yeah, when I saw you had a degree in biomedical engineering, I said, "What? Wow!" I never knew she had this background. So, so impressive. Now, how did you get to Northwestern University? You know, as you said, I knew you didn't grow up wealthy. How the heck did you get there?

Yeah. So it goes back to, you know, I was always very encouraged as a child that, you know, we shouldn't set or be limited to just what might be in front of us, right? So, um, I had this interest in— in— but in it, the other thing that would naturally happen too— so being again kind of the, the third slash middle child of the family, my brother was the oldest, very much an overachiever, went to Carnegie Mellon. Wow. He studied engineering, right? So he was kind of— he was an inspiration to me, but I wanted to always try to— like, he was my natural competition, right? And barometer to how keep pushing myself forward. So I was like, okay, chemical engineering, I want to do biomedical engineering. And, you know, when I looked into the different schools, I was always inspired to want to, you know, do the best, go to the best. And for me, that was Northwestern. So it kind of took me out of my shell, took me away from Pittsburgh for a little while, you know, went to school in Chicago. And really, you know, what a wonderful what an experience that was. It really stretched me, you know, grew me in different ways, really was among, you know, the best of the best of other, other students across the country and really learned, you know, how to continue to shape who I was and kind of drive. And that natural, I think, drive to just want to succeed and do well was just continued to be sharpened, right, throughout school.

Yeah, well, bah, you have a smart family, Joyce. You have a very smart family. So now you are at Highmark. Was that like when you went into consulting? Was that difficult for you to move into healthcare, or did that sort of fit with your education?

Yeah, so I think it fit very well with my education. Actually, when I first set out to do school, biomedical engineering was, was something I really wanted to study, but ultimately I was set out to doctor and kind of think of it as like a pre-med experience. But again, it was challenging environment being in school. And I, after the 4 years, I needed a break. So I was like, I wasn't ready to just dive into medical school and do another, um, you know, just all the rigor and commitment that would take. I needed a break. So I thought my break was doing what I thought was this interesting world of consulting. We basically had recruiters come to the school. They had a very— they were very sleek about how they would connect with the students and potential candidates and reached out to the different leaders of the different groups and associations. I was one of the leaders. I was co-president of our Biomedical Engineering Society, so I got to go through this leadership retreat. So they basically wooed me into, you know, hey, this is This is an exciting, exciting world here in consulting and a great opportunity to leverage my skills. Well, I basically took a break from school and decided to figure things out. But I'll tell you what, I fell in love with it. I just loved the different— I go back to wanting to solve problems, and I loved a challenge. And I felt like we got great exposure to different companies that were facing different issues that had you basically there to kind of help them figure things out. And, um, long story short, one of my final clients was actually Highmark. So that's what first introduced me to Highmark. I, um, I remember very clearly working with the team here and just feeling like it was different than any other company that I had worked with or any other client I had worked with. And I knew there was something special and that I'd want to be part of this organization. So When I talk about our mission and vision at the time, really trying to tackle the challenges of healthcare and making care more accessible, making care more affordable, I experienced the challenges of that with my mother's health and her challenges where it was just, it was something that I knew that if I could contribute in some way, it was, it was important that I had an opportunity to do so. So I didn't look back after, you know, joining Highmark. I've been here for 16 years. It's been, it's been amazing. We are so much— I have grown so much as an organization since when I started even 16 years ago. It's kind of amazing.

It is amazing. And if you go way, way, way, way back in time, right before you moved to Fifth Avenue Place. You know, you were not always in this magnificent building. I remember when you moved in the building, I thought, wow, this is really something. And you're right about Highmark. The people at Highmark, it's different. You know, it's different. I too am a person of faith, and I will say The leaders there remember the least of these. And the first person that comes to my mind when I say that is Deb Rice Johnson, who I love. Deb, but would you mind telling me, you, what has it been like? What impact has Deb had on your career?

Wow, a lot. I mean, really, a tremendous amount. I had the pleasure to first start working with Deb It was 5 years ago. I was asked to become her chief of staff, which meant I got to work really closely with her and I got to see her every day in action and just witness the authenticness of and how genuine she was every day and how she really— the mission and the vision that we profess to create remarkable experiences to help people be their best, they weren't just words on a page. They, they mean something to her. And being able to be that close to someone and watch them live that day in and day out can't help but change you and impact you. She's definitely helped to shape how I think about leadership. She has such— she's a leader with a lot of heart and care. She cares so much about our customers. She cares so much about the people, down to, you, you know, all levels of the organization. And she has this amazing ability to really mobilize teams around a common goal and a purpose to make sure we're achieving the remarkable. So I'll leave it at that, but it's been, it's been life-changing, truly.

Yeah. Well, she's that impact on me also. She, you know, here for all of you with disabilities, young people listening, Sometimes when you get a job offer at a certain level, you say, why, why do I have to start at that level? So Deb Rice Johnson started in claims processing or customer service.

Yeah, I think it was claims.

Yeah. And so we're talking about the most entry-level job there is, from that to zooming up being CEO. I mean, you know, of Diversify Business. Yeah, that's amazing when you think about it. That just tells you so much about her. I mean, how many people would get from that to level to level to level to level to level to level to get up that, that far? Yeah, it's amazing.

It really is. And she's so— she's just such a genuine and humble person at the same time, right? She knows her stuff. She knows the business. She, she knows all the people pieces and parts to help position us to be successful. So she's the real deal.

She is. Well, with that, we're going to get ready to go to break. Hey, if you just tuned in, we're talking to Joyce Bender, Vice President of Diversity, Business Planning and Enablement at Highmark Incorporated, right here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. You know what I think? Best city in America. So we'll be right back. After the break, don't go away.

At Highmark Health, we believe what makes us unique makes us better. Our differences broaden our perspectives and foster a variety of skills to complement each other, creating a stronger and more vibrant workforce. It's this belief that earned us recognition as the best place to work work for the 10th year for individuals with disabilities in a survey by the American Association of People with Disabilities and Disability:IN. We'll continue to celebrate and benefit from the inclusion of all people. To find out more, visit highmarkhealth.org.

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You're listening to Disability Matters. Now please welcome back the host of Disability Matters. Here's Joyce Bender.

Welcome back to the show. If you just joined us, you are in for a treat because we are talking to Joy Matoni, executive at Highmark Health— well, Highmark Inc. for her, but it's Highmark. It's all Highmark.

It's all—

yeah, it's all Highmark right here. In Pittsburgh. And wow, Highmark got so big. I mean, they purchased AHN and so many other places, and they have all these hospitals. But I must say, when I'm watching the Buffalo Bills and I hear, and right here at Highmark Stadium, I always think, hi, Mark, there they are.

There we are.

Yeah.

Yeah, amazing. So amazing. Right there in snow country. That's where you are, in snow country. Um, oh, I almost forgot. Okay, remember our trivia here. What cup am I drinking out of today? Okay, you got a glance. That's good. Good. Go back, go back on YouTube because, you know, at the end of the year I'm going to give that award and have that person on my show. The person that guessed the mug. Guess who's the mug? Joyce Bender. Yeah, okay. So, Joyce, you do something that unfortunately 70% of Americans with disabilities not counted in the workforce when this is the 35th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act is terrible. I mean, it really is. But Highmark stands tall, and you are one of the reasons why. I mean, because it's a barrier for so many people. Why do you hire people with disabilities?

Well, I would just say because it works. So one, I know it because I hear it time and again from the leaders, right, that have come before me. And whether, you know, it's Deb Grace Johnson, whether it's David Holmberg, whether it's Karen Hanlon, countless others. I know Heimark is incredibly proud that we've been able to partner with you from the, from the very beginning, Joyce Bender, and be part of this important work. But through those years, and again, I say this because I know it works, you know, I know we've been able to hire, you know, through, you know, the fact that we have this signature program and this executive support around it. That we've been able to hire hundreds of individuals with disabilities that, you know, frankly, you know, it's not because it's a charity, it's just because it's a business solution that works. You look at the data, I know you know the data far better than I do, Joyce, but I know when you think about, you know, just at Highmark and the fact that when we hire individuals, right, that have lived experiences that are shared with the members we serve, we're so much better off as an organization, whether it shows up in the solutions that we offer, the products we offer, how we service our members. I mean, for me, I mentioned before that my mother was disabled, but, you know, she was a full-time stay-at-home mother up until the time my sister went to kindergarten. And then she decided for the, for the betterment of our family that she would go to work. And at the time, and I remember this very clearly, I was in, I was in like 7th or 8th grade and I went with her, you know, I helped her get to her interview because my father was working, he couldn't take time off. And, you know, the interview was during the day and I had the opportunity to be able to take off school, take the day off of school and help her get to her interview by taking public transportation just to make sure, you know, we weren't sure exactly what to expect. Expect, but to help her get her, get her there. And, um, I would say it was PNC that took a chance on her and really, you know, hired her as a loan officer. She was one of their best employees. I know she won countless Employees of the Month and, you know, um, exceeded her sales goals and targets. And, but she was that role model for me that I knew it's how important it is and how it impacts the lives of not only individuals but of families. So for me, it's also very personal, as much as I see how it works, and I— but I also know, you know, firsthand experience, it's meaningful. It's meaningful in the lives of those individuals who can, you know, better themselves and can better society.

Mm-hmm. So sorry to hear you lost your mother at such a young age. Thank you. But she's still living through you.

Oh, thank you.

I can tell she was a very— wow, she— people with disabilities, I'm telling you, they have an inner strength. They just—

she did. Absolutely.

Yeah, an inner strength that people cannot believe. So, um, talking— and by the way, hiring people with disabilities, it is a business, uh, decision. It is. Because when you hire people with disabilities, you get a return on investment from People being there, high retention, gratitude. I could go on and on, but people with disabilities don't want pity, they want paychecks. So, uh, good for all of you out there listening that do hire people with disabilities. So, uh, Joyce, you've been a staunch supporter, but what is amazing is that when I met Bill Lowery, he was the CEO of Bill Blue Cross of Western PA, and the merger occurred while he was the CEO and it became Highmark. And that's who I went to to help me get started. But when he retired, before he left, he took me to lunch to meet John Brause, the incoming CEO. And then when he retired, I went and met with Ken Maloney. And then when he retired, I went and met with Bill Winkenwerder. And now, oh my God, David Holmberg, he is like The only person that has ever said to me, you know what, Joyce, I don't see enough wheelchairs in the lobby. Where are all the service dogs? I mean, who else would say that? I wish— I told him, I wish I had a video of you that I could show to all CEOs in America. Yeah. But my question, I know, especially from your background at Accenture, I know you know that's unusual. Yeah. From 30 years ago, that all those CEOs, one right after the next, stood behind me. And really, instead of it getting weaker, it got stronger. I, you know, that would be like you went to PPG and every CEO there— I mean, any company in America, I just use them because they're here in Pittsburgh and I love that company, by the way. But anywhere. That's unusual to see that. Yeah. Why do you think that is?

You know, it's really unfortunate because like I said, to me it just makes sense, right? Because you see how the results, what the results look like. You think about how, you know, people with disabilities often have very unique experiences and perspectives and approaches to problem solving, having the fact that, you know, they have to navigate through this world that many times is not designed for them, right? So it really encourages that creativity and create more creative solutions that, to your point, lead to, you know, higher, higher business performance and outcomes, right? But, you know, there's something to be said for where too often blinded by the disabilities, right? As opposed to being inspired and being able to see and maximize on people's capabilities, right? You know, again, I kind of think back to my mother and, you know, one of the questions I think you're gonna ask me is who my role model is, but it's kind of hard for me not to avoid it. She's clearly my role model. And when I think of her, yes, she had a disability, but really when I think of her, I truly just think about the supernatural capability, right, that she had to love and to inspire and to encourage and really bring to life the talents and capabilities of her children, right? So not just me, but all my other brothers and sisters. Is what helped motivate us, right, to be better and to contribute to the world and society and to one another, you know, in a different way. So, you know, I really challenge, you know, companies that may struggle with this to really start to turn the— change their perspective and start to look at the capabilities, right, that people bring to the table. Because when you really unlock, you know, each and every one of us have different skills, capabilities, talents. When you have the opportunity, no matter who you are, to match them in the job, in, in your job and in your workforce, right, like magic happens. You know, businesses succeed, people feel, um, empowered, people feel, um, fulfilled in their career and their life and are better able to contribute to their families and to society as whole. Who wouldn't want that?

And you know, um, when you talk about your mother, do you notice you don't say my mother, woman with a wheelchair, you say, or MS, whatever, you say my mother. In other words, you saw her capabilities, not, yeah, inabilities. You saw her as a strong person, and that's how I want it to be, that you see the person. Yeah. Not just the wheelchair.

I mean, it's usually just a small piece of who they are, right? There's so much more to all of us as individuals that, you know, whether seen or unseen, it's just a small piece of who we are, right? So how do we unlock and help people see all of it, right? And tap into the full potential of individuals.

Yeah, and you know what else I'm going to tell you, um, about Highmark? Highmark is also unique in that— I don't know how to explain this, but there's like a soul to the company. You know, like, they'll see people just as, uh, objects, and the CEOs and David Holmberg, Deb, Karen, all of them, Larry all of them treat people like they don't have this thing, oh, I am so above you. And I think that— you notice that too, that the company has like a soul to it?

100%. I absolutely believe that. And I mean it when I say our mission and vision, right, to create this world where Everyone can embrace health. Creating these remarkable experiences that free people to be their best, those aren't words on a page. They're really not. We mean it. We want to be part of the solution that helps to make healthcare less complex, more affordable. And that's something that is ingrained every day in each and every one of the employees and the work way that we do. Our customers matter, our people matter, our employees matter, and, you know, we have an important work to do.

Yes, we do. And, and I want to tell you, Joy, there are, uh, many young people living with disabilities who are brutally bullied every day, but it so gives so much hope to them to see someone at your level that is inclusive. I wonder, do you have any advice at all for kids that are being brutally bullied at school all the time?

I mean, my heart goes out to each and, um, each of you that experience that. Um, my advice is not everyone is like that, right? Not every— you— and, um, It will pass. It will pass. And people will see and begin to appreciate you for who you are. And there are advocates out there for you. And just encouraging those young people to keep up the good work and the fight and to, you know, find those that really will support you. And care for you, and they're out there. You're not alone. You're not alone.

No, you're not. And I, I like that, what you said, that this too will pass. I mean, you know, it's hard to see that, but it will. It will pass. You know, I, I always tell, uh, kids with disabilities, I say, you know what, I wish I had this magical bottle where I could make this potion that would enable you to see back in time in school and say, and I worried what they thought. You know, I cared about that. But when you're in the middle of it, you don't realize it. You don't. Later in your life, you will realize. You will. Yeah. You will realize, why did I care about them or what they said.

Yeah, and there's power and perspective, right, that the time gives you. But then there's also these experiences you go through and how to take the learnings from it. That's also hard when you're, when you're in the moment, but it will make you a stronger and better person because of it.

Yeah, I believe that too. And I also think that the more people you get to know, even in the community, the more it will help you. Yeah, you know what I mean? There are so many organizations that if you're a young person, you can get involved in and do volunteer work, whether it's Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Best Buddies, United Way, whatever it is. Hopefully Bender Leadership Academy. But, but no matter what it is, that's how you meet people like Joyce. Yeah, that's how you meet people. And the more people you meet outside of this environment where you're being spit on, made fun of, uh, social media, you need buddies. Because once you get a buddy you're going to be surprised how all that stops.

You know, I really encourage those that, you know, feel embarrassed or may not want to talk about it, right, to make sure you talk to your parents. Tell your parents. Don't try to, you know, hold on to that pain alone, right? Like, you're not alone, and people do want to help. So your idea about a buddy, I think, is really, really important.

Yeah, yeah. And, uh, remember who you are, how awesome you are. If you had been last evening at our Disability Mentoring Day event— oh yes, this is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, but I call it National Disability Employment Month because how much awareness do we have to have to know that you should be hiring someone? And so if you had seen the young people, oh my goodness, they were like so thrilled to be there and so awesome. Just awesome. Yes, they were. But we've got to take a break because it's time for, yes, Mathis on the Mic. And Jennifer Mathis, you were discussed last night, of course, how great you are because your CEO, Holly O'Donnell, spoke in Pittsburgh as the keynote speaker for our kickoff for Disability Mentoring Day. Jennifer, I can tell you this guest today, she hires people. She's the real deal. Jennifer is my Rachel Maddow. She's ready to go. Rachel's not here, but Jennifer is. Jennifer, you know what we were saying last night at dinner? We were saying how Every time I say to you, what news do you have today? It could be like a zillion things. Things happen so fast, you know. But, but what news do you have for us today, Jennifer?

I have an update today on something that we talked about a while ago, maybe a month and a half ago or something like that. I had talked about this lawsuit that had been filed by a number of states led by New York that was challenging these notices sent out by a number of federal agencies, by HHS, Department of Ed, Department of Labor, and Justice Department, that reinterpreted after many, many years a piece of this Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reauthorization Act. Law that was sometimes known as ending welfare as we know it from 1996. And one of the things that that law did was exclude from federal public benefits, um, certain immigrants, non-citizens, um, if they were not refugees or people granted asylum or fit into certain other categories. And so it said you can't get federal public benefits that was defined a certain way, and the agencies had interpreted it, um, always to exclude certain things. Federal public benefits did not mean things that were widely available benefits like any kind of law enforcement services or fire sanitation, emergency shelters, the agencies had interpreted it to mean things that had eligibility, that didn't have eligibility criteria, were not included because the point was for things that are emergencies, for things that are things where you, it would be just unworkable to require people to quote unquote show your papers before you could get served, that was interpreted as not included in the law based on how the language of the statute read. And so for many, many years, these agencies had guidance that indicated what was not included in these federal public benefits that couldn't be given. To certain noncitizens. And so now you had HHS and other agencies radically reinterpreting this after many, many years to greatly expand the definition of public benefits, federal public benefits, in a way that would now mean you had to show your papers to get all kinds of services like crisis counseling, domestic violence shelters, emergency services, emergency substance use, mental health services, and many, many other services that they had for nearly 30 years, said, were not included in this set of benefits that couldn't be given to, to these non-citizens. So that is a dramatic change. And I had noted a while ago that these states had filed this lawsuit, and now there was a new development. It's not happened already, a month ago almost, but we didn't get a chance to talk about it because there's so many other things going on, as you said. So now is the first chance I've got to raise it. So I just wanted to explain that federal court has issued what's called a preliminary injunction. So it's a very lengthy decision that says that what the agencies have done, at least in the preliminary opinion of the court, it should be enjoined. It's not lawful because it is likely that it violates the law in a number of ways. And so right now the government has not appealed that decision. There's going to be a briefing. Right now it's scheduled for next month. The government has asked the court, as it has in so many cases, to stay that litigation, to put things on hold because of the shutdown. The court has not decided yet what it's going to do. So right now, that is on track for briefing in November. And I raise it because there's so many critical disability services that are at issue. And so it would— I think if it— if these reinterpretations are allowed to go forward, they would impact not only the noncitizens that they are targeting, but they would impact everybody who would use those programs. Because now you have programs like PATH, which is focused on people who are homeless. They would have to require people to show identification and other things that people who are homeless don't always have on hand. And so in an emergency, you don't ask people to show your papers. And so, um, that is what would happen if this change in policy went forward. Um, it would impact all people who use these programs and lots of people with disabilities because there are lots of disability-related services, mental health and substance use services particularly, that are at issue. So right now the court has put it— has preliminarily enjoined that, meaning that they can't do that. They can't go forward with their new interpretation for the moment, but it is going to be briefed potentially in November unless the court puts it on hold further.

So what can we do?

I, I don't think there is a thing so much to do for your listeners right now. There are disability groups and others that are going to file a brief with the court, likely a friend of the court brief, But at some point in the litigation, but I just want to put people on notice about this right now and we'll update people as things happen in that case.

Now, I can't picture the homeless people having up-to-date driver's license or identification. Exactly. I have to be reminded. So I'm thinking, yeah, but do you know what I mean? That would be terrible. Absolutely, Tara. And by the way, so many of those people have disabilities— mental health disability, substance abuse, epilepsy, autism. So many different types of people with disabilities are homeless. So, okay, well, Jennifer, you keep us up to date.

I will.

Thank you. All right, okay, bye-bye. Bye. Every week, uh, Joyce, we have this news report And she is extremely well known. She's frequently in the New York Times. She works at Bazelon in D.C. And every week she updates us on whatever's happening, you know, in D.C. that impacts people with disabilities. So we're so honored to have her on the show. So, Joyce, a couple more questions. You've done so much. And your career, but what are you the proudest of? What accomplishments are you the proudest of?

I would say it's not— when I think back, it's not really on any specific individual project or business result or outcome. It really goes back to the people I get to work with. And when I think about, you know, especially the work we get to do as leaders, it's so important. You think about the most important role we play in organizations is really leading and developing our teams and our people. For me, it's about that. So for the past 16 years that I've been at Highmark, I would say there's one great advantage of that is you do get to see people people develop is part of like their own learning and journey, right? So from when I get an opportunity to hire, to hire team members, to get to work with them and build, you know, a high-performing team where we can basically share in our successes together and, you know, celebrate our accomplishments, to allowing them to see them continue to grow right beyond my my immediate team and take on other leadership roles in other parts of the organization, to me, that is what's most fulfilling. So when I get to walk the halls of Highmark and I run into people that I had the pleasure to be able to hire and watch them and see them be successful, to me, that's probably one of my greatest accomplishments.

Changing a life. Yeah. Changing a life. For the better and playing a small role in that.

Right. I mean, I really think that's what matters at the end of the day is the people.

Yeah. And that's just how nice and humble you are, Joyce Bender. And I'm sure there are many people that have been impacted by you in your life, even when you were at Accenture. You know, even in your— I always tell people, remember, you never know who's watching. You never know what younger person is watching you and what you do and learning from you. You just never know how many people you impact that you don't even realize you have impacted. And I'm sure there are many. So, Joyce, what message do you have for our listeners today?

So, my takeaway for folks would be this. Every single person, right, has unique talents, perspectives, and contributions to make. Um, you know, I talked about my mother, and, you know, despite her physical challenges that she faced, she was a powerhouse of love and capability and, you know, proved that we're not limited. Like, we put our own limitations on ourselves. Right, and what we see. And you're really not— when we as individuals and organizations can open our minds and our doors to all talent, um, we don't just help someone else, we really unlock that untold potential, whether it's within ourselves, our communities, our businesses. But I just would just encourage everyone, let's work together to, you know, build a world where we where everyone has a chance, right, to be their best and contribute to make this world better.

Well, they will. And Joyce, thank you again. It's so great to have you on the show today. It was really a thrill to have you. And everyone, Joyce Matoni is the Vice President, Diversity, Business Planning and Enablement at Highmark Inc. and a great person. That's what I would say for her title. Uh, and thank you, Joyce, for being with us. Next week we'll be celebrating Disability Mentoring Day, the third Wednesday of every October, where high school students with disabilities get to go for a day of job shadowing. So stay tuned to the show next week And in the words of Mary Brooker, and you know, we have a quote at the end of every show. Today's quote is Mary Brooker, who said, "Choose joy." This is Joyce Bender, America's Voice, where disability matters, at voiceamerica.com. Talk to everyone next week.

Voice America would like to thank you for tuning in. Please join us next Tuesday at 11 AM Pacific time and 2 PM Eastern time for another installment of Disability Matters right here on the Voice America Variety Channel. We are the leader in live internet talk radio. VoiceAmerica.com.