member when Nero was initially hired . “ There are very few employees whose names make it into a boardroom meeting and he was one of them ,” Barnes said .
As manager of a program that had lost money the previous five fiscal years , Nero grew it significantly . His success revolves in part around believing in the approximately 300 employees that OFA currently serves . “ I think the biggest thing is just educating the business community on this population and how great of employees they are ,” Nero said .
Martin Barken at Alvarado Pharmacy with Options For All Job Coach Emily Koltak
In nearly 16 years in his industry , helping individuals
with disabilities secure and maintain meaningful employment , Brian Nero has been through all the emotional highs and lows that come with helping these clients on the job . The biggest thing he has learned , he said , is patience .
“ We will teach a client something ,” Nero said . “ They may not get it right away and you know they know it and understand it and you want it so bad for them . But you also learn that you have to back away and watch them figure it out . And once they do , I think that is the greatest thing . You can actually see the light bulb go on .”
In a field that was challenging even before COVID-19 spurred massive unemployment , the 39-year-old Nero is a standout - good enough at what he does that he recently was promoted to Director of Employment Services for Options For All , a San Diego-based , statewide non-profit that helps adults living with intellectual and developmental disabilities . “ In this industry , people will often go out and beg a person to hire someone from our population , kind of a , ‘ Hey , let me tell you why in spite of their disability , they are someone who you should consider hiring for the greater good ,’ said Ken Barnes , CEO of Options For All shared with GB Magazine .
Nero has also worked hard to bring new opportunities to OFA , including getting the agency approved to work with the independent federal agency AbilityOne , and striking a deal with Microsoft to make OFA the exclusive provider of supported employment services in the greater San Diego area . “ That kind of work and initiative will get you promoted ,” Barnes said .
Nero ’ s next challenge : Expanding what he did in the San Diego region as a program manager to OFA ’ s other service areas in Silicon Valley and the Inland Empire . He is very optimistic he can do some good . “ I really believe there is a lot of room for growth in our other regions and California as a whole ,” Nero said . “ The good thing about our agency is that we are not tied down to certain geographic regions .”
He will be working with a boss who also sees value in the people they serve , with Barnes banning the support of sub-minimum wage certificate jobs for clients shortly after he became CEO . It speaks to one of the main things Nero and Barnes share : their human rights view . “ Disabilities do not make people worth less from a fiscal perspective than other workers ,” Barnes said . They are people Nero loves to help .
“ Every day , you are helping people live a better life ,” Nero shared proudly .
“ Brian and his team ’ s approach is : ‘ We have some phenomenally talented people who just happen to live with a disability . They are fantastic workers and you should absolutely hire them .’ That is why I wanted Brian . I want that attitude to spread across the entire enterprise , and throughout all of our new Employment Services division .”
A San Diego native , Nero earned a bachelor ’ s degree before going to work in his field shortly out of college . He joined OFA roughly three years ago as a program manager in the supported employment group for the San Diego region . Barnes , who became CEO early this year , was serving as an OFA board
Preston Cale at Sprouts Clairemont
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