UI REACH Director Bill Loyd was recently recognized for his long-term contributions and commitment to the inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Loyd was inducted into the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) Foundation’s Legacy Leaders Circle, joining 104 other honorees since the circle’s inception in 2010.

The ANCOR Foundation selected Loyd because of his outstanding contributions to the association, as well as to the broader mission of the association’s members to enable people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to live truly inclusive lives in the community. Given his service to the association in both formal and informal leadership roles, as well as his advocacy efforts at the local, state and federal levels, Loyd exemplifies what it means to lead an industry in service of the communities we support.

The virtual ceremony to honor this year’s inductees into the ANCOR Foundation’s Legacy Leaders Circle took place June 16 as part of ANCOR’s 2021 Annual Conference.

Loyd has served as the UI REACH Director since 2018 and has been a member of ANCOR for more than 20 years. Loyd has also served on ANCOR’s Board of Representatives and the ANCOR Board of Directors. He also served on several of ANCOR’s working committees, and recently served as a mentor to a group of aspiring leaders through the foundation’s leadership development initiative.

UI REACH (Realizing Educational and Career Hopes) is a comprehensive transition program for students ages 18-25 years old with intellectual, cognitive and learning disabilities. UI REACH offers an integrated college experience in a caring and structured environment.

The ANCOR Foundation’s Legacy Leaders Circle recognizes long-time members of ANCOR that have made significant contributions to the association and its mission of providing high-quality, long-term supports and services to people with I/DD. ANCOR has raised more than $50,000  in the past year to support the development of programs that cultivate the next generation of leaders fighting to ensure the availability of high-quality supports and services that connect people with I/DD with their communities.

For more than 50 years, the American Network of Community Options and Resources has been a leading advocate for the critical role service providers play in enriching the lives of people with I/DD. As a national nonprofit trade association, ANCOR represents 1,600 plus organizations employing more than a half-million professionals who together serve more than a million individuals with I/DD. The ANCOR Foundation exists to build and to honor exceptional leaders that cultivate truly inclusive communities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.