National Disability Provider Association Names Molly Halls Recipient of 2020 Minnesota Direct Support Professional of the Year Award

The American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) announced that Molly Halls,
a Direct Support Professional (DSP) at Laura Baker Services Association (LBSA), has been named the
recipient of the 2020 Minnesota Direct Support Professional of the Year award. Halls joins 54 other
recipients of ANCOR’s 2020 Direct Support Professional of the Year awards, chosen from a field of
300 outstanding nominees.

“LBSA is overwhelmingly proud of Molly, for her award recognition of course, but more importantly
for her dedication and commitment to true community inclusion for the individuals we support,” said
Executive Director, Sandi Gerdes. “We cannot think of anyone who more clearly demonstrates the
power of person-centered supports, and we’re grateful that ANCOR has recognized Molly with this
high-profile honor.”

Molly has worked at LBSA for 13 years. She has a gift of tuning into the needs and interests of people
she supports to determine what tools she can use to help them achieve their goals. She then uses
kindness and persistence to help transform those goals into reality. Her professionalism, kindness and
determination direct her approach to delivering high-quality services, and her commitment to
strengthening other staff and the organization.

Since 2007, ANCOR’s annual DSP of the Year awards recognize outstanding professionals who
deliver long-term supports and services to people with I/DD. The awards celebrate the important role
DSPs play in ensuring individuals with I/DD are included and empowered in the community and raise
awareness about a direct support workforce in crisis. Inadequate investments in this essential
workforce have led to turnover rates in excess of 50 percent and vacancy rates that average 18 to 20
percent nationally.

“ANCOR and our Diamond Partner, Relias, co-present the DSP of the Year awards program each year
precisely because of people like Molly. Her commitment to ensuring the inclusion of people supported by LBSA enriches not only the lives of those individuals, but the broader Northfield community at
large. Without committed direct support professionals like Molly and all of this year’s outstanding
award recipients, people with I/DD would have severely limited opportunities to be part of the
community,” said ANCOR chief executive officer Barbara Merrill.

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About ANCOR

For 50 years, the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ancor.org) has been a
leading advocate for the critical role service providers play in enriching the lives of people with
intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). As a national nonprofit trade association, ANCOR
represents 1,600+ organizations employing more than a half-million professionals who together serve
more than a million individuals with I/DD. Our mission is to advance the ability of our members to
support people with I/DD to fully participate in their communities.