DiverseAbility Affinity Group

Holland & Knight Launches DiverseAbility Affinity Group, the Firm’s 8th Such Initiative

Attorney Michelle DeVos, who founded the DiverseAbility Affinity

Group, discusses her struggles with Asperger’s syndrome and living with a disability. Holland & Knight has established a DiverseAbility Affinity Group as part of the firm’s efforts to further develop a culture where all talented individuals – including those traditionally underrepresented in the legal profession – can have, and can see, a path to long-term success. This is the firm’s eighth affinity group.

The group is chaired by Staff Attorney Michelle DeVos (MIA) and co-chaired by Partner Daniel Sylvester (CHI) and Practice Development Manager John Eix

Michelle (DFW). Each of these individuals has a

DeVos personal stake in helping to promote equity for these individuals. Michelle, who initially proposed and subsequently founded the DiverseAbility Affinity Group, has Asperger’s syndrome and recently discussed her

efforts to overcome the struggles

Daniel associated with living with a disability.

Sylvester John has two sons with autism and helped establish the nonPareil Institute to provide hope for his children and other families. Dan also serves as the business partnership chair for the Holland & Knight’s Veterans Group and is active assisting veterans and their families facing the same issues that he handles daily helping his wife, a U.S. Army veteran who is 100 percent disabled from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “Fear of discrimination due to the negative stigmas associated with having a disability has caused many in the legal profession to suffer in silence. Through launching the DiverseAbility Affinity Group, Holland & Knight is confronting the stigmas head-on by providing a welcoming, supportive and understanding environment for those at the firm who are affected by a disability,” Michelle said.

The DiverseAbility Affinity Group’s mission is to focus on attracting, supporting and promoting the firm’s attorneys and staff affected by disabilities of all types – physical and mental – by helping to maintain an environment that is inclusive, challenging and supportive to maximize both personal and career success. Its main goals are to support and enhance the professional, personal and career development of attorneys and staff affected by disabilities; encourage retention and promotion of attorneys and staff with disabilities; and encourage the recruitment and hiring of talented attorneys and staff with disabilities.

The DiverseAbility Affinity Group joins seven other initiatives by the firm to advance specific minority and other underrepresented groups in the legal profession. These are the Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic, LGBTQ and Native American Affinity Groups, as well as the Women’s Initiative and the Veterans Group.

If you are interested in learning more about the DiverseAbility Affinity Group, please contact the leadership team.

Dallas Marketer John Eix and nonPareil Institute Offer Hope for Families Affected by Autism

Autism, or Autism, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 54 children in the United States are currently autistic. During the next 10 years, more than 1 million of those children will become adults living on the spectrum.

For Holland & Knight Practice Development Manager John Eix (DFW), the disorder hit close to home. He is the father of two boys on the autism spectrum. About 11 years ago, growing concerns

John Eix about the future of his oldest son, Ethan Eix, now 21, inspired him to team up with Gary Moore and Dan Selec, whose sons also were on the spectrum. In 2010, gathered around a breakfast table, they found a solution in the creation of the nonPareil Institute, a job skills training center for adults with autism. The trio wanted to make a better life for their sons, one in which a greater degree of independence and personal accomplishment was not just a possibility but a probability.

HOPE FOR HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES THE MISSION CONTINUES

John was recently elected chair of nonPareil’s board of trustees. He said the biggest worry that parents of an autistic child face is what will happen to their child when the parents are no longer here. In John’s case, he said his oldest son will never be self-sufficient and will always need some type of supervision. Still, nonPareil will make Ethan’s transition to adulthood much more rewarding and fulfilling.

From its humble beginnings as an idea among three friends, nonPareil – which means “No Equal” – now serves more than 200 young adults with autism in four locations: Austin, Houston and Plano, Texas, and Orlando, Florida. The students are called crew members at the schools. “When I reference a ‘gift,’ I don’t mean something tangible. It isn’t that nonPareil just teaches technical skills and training or creates cool technology products. It’s much more than that,” John explained. “NonPareil provides a unique environment with extensive opportunities for our students to develop meaningful relationships, gain friends and expand their social network through various clubs, organizations and community events.”

These interest-based activities are often student-initiated and provide additional opportunities for the crew members to become leaders among friends and colleagues. NonPareil provides a safe and controlled environment where the young adults can find their passion, grow their potential and discover their purpose in an accepting and nurturing culture. “The transformative impact on nonPareil is not only lifechanging for the crew member but for everyone in that young person’s life – the parents, the siblings, friends and others. The difference made is literally tear-inducing. I have seen these with my own eyes,” John said.

The goal at nonPareil is for crew members to learn a variety of technical, soft and communication skills – how to do a resume, how to work with others, how to meet deadlines, how to make goals, how to meet those goals – skills that will help them whether they go to college or enter the workforce after they leave nonPareil. The school allows them to work at their own pace, as opposed to a traditional high school or university.

The ways in which people with autism learn, think and problem-solve can range from highly skilled to severely challenged. Some people living on the spectrum may require significant support in their daily lives, while others may live entirely independently.

“We’ve moved from autism awareness to autism acceptance. I hope, someday, we’re at autism appreciation,” John said.