Innovations Team

In response to a review of all current state plans for vocational rehabilitation and comprehensive statewide needs assessments, the TACE Center: Region IV established an Innovations Team to lead customized training and technical assistance efforts that, over a two-year period, will facilitate the development of “Communities of Excellence (COE) ” in each of the eight States in the Southeast Region IV that we serve.

Meet the Innovations Team

• Michael Callahan, Marc Gold & Associates, is a native Mississippian who has consulted throughout the US, Canada and Europe in the area of employment and transition for the past 25 years.
• Norciva Shumpert, Marc Gold & Associates, has been a consultant in various states with organizations, families, and state entities regarding customized employment, transition, self-employment, community life opportunities, system reorganization, and self directed services.
• Joe Skiba, Organization and Systems Change Consulting, has 29 years of experience in the public VR system, including counseling, management and a variety of administrative positions. As state director of the Michigan VR program from 1995-1998, his work focused on developing a customer-driven delivery system, building private-public partnerships and re-engineering the VR delivery system.
• Harold Thornton resides in Tallahassee, Florida, where he serves as a Program Administrator for the Department of Education in the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). Mr. Thornton is responsible for the overall administration of the SSA/Ticket to Work Program.
• Jill Houghton, Deputy Director, TACE Center: Region IV, brings over 18 years of diverse work experience at the federal, state and local levels to advance the employment and economic self sufficiency of all people with disabilities