We Welcome Our First Chief Disability Inclusion Officer, Wally Tablit!

Wally Tablit (he/him), a recognized leader in the field of supported employment, joined Relay Resources this week as our Chief Disability Inclusion Officer.

Wally will lead Relay’s efforts to advance centering people with disabilities in the workplace through diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility work.

He will focus on recruiting, training and development programs, policy, and employee engagement, all centering people with disabilities. 

Our CEO Jennifer says about Wally, “We are excited to have Wally join Relay, and look forward to broadening our impact with his additional focus on disability inclusion.

Wally’s energy is infectious, and I can’t wait to see his passion and experience in action!”   

Wally was born in the Philippines and immigrated to Hawaii when he was six months old. He has a B.A. in Rehabilitation and an M.A. in Counseling from Seattle University.

For more than 25 years, he has served people with disabilities with roles in employment, training, community engagement, advocacy, policy, and strategic leadership.

He most recently held the position of Senior Director of Leadership and Workforce Development at RespectAbility. Prior to that, Wally was the Chief Mission and Diversity Officer at Atwork.

He is currently a National Board Member - Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the Association of People Supporting Employment First.

Click here to learn more about Wally’s experience and connect with him on LinkedIn.  

“I’m looking forward to creating a positive impact at Relay,” says Wally.

“As a person with a disability, I’ve experienced the power of true inclusion, something Relay has been striving towards for more than 70 years. I’m eager to build on their success with this amazing team.” 

Several teams will report to Wally under the Disability Inclusion umbrella: Talent Management, led by Laurie Winthrop; DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility,) led by Jonathan Cresson; and Accommodations & Compliance, led by Jason Wilkey.

Wally currently lives in the Seattle area and plans to move to Portland with his husband Steve soon. He loves Batman and will never turn down a chance to join a karaoke party. 

Leave Wally a comment below and join us in welcoming him to Relay!