Jeanette Towles: Seasoned and Dedicated Medical Writer, AI Expert and Speaker Shares Mission of Disability Owned Business Enterprise
Release Date: 09/02/2025
Nanette (Nan) DeTurk: Career and Commitment to Finding Talented People with Disabilities in Healthcare Field
Disability Matters
Joyce welcomes Nanette (Nan) DeTurk, executive level leader with financial, strategic, and operational expertise in health care, insurance, and consumer product/service industries, to the show. As the retired Executive Vice President, CFO & Strategy, Highmark Health, she will be discussing her extensive career in the healthcare industry. Additionally, Ms. DeTurk will discuss her commitment to finding talented people with disabilities to fill roles in the healthcare field. Joyce A. Bender Career Highlights Serves as CEO of and Board Chair and Founder of , a...
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ENCORE: Louis Olander: Disability:IN Supports Veterans with Disabilities
Disability Matters
ENCORE PRESENTATION of May 27, 2025, Joyce welcomes Dr. Louis Olander, Ph.D., Director of Research and Veterans’ Initiatives at Disability: IN. As a veteran and advocate, Dr. Olander will share his work with Disability:IN, and the ways in which the organization supports veterans with disabilities, in honor of Memorial Day. Joyce A. Bender Career Highlights Serves as CEO of and Board Chair and Founder of , a non-profit organization focused on addressing the transition to work for youth and young adults with disabilities. Founding partner of iDisability, an eLearning...
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Landis Wiedner: Leading Voice in Advancement of Epilepsy Research Discusses Latest Treatments for Those Living with Epilepsy
Disability Matters
As we enter National Epilepsy Awareness Month, Joyce welcomes Landis Wiedner one of the leading voices in epilepsy today. She’s the founder and host of ?, a top 10% global podcast which, was recognized by the California State Legislature with a Media Excellence Award. She will be discussing the latest advances in the treatment of epilepsy for those that are living with the condition. Joyce A. Bender Career Highlights Serves as CEO of and Board Chair and Founder of , a non-profit organization focused on addressing the transition to work for youth and young adults with...
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Molly Burke: Multi-Hyphenate Creative Advocate for Others with Disabilities
Disability Matters
Responsible Joyce welcomes Molly Burke, a multi-hyphenate creative and advocate who uses her voice—on stage, on screen, and on the page—to educate, entertain, and drive meaningful change for the world. With over 5 million followers across social media, she has built a globally recognizable brand as a speaker, content creator, author, consultant, and model. Diagnosed at age 4 with Retinitis Pigmentosa—a rare degenerative eye disease—Molly began public speaking just a year later, sparking a lifelong mission to amplify the voices of the disability community. During the show,...
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Melissa Anderson: Highmark Health’s Long-Standing Commitment to Its Partnership with Bender Consulting Services, Inc., to Hire People with Disabilities in Its Workforce
Disability Matters
Joyce welcomes Melissa Anderson, Executive Vice President, Chief Auditor & Compliance Officer at Highmark Health to the show. She serves as the primary staff liaison to the audit committee of the board of directors for Highmark Inc. and Highmark Health. She will discuss her support of the Bender Consulting Services, Inc. partnership with Highmark Health. Joyce A. Bender Career Highlights Serves as CEO of and Board Chair and Founder of , a non-profit organization focused on addressing the transition to work for youth and young adults with disabilities. Founding...
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Emily Burkhart/Scott Hammerstrom/Laina Fusarelli: Strong Alliance Among Dollar Bank, Nova Chemical and Bender Leadership Academy
Disability Matters
Joyce welcomes back to the show, Scott Hammerstrom, Manager of Programs and Partnerships with Bender Leadership Academy. Joining Mr. Hammerstrom will be Emily Burkhart, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Officer at Dollar Bank and Laina Fusarelli, Business Controller (Operations Leadership/Innovation/IT) & Capital Planning Leader, Nova Chemical Corporation. Among the topics discussed will be Pittsburgh, PA’s participation in 2025’s National Disability Mentoring Day and the long-standing support and commitment that both Dollar Bank and Nova Chemical Corporation have given...
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Joy Matoney: Discusses Stellar Career with Highmark, Inc. and the Commitment to Hire People with Disabilities in the Workforce
Disability Matters
Joyce welcomes Joy Matoney, Vice President, Diversified Businesses & Growth Planning and Enablement at Highmark, Inc. She will discuss her stellar career at Highmark, Inc. and her commitment to the Bender partnership to hire people with disabilities. Joyce A. Bender Career Highlights Serves as CEO of and Board Chair and Founder of , a non-profit organization focused on addressing the transition to work for youth and young adults with disabilities. Founding partner of iDisability, an eLearning solution. Named a 2024 Woman of Influence by The Pittsburgh Business Times...
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Congressman, Steny Hoyer/Former Congressman, Tony Coelho: The 35th Anniversary of the Signing of the ADA; The Progress That Has Been Made and What Has Not Been Fulfilled
Disability Matters
Joyce welcomes Congressman Steny Hoyer and former Congressman Tony Coelho to the show. They will be discussing the 35th Anniversary of the ADA and what progress has been made over the years and what has not been fulfilled. Joyce A. Bender Career Highlights Serves as CEO of and Board Chair and Founder of , a non-profit organization focused on addressing the transition to work for youth and young adults with disabilities. Founding partner of iDisability, an eLearning solution. Named a 2024 Woman of Influence by The Pittsburgh Business Times and 2024 Henry Viscardi Achievement...
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Mark Fleischer/Brady Patsy: History of Pittsburgh CLO, Partnership with Bender Leadership Academy, and Upcoming 2025 Production of A Christmas Carol
Disability Matters
Joyce welcomes Mark Fleischer, Executive Producer, and Brady Patsy, Community Engagement Manager, with the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (CLO) to the show. Among the topics discussed will be current Pittsburgh CLO programs, the history of the organization, its partnership with the Bender Leadership Academy, and its plans for the 2025 Production of A Christmas Carol. Joyce A. Bender Career Highlights Serves as CEO of and Board Chair and Founder of , a non-profit organization focused on addressing the transition to work for youth and young adults with disabilities....
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Scott Hammerstrom/Gerald Homme: Overview of Success of 2025’s Mary Brougher Memorial Golf Outing and Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities
Disability Matters
Joyce welcomes back to the show, Scott Hammerstrom, Manager of Programs and Partnerships with the Bender Leadership Academy and Gerald Homme, Manager of Talent Acquisition for Bender Consulting Services, Inc. Mr. Hammerstrom will talk about Bender Leadership Academy and its resent golf outing in memory of Mary Brougher and plans for the upcoming Disability Mentoring Day, Wednesday, October 22, 2025. Mr. Homme will share the numerous career opportunities in STEM, healthcare and AI for people with disabilities through Bender Consulting Services, Inc. During the show,...
info_outlineJoyce welcomes Jeanette Towles, Founder and CEO of Synterex, a Disability Owned Business Enterprise (DOBE).
Synterex is the home of AgileWriter.ai™, an AI-enabled authoring platform that prioritizes accessibility and gets your important information to the intended audience, be it plain language or technical content.
Ms. Towles will share her background as a seasoned and dedicated medical writer with extensive medical/regulatory writing experience, as well as experience building and leading medical writing teams. She will also share her background as an entrepreneur, clinical scientist, responsible sourcing advocate, AI expert, and speaker.
Joyce A. Bender Career Highlights
- Serves as CEO of Bender Consulting Services, Inc. and Board Chair and Founder of Bender Leadership Academy, a non-profit organization focused on addressing the transition to work for youth and young adults with disabilities.
- Founding partner of iDisability, an eLearning solution.
- Named a 2024 Woman of Influence by The Pittsburgh Business Times and 2024 Henry Viscardi Achievement Award Recipient from the Viscardi Center.
- Recipient of the 2024 Visionary Award from the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law in Washington, DC.
Lives with epilepsy and hard of hearing. - Advocates for competitive employment for people with disabilities.
- Serves as vice-chair of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and former chair of the board.
- Represented the State Department in programming with Panama, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Libya, and Tunisia.
- Serves as chair of Epilepsy Association of Western and Central PA.
- Received the 2003 New Freedom Initiative Award from the Bush Administration.
- Recognized with the 1999 President’s Award from President Clinton.
- Board member of Pittsburgh’s Civic Light Opera, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and World Institute on Disability (WID).