Thought Leader Reflection Series: The Honorable Neil Romano The Romano Group and Ryan Walters Deloitte

Time & Date
July 13, 2022 -12:00 to 1:00 PM EDT

Course Description: 
DISCUSION TOPICS 
What does disability mean to you? How has this viewpoint influenced your career?
Early Career
You mentioned that you worked on the Just Say No campaign during the Reagan Administration. What lessons did you take away from that work and how did that shape your approach to future jobs you took?
You went on to found a communications firm, Romano & Associates. In this role, how did you create partnerships between the private and public sectors and how did this allow you to develop the largest single issue public service campaign in US history?
You also joined the President's Committee on people with intellectual disabilities. In that role, what did the committee do to advance the employment of people with intellectual disabilities?
In 2022 we continue to see a much higher unemployment and underemployment rate for people with disabilities than those without. Why do you feel that this continues to be an issue in our country?
What steps can employers take to address this? ODEP
National Council on Disability
Baseball
In your current role as President and Senior Consultant at The Romano Group, LLC you started the promoting a lifetime of activity for youth (aka PLAY) program with the MLB's Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS). Can you explain this program and how it has positively impacted youth?
What role do youth with disabilities have in this program?
What does disability mean in professional baseball?
Many companies struggle to get their employees to Self-ID as having a disability. Do you see barriers to players in the MLB Self-ID'ing as having a disability?
How have players in the MLB used their platform to champion causes like disability inclusion?