Renee Sluzalis Regional Director
Hi my name is Renee Sluzalis; I am the proud mother of three beautiful girls. I have a personal lifelong experience living with people with disabilities, as both my father and my oldest daughter both had/have disabilities. It is from those experiences that I derive my passion to help remove barriers and advance the rights/services for all people with disabilities.
The past 16 years of my career have been spent working for a Center for Independent Living. (CIL) I first began my CIL career in Williamsport, PA as an Independent Living Specialist. Through the years I advanced within the agency, ultimately becoming the CEO of Roads to Freedom Center for Independent Living of North Central PA.
After my divorce, I decided to relocate to a sunny, warm, state and was blessed to find a job opening here at the Center for Independent Living Gulf Coast. I am excited to be a part of this new CIL family and look forward to meeting and serving those individuals out there, who are looking to increase their independence. If you’re in our neighborhood, please stop by and visit our staff. We would welcome the opportunity to help you reach your personal goal of independence.
Hi my name is Renee Sluzalis; I am the proud mother of three beautiful girls. I have a personal lifelong experience living with people with disabilities, as both my father and my oldest daughter both had/have disabilities. It is from those experiences that I derive my passion to help remove barriers and advance the rights/services for all people with disabilities.
The past 16 years of my career have been spent working for a Center for Independent Living. (CIL) I first began my CIL career in Williamsport, PA as an Independent Living Specialist. Through the years I advanced within the agency, ultimately becoming the CEO of Roads to Freedom Center for Independent Living of North Central PA.
After my divorce, I decided to relocate to a sunny, warm, state and was blessed to find a job opening here at the Center for Independent Living Gulf Coast. I am excited to be a part of this new CIL family and look forward to meeting and serving those individuals out there, who are looking to increase their independence. If you’re in our neighborhood, please stop by and visit our staff. We would welcome the opportunity to help you reach your personal goal of independence.
Michael Pierce
ADA Advocate and Independent Living Specialist
My name is Michael Pierce and I am the ADA Advocate for the CIL Gulf Coast and an Independent Living Specialist. I was born 64 years ago in Dayton, Ohio and graduated from Beavercreek High School (no, really!) in 1969. While in high school, I began playing drums in 1964 and joined my first band at 15, and after graduation, I went on the road and played all over America in a group called Crosstown Traffic.
I came home in 1979 to attend Wright State University in Dayton, one of the very first fully adapted campuses in the US, and majored in Mass Communications and Political Science. While working at our college radio station as an on air personality and Training Director, I was offered a job on a radio station in Charlotte Harbor in 1986, which is how I came to Southwest Florida.
As a visually impaired person, I’ve always been a strong and focused self advocate for my own disability issues, so when a job opening came about at the old Center for Independent Living on Winkler, I applied and was hired a week later on April 23rd, 2007. I then was hired at our new CIL Gulf Coast in October, 2011, and even though I will turn 65 this year, I love my job advocating for our consumers and others, and cannot see myself retiring from this work for a long, long time!
ADA Advocate and Independent Living Specialist
My name is Michael Pierce and I am the ADA Advocate for the CIL Gulf Coast and an Independent Living Specialist. I was born 64 years ago in Dayton, Ohio and graduated from Beavercreek High School (no, really!) in 1969. While in high school, I began playing drums in 1964 and joined my first band at 15, and after graduation, I went on the road and played all over America in a group called Crosstown Traffic.
I came home in 1979 to attend Wright State University in Dayton, one of the very first fully adapted campuses in the US, and majored in Mass Communications and Political Science. While working at our college radio station as an on air personality and Training Director, I was offered a job on a radio station in Charlotte Harbor in 1986, which is how I came to Southwest Florida.
As a visually impaired person, I’ve always been a strong and focused self advocate for my own disability issues, so when a job opening came about at the old Center for Independent Living on Winkler, I applied and was hired a week later on April 23rd, 2007. I then was hired at our new CIL Gulf Coast in October, 2011, and even though I will turn 65 this year, I love my job advocating for our consumers and others, and cannot see myself retiring from this work for a long, long time!
Mike Dailey
Employment Specialist
Employment Specialist
Hi, my name is Michael Dailey. I am the Father of three children and a husband. Growing up with an older sister with autism has been a major influence for my passion for working with people with disabilities.
After I graduated from high School I became a full time student at Quinsigamund Community College. I continued to work part time as a respite provider for the Seven Hills Foundation and a fitness instructor at the YMCA.
My first Full time job was working with The Center of Hope Foundation. I worked there for 8 years as a job coach. I also coached and participated in unified Special Olympics through this organization. I then got my CDL and it didn’t take long for me to realize I was in the wrong line of work. I spent my next 3 years working for the Dudley school district with post-graduate students as a job coach in the classroom and onsite training.
After spending the majority of our lives in Massachusetts, my family and I decided we have had enough of the cold and it was time to relocate to Florida. So here I am, as of April 20th, 2016 I am delighted to be a part of the team at the Center of Independent Living Gulf Coast.
After I graduated from high School I became a full time student at Quinsigamund Community College. I continued to work part time as a respite provider for the Seven Hills Foundation and a fitness instructor at the YMCA.
My first Full time job was working with The Center of Hope Foundation. I worked there for 8 years as a job coach. I also coached and participated in unified Special Olympics through this organization. I then got my CDL and it didn’t take long for me to realize I was in the wrong line of work. I spent my next 3 years working for the Dudley school district with post-graduate students as a job coach in the classroom and onsite training.
After spending the majority of our lives in Massachusetts, my family and I decided we have had enough of the cold and it was time to relocate to Florida. So here I am, as of April 20th, 2016 I am delighted to be a part of the team at the Center of Independent Living Gulf Coast.
Jennifer Burr
Employment Consultant
Employment Consultant
Hi, my name is Jennifer Burr. I am a mother of two and a wife of 20+ years. One day in 1999 my family and I left to go on a two week road trip to visit family. About two hours into the trip we were in a car accident, which left my husband paralyzed (C5). I spent almost 6 months in the hospital with him while he learned new ways to take care of himself and how I could help him in preparation for our new life.
Fast-forward a couple years; I decided to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Psychology so I could help others in my community. While working on my bachelor’s degree I was required to complete 40 volunteer hours. I found the Center for Independent Living Gulf Coast (CILGC) and completed them all at the center. It was a very moving experience.
After graduation I continued to volunteer at CILGC, and within a couple of months they offered me a position as an Independent Living Specialist. I jumped the opportunity and loved every minute in that position, which I held for a year and a half. I am now the new Employment Consultant for the Center. My job is to help our consumers gain employment and become as independent as possible. I feel this position is going to be even more rewarding than the last, and I cannot wait to see how far we can take the consumers here at CILGC!
My motto: “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE WITH HARD WORD AND DETERMINATION!”
Fast-forward a couple years; I decided to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Psychology so I could help others in my community. While working on my bachelor’s degree I was required to complete 40 volunteer hours. I found the Center for Independent Living Gulf Coast (CILGC) and completed them all at the center. It was a very moving experience.
After graduation I continued to volunteer at CILGC, and within a couple of months they offered me a position as an Independent Living Specialist. I jumped the opportunity and loved every minute in that position, which I held for a year and a half. I am now the new Employment Consultant for the Center. My job is to help our consumers gain employment and become as independent as possible. I feel this position is going to be even more rewarding than the last, and I cannot wait to see how far we can take the consumers here at CILGC!
My motto: “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE WITH HARD WORD AND DETERMINATION!”
Harry Vasquez
IL Specialist/Outreach Coordinator
IL Specialist/Outreach Coordinator
Hello my name is Harry Vazquez, I am a proud husband and father to two amazing sons. I have experienced life in so many ways. I was involved in two severe Car accidents,one was in 2003 where I was almost ejected through the rear windshield of my truck but the seat belt saved my life. The second one was in 2008 which ended my career in aviation and placed me at bed rest for 7 years because I was unable to walk from the back injuries. During these 7 years, due to pain medication, I did not feel my Gaul bladder rupture and had developed a gangrenous infection in my abdomen and was rushed to the emergency room and underwent surgery for 8.5 hours. This in turn saved my life.
Although through these 7 years of unemployment and hardly any finances the only thing our family had was each other. During these seven years I was able to achieve an Associates in Science degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Supervision and Management from Florida Southwestern State college, which was known as Edison state College. These I would add on to my Airframe and Power Plant Degree from Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technologies located in Tulsa Oklahoma.
After hurricane Irma I had privilege to meet Renee at a shelter that my family and I were living in for a little over a month. When I was told that Hendry and Glades were two under served counties, I jumped at the opportunity. I volunteered my first 90 days and after this I earned my first official job in almost a decade. The first thing I was able to do was buy my sons a brand new pair of shoes.
If anything I can say is this, “although I am disabled, it doesn’t mean I am unable. I can do everything I set my mind to because I am more than just a label.” (HAV) This is something that I have begun to live by and I tell all of my consumers.
My motto is “I can’t only exist to prevent you from success.” (HAV)
Although through these 7 years of unemployment and hardly any finances the only thing our family had was each other. During these seven years I was able to achieve an Associates in Science degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Supervision and Management from Florida Southwestern State college, which was known as Edison state College. These I would add on to my Airframe and Power Plant Degree from Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technologies located in Tulsa Oklahoma.
After hurricane Irma I had privilege to meet Renee at a shelter that my family and I were living in for a little over a month. When I was told that Hendry and Glades were two under served counties, I jumped at the opportunity. I volunteered my first 90 days and after this I earned my first official job in almost a decade. The first thing I was able to do was buy my sons a brand new pair of shoes.
If anything I can say is this, “although I am disabled, it doesn’t mean I am unable. I can do everything I set my mind to because I am more than just a label.” (HAV) This is something that I have begun to live by and I tell all of my consumers.
My motto is “I can’t only exist to prevent you from success.” (HAV)
Laura Allard
Employment Specialist/Project SEARCH
Employment Specialist/Project SEARCH
Hello everyone! I have lived, worked and played here in southwest Florida for the past 23 years; originally from Redding, CT.
It is very important for me to make these communities healthy and safe places for families to thrive because it is where my 4 amazing children and also 2 precious grandchildren live. It is my passion and my privilege to serve youth and help them achieve their highest potential because their future is also our future.
I have worked for several of the big non-profits in this area such as the Children’s Network of SWFL staffing children for services such as therapeutic foster care, Goodwill Industries of SWFL running a mentoring program exposing youth to career exploration, Big Brothers Big Sisters matching Bigs and Littles, The Sky Family YMCA, raising funds and awareness for an amazing charity and most recently at Fort Myers Youth Academy helping youth in a DJJ residential facility transition back to the community with employment and educational supports.
I am excited to join the team at CIL Gulf Coast and seeing the interns achieve their dreams through confidence and skills learned through Project SEARCH!
It is very important for me to make these communities healthy and safe places for families to thrive because it is where my 4 amazing children and also 2 precious grandchildren live. It is my passion and my privilege to serve youth and help them achieve their highest potential because their future is also our future.
I have worked for several of the big non-profits in this area such as the Children’s Network of SWFL staffing children for services such as therapeutic foster care, Goodwill Industries of SWFL running a mentoring program exposing youth to career exploration, Big Brothers Big Sisters matching Bigs and Littles, The Sky Family YMCA, raising funds and awareness for an amazing charity and most recently at Fort Myers Youth Academy helping youth in a DJJ residential facility transition back to the community with employment and educational supports.
I am excited to join the team at CIL Gulf Coast and seeing the interns achieve their dreams through confidence and skills learned through Project SEARCH!
Tim Goodman
Employment Consultant
Employment Consultant
Hello, my name is Tim Goodman. I am an Employment Consultant with Center for Independent Living Gulf Coast.
I am a SWFL native, living most of my life in the Fort Myers area. I have 2 kids and have been married for 21 years. I have worked in the area of social services for approximately 20 years locally.
I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. I also ran Goodwill's High School-High Tech program for 12 years. I enjoy spending time with family and friends. I am thankful to be part of this wonderful Center for Independent Living Gulf Coast Team!
I am a SWFL native, living most of my life in the Fort Myers area. I have 2 kids and have been married for 21 years. I have worked in the area of social services for approximately 20 years locally.
I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. I also ran Goodwill's High School-High Tech program for 12 years. I enjoy spending time with family and friends. I am thankful to be part of this wonderful Center for Independent Living Gulf Coast Team!
Dorinda O'Dell
I & R Specialist and F.A.A.S.T. Coordinator
I & R Specialist and F.A.A.S.T. Coordinator
My name is Dorinda O’Dell, I have relocated from Michigan due to two prosthetic legs. God has blessed me with one child and one grandchild that still lives in Michigan. Past work experience includes working for the State of Michigan caring for people diagnosed as criminally insane. I attended school and currently hold a medical assistant license. Hobbies include: hunting, fishing, cooking, gardening and going out with great friends