Neil Samahon
Neil Samahon is the president and CEO of Opportunity Enterprises (OE), a Northwest Indiana-based non-profit organization that provides services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Prior to his role at OE, Samahon was the CEO of Metro Recycling for over 25 years. During this time, Samahon first became involved with OE – serving as a board member before being named board chair.
A longtime advocate for those with disabilities, Samahon is currently the board vice chair of the Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (INARF), the principal membership organization in Indiana representing providers of services to people with disabilities. He is a member of the Public Policy Committee of the Indiana Association for People Supporting Employment First (INAPSE) and is the chair of the Leadership Council of Indiana of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
Kathleen Parks
Kathleen Parks is the Senior Director of Employment Services and Transition at OE. Kathleen has worked for the organization since 1999. She has extensive knowledge in business with concentrated studies in employment for individuals with disabilities. Parks currently co-chairs Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (INARF) employment section, sits on the Advisory Council of Indiana’s Director of the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services and served as the Lake County Transition Coordinator President.
Parks has a long history advocating in the workforce for individuals with disabilities. In a former Human Resources position, Parks concentrated her advocacy efforts in the areas of workplace injuries, ADA, EEOC and FMLA.
Rich Bugajski
Rich Bugajski is the chief business operations officer at Opportunity Enterprises. In this role, he oversees the organization’s social enterprises. Prior to working at OE, Bugajski was the director of human resources at Strack & Van Til, a Highland-based grocery chain with locations throughout Northwest Indiana. During his time with Strack & Van Til, Bugajski often collaborated with OE’s JobSource division, which offers employment services such as job placement and ongoing support.