2007 RECIPIENT OF THE LEO D. DOHERTY MEMORIAL AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE TO NERA

The Leo D. Doherty Memorial Award is given to a NERA member who exemplifies the qualities which Leo Doherty brought to NERA, as well as to his colleagues, friends and students. He encouraged others to commit themselves to goals that were personally meaningful, he personally demonstrated how staff should work honestly, and he dealt fairly and equitably and credited those who implemented activities. He supported professional associations, served in several capacities, and encouraged colleagues and staff to participate in professional association activities.

The 2007 Leo D. Doherty Memorial Award recipient is Diane E. Liebert. For over 30 years Diane Liebert of DLE Associates has been involved with federally funded grant programs designed to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities and people from minority backgrounds including research projects, parent training projects, and model demonstration projects. Diane earned her doctoral degree with Honors from Hofstra University in 1978 and has provided research, program evaluation, project management, grant writing and consulting services to universities, states and non-profit organizations. Diane has been the evaluator of Resources for Children with Special Needs' Parent Training and Information Center in New York City and the evaluator of Nassau BOCES' Project with Industry for over 20 years. She was the evaluator and project director of the Connecticut State Transition Project (Collaborative Employment Opportunities for Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance or Mental Illness).

Diane has worked at the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York, Yale University and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. As the recipient of three Mary Switzer Distinguished Research Fellowships from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) Diane studied people with disabilities and minority backgrounds with respect to housing and employment. Diane currently is the Research Consultant and Project Evaluator of a five-year research project, "Building Research Capacity Through Collaboration," a research study of health and disability issues of four Native American Tribes in Connecticut and Rhode Island, a grant from NIDRR to the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation (2003-09).

Diane has served on the NERA board as well as being a program co-chair, reviewer and chaired several committees, most recently co-chairing the Distinguished Paper Committee with Doug Penfield. Diane has served NERA as a presenter nearly every year since 1982. Diane has presented alone as well as bringing many colleagues over the years. She has provided outstanding leadership and service to NERA over the years and, in particular, during her tenure as President in 1993-94. Congratulations Diane.