Living The Mission Award – June 2026 Winner

About the Award

The "Living the Mission" Award is presented each month to one employee who demonstrates above-and-beyond dedication to DakotAbilities and the care and compassion shown to the people we support, their families, and fellow staff. Our goal is to recognize employees who not only fulfill their work responsibilities but also go above and beyond throughout the workday, making the extra effort to uphold and exemplify our Core Values.

The award is grounded in our six Core Value Statements, which should be at the center of every employee’s daily work. These values are our daily promise to those we support and to one another:

• Dignity and respect are demonstrated.
• Relationships are valued.
• Accomplishments are celebrated.
• Authentic compassion is experienced.
• Excellence is guided by best practices.
• Advocacy impacts change.

June 2026 Nominees

The following employees were nominated by fellow coworkers for the Living the Mission Award in May 2026. Please join us in congratulating all of the nominees!

  • Curtis Kamstra
  • Odessa Wilkerson
  • Tanner Gluhm
  • Julie Palmer

Congratulations to Our Winner – Julie Palmer!

We are thrilled to announce that the Living the Mission Award for June 2026 goes to Julie Palmer! Julie's steady leadership and unwavering commitment to the people she supports is a shining example of what it means to truly live our mission every single day.

Here is what the person who nominated Julie had to say:

"I would like to recognize Julie Palmer for going above and beyond. Julie is always 10 steps ahead! She ensures that the people she supports have the care and continuity they need during times when there are several new faces around learning new processes. She is very knowledgeable of everything that is needed and makes sure things are always set up for success! She has taken time out of her personal days to help in any way she can. We could never have been as successful as we have been without her here. She is a true GEM!!! Her hard work and dedication should never go unnoticed. Thank you, Julie, for all you do for everyone on a daily basis!"

Thanks to Julie and all of the nominees for Living Our Mission and going above and beyond to enrich the lives of those we support. Your dedication is what makes DakotAbilities a place where everyone belongs.