"Never Underestimated Again": DeBoer's Auto Wins the 2026 Amanda E. Carter Award
We fix cars for a living. We don't usually get invited to awards breakfasts in 18,000-square-foot mansions. But on October 1, 2026, we found ourselves at historic Rutherford Hall in Allamuchy, where the Workforce Development Board of Northwest New Jersey named DeBoer's Auto the Sussex County winner of the 2026 Amanda E. Carter Award. The award honors employers who open real doors for people with disabilities. It has our name on it, but the story behind it belongs to Jayden.
Every October, during National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the board's Disability Committee recognizes one employer from each of the three counties it serves: Morris, Sussex, and Warren. The nominations come from the public. This was the third annual breakfast, and it was the biggest one yet.
This year, the award also got a new name. Amanda E. Carter came to last year's breakfast to represent her employer, where she had worked for 21 years. Board chair Matt Putts told the room that Amanda was the kind of employee who got annoyed when a blizzard closed work, because it meant she couldn't do her job. Amanda passed away in May. With her family's blessing, the award now carries her name permanently, and her mom, Barbara, and twin sister, Jen, were there to see it handed out. That's a high bar to be measured against, and we're honored to be held to it.
Matt also shared a number that explains why this award matters. Among working-age adults, only about 38 percent of people with disabilities have jobs, compared with roughly 75 percent of people without disabilities. That gap isn't about talent. It's about opportunity.
Our part of the story started with a conversation. Early in 2026, Bill DeBoer mentioned to a colleague that he wanted to connect with organizations that provide supported employment. The shop had a maintenance position opening up, and when Community Options reached out, Bill asked a simple question: do you know someone who would be a good fit? They did. Jayden applied, and we hired him in March.
When Jayden came to us, he had been out of work since 2024, after two years as a service associate at a local grocery store. He lives in a rural part of Sussex County and doesn't drive, which makes any job harder to find and harder to keep. His confidence had taken a hit. Six months later, he has learned our systems and used the shop's technology to become highly effective in his original role. He has taken on extra work helping with our interior remodeling project, and he is about to start training on testing and building out our inventory control practices. We are also working toward a full-time role that plays to what he loves most, which is computers. None of that is charity. It's a guy who shows up, asks good questions, and keeps raising his hand for more, and that's exactly the kind of person every shop owner wants on the team.
Jayden's dad, Barry, couldn't be at the ceremony, but he sent a letter that was read aloud. "We were extremely grateful that DeBoer's Auto was seeking out someone like Jayden to work with, giving an opportunity that many employers don't seek out," he wrote. "Plenty of employers end up hiring someone with disabilities, but it almost feels more like a vanity than a true hire. The fact that DeBoer's Auto sought this out felt more like they were willing to offer the support needed." He went on: "From day one, myself, Jayden, and Jayden's job coach, Lisa, were so impressed with the company's willingness to support Jayden, and it started with the owner." And he closed with the line that hit us hardest: "Tina and company have been patient and understanding the whole way, providing extra instruction or additional time if need be. Every update I get is positive. I am proud of my son."
Our Store Manager, Tina Ormond, works alongside Jayden every day, so she accepted the award on behalf of the shop. She was quick to send the credit where it belongs, to the people who build support systems for individuals with disabilities from birth all the way into the workplace, and to the individuals themselves. "It takes immense vulnerability to stand up and say, 'I can do anything anyone else can do. All I need is an employer who understands the support systems I require to succeed,'" she said. Then she told the room what Jayden had said in his interview six months earlier: his biggest pet peeve was people underestimating him. Tina finished by speaking straight to him. "We see you, Jayden. We are incredibly proud to have you on our team, and here at DeBoer's Auto, you'll never be underestimated again."
We were in good company that morning. Code Ninjas in Denville took the Morris County award, led by Darlene, a former special education teacher who hires and mentors young people of every ability. Complete Care at Brakeley Park won for Warren County. They've partnered with Abilities for more than 15 years, and their supported employees now help run the kitchen.
We owe a lot of thank-yous. Thanks to the Workforce Development Board of Northwest New Jersey, its Disability Committee, and Executive Director Beth Rodgers and her team. Thanks to Community Options, for the nomination and for making that first connection. Thanks to Lisa Rowe, Jayden's job coach, who has advocated for him every step of the way. Thanks to Barry, for trusting us with his son, and to the Carter family, for letting us be a small part of Amanda's legacy. Thanks to Rutherford Hall for hosting the morning. Most of all, thank you, Jayden, for being honest with us from day one.
If you own a business and you've never called a supported employment agency, make the call the next time you have an opening. Organizations like Community Options, Abilities, and the New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services work directly with employers to find the right match and offer coaching on the job. The talent is out there. Somebody just has to give it a shot.