UTICA — Kerri Neifeld, the commissioner of the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, will serve as the keynote speaker at a ceremony to honor the 16th graduating class of the CollegeWorks program.

The event will take place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26, in the Dr. Michael Schafer Theater in Wilcox Hall, 1101 Sherman Drive.

Six students will graduate from the program and 10 first-year students will become seniors at the event. The program is a collaborative effort by The Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chapter, and Mohawk Valley Community College.

In 2004, The Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chapter began the project with MVCC, creating the CollegeWorks program on the Utica campus.

CollegeWorks is a two-year certificate program for people with intellectual and other disabilities that focus on vocational skills training on the MVCC campus and in the community. In 2010, the program expanded to include instruction on the MVCC Rome campus.

In its 18-year history, more than 125 students have graduated, with many finding competitive employment or independent living in the community.

Also attending the ceremony will be Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon, D-119, Marcy; Assemblyman Brian Miller, R-101, New Hartford; MVCC President Dr. Randall VanWagoner; MVCC Vice President of Student Affairs Stephanie Reynolds; Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chief Executive Officer Karen Korotzer; Arc, Oneida-Lewis Board President Steven Gassner; and graduate success speaker Paul Bohrer, a member of the Class of 2008.

Neifeld has been OPWDD commissioner since her nomination by Gov. Kathy Hochul in early November 2021. Neifeld had served as assistant secretary for human services and mental hygiene in the governor’s office.

Before working in the governor’s office, Neifeld was assistant deputy commissioner at the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), where she managed the Division of Shelter Oversight and Compliance.

To learn more about the CollegeWorks program, go online to https://www.thearcolc.org/collegeworks/.