Governor Bill Lee appointed Billy Worsham to chair the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities’ (DIDD) Statewide Planning and Policy Council (SPPC) for the next two years, according to a press release by the department.
Worsham takes over for Dr. Arie Nettles, who served as SPPC chair from January 2018 until December 2021.
.@GovBillLee has appointed intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) professional and advocate Billy Worsham to chair of @DIDD_TN's Statewide Planning and Policy Council (SPPC) for the next two years!
Read more: https://t.co/QdCVRua0G4 pic.twitter.com/Mn06Yr9y1r
— TN DIDD (@DIDD_TN) April 29, 2022
The DIDD SPCC is made up of healthcare professionals, advocates, and family members who are committed to improving the quality of life for people in Tennessee living with a disability. The SPPC is responsible for advising the commissioner on the plans, policies, and operations of the department’s programs and facilities.
Worsham is a longtime intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) professional and advocate, the press release notes. His career in the IDD field began at age 16 as a direct support professional through the WIOA Youth Program while residing at the Smoky Mountain Children’s Home in Sevierville. During his eight-year residence at the Children’s Home, Billy graduated high school and earned his B.S. in Organizational Leadership and Non-profit Management. After graduation, Billy continued to develop his career in IDD in various areas: Special Education, Independent Support Coordination, agency director and agency operations. Billy is currently a Community Resource Specialist with The Arc Tennessee.
“I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve our great state as chair of the Statewide Planning and Policy Council,” Worsham said in a statement following his appointment. “My desire is to raise the tide of leadership for all stakeholders in the IDD system. Those whom we are charged to support need every opportunity available to them to purposefully define and direct their lives into meaningful goals and outcomes. This will broaden the path of success for Tennesseans of all abilities.”
Worsham has chaired the East Planning and Policy Council, a sub-council of the SPPC, since the creation of the councils in 2011, according to the press release. During his tenure, he successfully led the council in the organization of a world café to identify challenges for direct support staff, creation of a toolkit to help attract and retain staff, identification of resources for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities living in rural areas, and supported employment efforts for people with IDD.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Billy Worsham” by TN DIDD.
