Stan Cartwright has dedicated over 42 years, advocating for persons with disabilities. While employed at the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation (RWSIR), for 22 years, he worked as a Rehabilitation Services Supervisor. In this capacity, he managed two vocational rehabilitation teams, comprised of professionals, who provided services to persons with disabilities. As manager, he was responsible for coordinating the provision of services to promote client employment, independent living, vocational training, and on-going education. In this position, he worked with other managers, throughout Georgia, to maintain referrals to RWSIR, and to coordinate desired, and successful, outcomes for clients. He was also responsible for departmental budget management, serving on the RWSIR Leadership Council, overseeing vocational services, as a whole, and working with State Directors to ensure that services were in line with State goals. While employed at RWSIR, he was certified, as an Achieving Extraordinary Customer Relations Trainer, through Kaset International (now, Achieve Global). He was responsible for training every employee of RWSIR (approximately 400). Because of the significance, of this training, he later began to train vocational personnel, throughout the State of Georgia. At one point, he was also responsible for Federal Wage and Hour Compliance, for the RWSIR work training program and was certified in Time and Motion Study and Contract Procurement, through Auburn University. In this capacity, he worked with private sector industrial engineers, while acquiring in-house contracts, for student training, for which they were paid.
Following his tenure, at RWSIR, he served as Director of Transition Services, for Meriwether County Board of Education. As Director, the provision responsible for ensuring that federal mandates were followed, in with other of education to students with disabilities. He worked closely to coordinate school systems, and educators, technical colleges, and universities departmental budget successful graduation, employment, and work training education. and working this position, he worked with Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation State goals and counselors to transition high school students, from school train vocational and/or contract procurement education. He was recognized, by Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Services, as recipient of the 2008 TransitionVisionary Award. Many of the students, with whom he worked, are was also, themselves, in various fields. He served as Director of Transition Services, Meriwether County Board of Education, for 15 years.
Since 1990, he has been actively involved with The Perdido Bay Tribe of Lower Muscogee Creek Indians, Pensacola, Florida. He currently serves as Vice Chief and represents Tribal Members, who reside in Georgia. He is responsible for assisting in Tribal management, educational presentations and maintaining cultural values. He provides lectures to schools, colleges, civic groups, and is available to individuals, regarding Muscogee Creek Heritage and Culture. He is currently involved with researching, and protecting, “old” Native sites, throughout Georgia, and works with Elders, of other Nations. He worked along side of Lou Toulou, of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Washington State. Elder Lou Toulou was the Uncle of Tracy Toulou, Director, Office of Tribal Justice, Washington, D.C. Also, Stan authored a book, Strong Fox, which encourages children to recognize their talents, and strengths, rather than concentrate on any perceived weaknesses. An account of his early Muscogee Creek life is included in the book, We Will Always Be Here, written by Dr. Denise Bates, Arizona State University.
He obtained his Master of Education Degree, Rehabilitation Counseling, from the University of Georgia. Although, considered “retired”, he continues to advocate for Persons with Disabilities, that they might enjoy more complete lives.