Pittsburgh Disability Employment Project for Freedom
Pittsburgh Disability Employment Project for Freedom
Tim Koontz, a computer programmer with HM Insurance Group, knows first-hand about the success of Project for Freedom. After earning both undergraduate and MBA degrees from Wheeling Jesuit University, a debilitating illness left Tim unable to work for three years.
With the encouragement of his family and his OVR counselor, he learned about and enrolled in a Project for Freedom training program.
He successfully completed the program and was hired by a Pittsburgh company.
During his internship with HM Insurance Group, Tim got hands-on experience and met the challenges of several projects. His boss, John Hanobik, manager of Planning and Architecture, said, "I was so impressed by the way he would tackle a project, I extended his internship, which turned into a full-time position as a junior programmer."
As a full-time employee for HM Insurance Group since 2001, Tim’s enthusiasm has not waned. In addition, he completed a Master’s Degree at Robert Morris University, taking advantage of Highmark’s employee tuition reimbursement program, and holds several certifications from Sun Microsystems and Oracle.
