About Us: Management Team

In April 1982, Joe established Work Opportunities Unlimited, a multi-state, community-based employment program. Under Joe’s leadership, the company has grown to more than 200 employees, and has expanded to include Leddy Group and Work Opportunities Unlimited – Youth Division.

Prior to founding Work Opportunities Unlimited, Joe’s career included two years as the Director of Special Programs for the New Hampshire Department of Education and three years as the Director of Rehabilitation for the New Hampshire Department of Education. Joe has also held positions as the Coordinator for the Workshop for the Blind through the New Hampshire Department of Education, an Associate Professor at New Hampshire Vocational-Technical College, and the Acting Director and Blind Rehabilitation Specialist at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Joe has a Master’s Degree in Administration from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Education from Keene State College.

Joe has been active in his community. His volunteer positions include: member of the Town Budget Committee; Selectman; Chairman of the School Board; Chairman of the School Building Committee; and member of the Town Planning Board.

In 2000, Joe received the “Small Business Person of the Year” award for the state of New Hampshire from the Small Business Administration (SBA). Joe received the New Englander Award from the Smaller Business Association of New England (SBANE) in 1993.

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Steve Wood - President and CEO

Email: SAWood@WorkOpportunities.Net

Steve joined the company as Vice President of Planning and Chief Financial Officer in 1996, and was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer in 2000. As Chief Executive Officer, Steve is responsible for management oversight of both Leddy Group and Work Opportunities Unlimited, and has direct responsibility for administrative operations in Dover, New Hampshire.

Prior to joining the company, Steve spent seventeen years in the banking industry. He began his career as a Branch Manager, and advanced to Commercial Loan Officer, Assistant Vice President and Senior Vice President and Senior Commercial Loan Officer. He spent five years consulting in the area of strategic planning to a range of businesses in New England.

Steve continues to serve as an adjunct faculty member for Southern New Hampshire University, teaching Strategic Management, Finance, Entrepreneurship and Management courses.

He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Maine in 1975, and his Masters in Business Administration from Northeastern University in 1987. He also graduated from the Williams School of Banking.

Steve is active in the Portsmouth Rotary Club and serves on the Economic Development Committee of the Business and Industry Association.

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Mary Leddy - COO and Staffing Division Leader

Email: MLeddy@LeddyGroup.Com

Mary’s primary responsibility is for the staffing division of the company. One of her primary objectives is to establish the strategic direction for this division.

She began her career in the organization in the Work Opportunities division, assuming responsibility for direct service in 1990, and advancing to Director of the Portsmouth, NH office in 1991.

Mary assumed the position of Chief Financial Officer in 1992, and continued in that role until 1995. At that time she was promoted to Vice President of Operations for Leddy Group. In 2000, Mary became Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer.

She graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, and received her Masters Degree in Business Administration from New Hampshire College.

Mary is active in the Small Business Association of New England and American Staffing Association, and is the Human Resources Committee Chair of the Business and Industry Association.

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David Dwyer - Senior VP and Vocational Division Leader

Email: DDwyer@WorkOpportunities.Net

David began his career with Work Opportunities Unlimited in November 1990 as the director of a new office in Laconia, NH. Under his management, this SEP and VR program grew to serve 50 individuals. The program then opened a satellite office in Plymouth to serve more individuals closer to their homes. David launched and ran the staffing program in the Laconia office until it was spun off into separate divisions in 1995.

David was promoted to Vice President in July 1996, and was made Senior Vice President in May 2000.

David received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, Mental Health Option and a Human Service Minor from Plymouth State College in 1990. He received an Master of Science degree in Counseling and Psychology from Notre Dame College in 1998.

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Jeanne Prendergast - CPA, Vice President and Controller

Email: JPrendergast@WorkOpportunities.Net

Jeanne began her career with Work Opportunities Unlimited in July 2003. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and leads the great accounting team in our Dover, NH office.

Prior to joining the Company, Jeanne served as a senior accountant in the Controller’s office of the University System of New Hampshire. For five years prior to joining the University, Jeanne worked in the public accounting world.

Jeanne is a graduate of New Hampshire College where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and was named the “Outstanding Bachelor of Science Student in the Accounting Program.” She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New Hampshire Society of Certified Public Accountants.

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Susannah Chance - Vice President of Human Resources

Email: SChance@WorkOpportunities.Net

Susannah joined Leddy Group in 1996 in both the Laconia and Concord regional offices, as a Resource Specialist. She was very successful at both recruiting and customer development. In 1999 she accepted the Regional Vice Presidents Position for Leddy Group’s seacoast region, and in August 2000 she accepted the position of Vice President Human Resources.

Susannah earned her M.B.A. from Iowa State University. Her thesis was on productivity and world class manufacturing techniques. Her B.A. is in marketing. As an adjunct professor at New Hampshire College’s Laconia center, she has taught business and marketing.

She is a member of the Seacoast HRA Association and the Society for Human Resource Management.

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Susan Abel - State VP of Maine, Voc. Division

Email: SAbel@WorkOpportunities.Net

Susan has worked with the Maine Work Opportunities Vocational Division since December 1987. She oversees offices that serve individuals with various disabilities - referred by schools, the Department of Behavioral and Developmental Services and the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation. Portland was the second Work Opportunities Unlimited office that was opened in 1982. Susan has helped grow the services from Portland to Biddeford, Scarborough and the Lewiston Auburn area.

Education: Bachelor of Science in Psychology, University of South Carolina 1986

Member of Maine Rehabilitation Association since 1990.

Rehabilitation Professional of the Year 1995

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Scott Shimer - State VP of Massachusetts, Voc. Division

Email: SShimer@WorkOpportunities.Net

Scott began his career with Work Opportunities Unlimited (Vocational Division) in May 1999 as a vocational resource specialist in the Haverhill, MA office. He later became the director of that office as well as the one in Lowell, MA. Scott went on to open a new vocational office in Boston, MA. The programs he directs have contracts with the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind as well as the Department of Mental Retardation. Scott was promoted to the State Vice President of the Massachusetts Vocational Division in January 2001.

Education: Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, University of Massachusetts 1997

Commendation: Provider Recognition Award, presented by the Department of Mental Retardation in February 2001

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Ryan Mountain - VP of Program Development, Voc. Division

Email: RMountain@WorkOpportunities.Net

Ryan started with Work Opportunities Unlimited (Vocational Division) in October of 1994 as an Employment Representative in the Portsmouth, NH office. In January 1996, Ryan became the Director of the Portsmouth Office and in 1997 he opened a vocational office in Rochester, NH. The programs he supervised included: Supported Employment with Regions 8 and 9 in NH, a Vocational Rehabilitation program in Portsmouth, a Seacoast Youth Program for adjudicated youth, and vocational programs with area school districts. In June of 1999, Ryan became the Director of Program Development serving all vocational offices in all states with a focus on school development. In 2000, Ryan created the Career Links model of service, which has since been implemented in over 20 schools throughout New England. In 2004, Ryan was promoted to Vice President of Program Development and since that time has been focused on the development of new referral sources and states. He is currently working on the development of Florida, which now provides services in Pensacola, Broward, West Palm Beach, and in the near future Miami.

Education: Bachelor of Arts Degree, University of New Hampshire 1994. Graduate Study in Behavior Management, Notre Dame College