Celebrating ANCOR Honorees: LeAnna Tillman & Larry Waugh

Across Easterseals Midwest, there are people who do more than show up. They lean in. They lift up. They build bridges where others see walls.

This year, two of our Direct Support Professionals were recognized by ANCOR - a national nonprofit that champions inclusion and quality of life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Their stories are different, but their impact is shared.

LeAnna Tillman

2026 DSP of the Year – Special Category: Relationships

The room was ecstatic when the surprise came.

Adam Christensen (VP Programs) stepped forward. Others stood nearby, smiling. Then the words landed: LeAnna Tillman had been named ANCOR’s 2026 Special Category Award winner for Relationships.

For a moment, LeAnna couldn’t speak.

“I can’t even talk right now,” she said, hands to her chest. “From the bottom of my heart… I love all of you guys so much. That’s why I do what I do.”

And that is exactly why she won. LeAnna, a Community Services Supervisor in Joplin, has a gift. She connects people to services, but also to each other. She organizes volunteer opportunities that fit personal interests: delivering meals, serving seniors, showing up, again and again. Those small acts grow into something larger: friendships, confidence, and community.

She also leads How to Be a Friend, a workshop that helps individuals build social skills and practice inclusion. She takes it into schools, community spaces, and rooms where understanding is still learning to bloom.

The people she supports say it best:

“She cared about me so much.”
“She’s fun and respectful.”
“She’s a great team player.”

“We are so thankful for LeAnna.”

Because of her, students feel seen, seniors feel supported, and individuals feel valued as vital members of their communities.

In April, LeAnna traveled to Boston to be honored at the National ANCOR Conference. A national stage with a bright spotlight. But if you ask her, she’ll tell you the real award is much closer to home - in a training room filled with cheers, in a classroom of smiling kids, in the simple, consistent work of building relationships that last.

Larry Waugh

30 Years of Leadership & Inclusion

For thirty years, Larry Waugh has shaped lives. Let that settle.

When Larry began his work in 1995, community inclusion wasn’t a given. Many individuals with disabilities were still separated from public life. Access was limited; expectations were low. Larry never accepted that.

Instead, he opened doors. He learned each person’s passions - sports, hiking, music, museums - and turned those interests into experiences. Friday night football games, trails and parks, social mixers, botanical gardens. Pride on wooded paths.

He listens and builds trust that stretches across decades with families who know he will stand firm. One family shared that Larry is the one person outside their family who has consistently walked beside their loved one. Recently, when someone he supports felt unsure about trying something new, Larry didn’t push, but planned and collaborated with the individual and his mother to help create a path that felt safe and strong. The new experience became meaningful... even joyful. That is Larry’s way.

Though he was not selected as a 2026 DSP of the Year recipient from a pool of nearly 550 nominees, ANCOR recognized the depth of his dedication. Their letter said it plainly: without professionals like Larry, people would have less independence, less access, and fewer opportunities.

Larry still says there is more progress to make and more milestones ahead, even after 30 years. And he intends to keep going.

A Shared Commitment

LeAnna builds relationships that ripple outward. Larry creates belonging that lasts. Different styles, but same heartbeat.

Both remind us that inclusion is a daily practice. A warm welcome, a patient pause, and a hand extended, time and time again.

We are proud and grateful. And we celebrate them both - not only for awards received, but for lives changed. A huge congratulations from all of us here at Easterseals Midwest!