- December 4, 2025
An Ormond Beach mom came before the City Commission Wednesday night asking that her special needs son be rehired at the Nova Community Center.
Anni Suadi said her son Lance Avery, who has Down syndrome, had worked at the rec center from October 2023 to November 2024, two hours a day for two days a week. She referred to it as a pilot program for employment.
"He never had an incident during this time of volunteer employment, which was to turn into paid employment after the pilot program was fully implemented," Suadi said. "To this day, he does not understand why his dream job got taken from him and has an emotional breakdown whenever at Nova Rec or even gets near it."
But, according to Ormond Beach city staff, there was never a pilot program of this kind in place. Lance, 25, was taking part in an on-the-job training program by the Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, a temporary program under the Department of Education to help people with physical or mental disabilities obtain employment. The program offers an opportunity for employers to mentor a special needs individual to help them develop career skills.
"I do think there may be a bit of confusion, per se, as to how everything came about," Parks and Recreation Director Robert Carolin said to the commission at its meeting on Oct. 8. "So I think it's important that we do bring that to your attention as we move through this."
Carolin said the city partnered with VR for the program. Lance isn't the only special needs adult who has participated over the years.
"We participate in providing the space to help the individuals learn special tasks that can be taken out of the city of Ormond Beach, out of the rec center, and put to use for job placement," Carolin said. "So what that, I believe in my heart, possibly could have been construed as an opportunity for employment within the city of Ormond Beach, but traditionally, that's not the case and it hasn't been."
When the program concludes, so do the VR's resources to help mentor and coach, Carolin explained. Lance's on-the-job training officially ended in late March 2024, which included a three-month extension. Then, he stayed on as a volunteer until November.
The city, which has a Special Populations Division, offers six programs for those with special needs, including social and sports clubs. It also recently received state appropriations for a new special needs population playing field at Nova Rec, to be known as the Miracle Field.
Several speakers came before the City Commission to ask officials to rehire Lance at the meeting.
Lance's job coach Chris Bond was one of the speakers. In a phone call with the Observer, Bond, who works for a nonprofit called Progressive Abilities Support Services, said that when Lance was placed at Nova Rec for on-the-job training, there was no pilot program in place, though one may have been in early talks between the city's previous mayor and Suadi, who also said the city stopped her from teaching a weekly fitness class for special needs after Lance was let go.
"We understand that these things take time and they have an approval process, and that oftentimes will not become available immediately, especially when you have interruptions like a changeover in new management, new mayor," Bond said. "... From my end, I totally understand and support that it's not readily available right now, immediately. If it were to become available in the future, I would fully embrace that and support the opening of that pilot program."
But, he added, that is optional and not a requirement for the city.
"Nobody is discriminating against anybody by not implementing the pilot program," Bond said.
At the meeting, Deputy Mayor Lori Tolland said that she understood that Suadi came to the meeting hoping the commission would take a vote on the issue. But, that's not within their realm.
"It's hard on our hearts, there's no doubt about it, because every one of us up here cares, including staff, and we deeply care about inclusion and success," Tolland said. "But it's not the role of government to provide jobs and training for individuals."
Tolland said she supported the city's existing Special Populations programs, but that its parks and rec staff's training and education do not include developing a work training program for adults with special needs. The city can, however, help identify additional resources.
Mayor Jason Leslie thanked speakers for coming out in support of Lance and the special needs community.
"We have a lot of resources here in Ormond Beach that do help the special needs community," Leslie said. "... Unfortunately, there might have been some kind of misunderstanding along the way."
At Nova Rec, Lance's job responsibilities included taking down pickleball courts, lowering basketball nets, inflating sports balls, shredding papers, sweeping floors and setting up for special events — that was his favorite duty, Bond said. He was with Lance every day at the start, making sure to establish a strong work routine, and then as the training progressed, Lance required only minor guidance during his six-month participation in VR's on-the-job training program.
"Lance is a very capable young man," Bond said. "He thrives on a strong routine in any place that can offer him that strong routine. He is a very hard worker. He is very capable and I know that we're going to find success, whether in the future with the city, if that's something that is in the cards, or elsewhere in the competitive job market. ... Lance makes his own success."
