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EQUITY Profile of the Month
Four years ago, Richard Keeling was introduced to EQUITY readers in the January 2005 Profile of the Month. Now, after overcoming a life-threatening injury, Richard continues to advance in his career, build assets, and give back to the community.
Despite a diving accident at age 16 resulting in a C-5 injury and quadriplegia, Richard built both a career and a full life for himself over the next several years with the IRS and his family.
But, as the title of this article asks, where is he now? Starting in 2009, every other month, EQUITY is going to re-visit the people we have profiled over the last several years. Are they still building their career? Are they still building assets? Have there been obstacles along the way?
When it comes to Richard, the answer is yes to all of the above!
Since we last checked in with Richard, he has been promoted to a Senior Tax Analyst with Product and Partnership Development (P&PD) in the SPEC headquarters, still residing in Atlanta GA.
The promotion resulted in a substantial bump in salary, as well as a significant increase in responsibilities. Richard’s involvement in partnership development has increased, as he crisscrosses the country establishing and maintaining relationships for the Service.
It was September 1st, 2007, on a return flight from a particularly successful Washington D.C. partner visit when it happened. Richard was transferring to the aisle chair for the trip home to Atlanta when he fell. Eventually, Richard made it to his seat, and as the plane took off he began preparing a report for his supervisor. Lost in work, as he is wont to do, he didn’t think much of the incident until he landed and started to drive home. By the time he returned to his house, he was experiencing a great deal of pain. His wife, Jeanne, insisted that he call the doctor and go to the hospital. X-rays indicated that Richard had broken both femurs. Richard endured four surgeries and a life-threatening bone infection, yet still continued to return phone calls and emails throughout the process. “I love my job. It just kills me to not be doing what I love,” he says. There’s no bravado with Richard; he is a person who truly loves what he does. Access to Assets didn’t know of his health issues when we sent him an email two days after his first surgery. He returned the email from his hospital bed the same day, scheduling a Seattle joint-presentation for 45 days later. “I just had too much work to do,” Richard sheepishly intones when kidded about his level of commitment to his career. However, it is this level of commitment which has served Richard well over the years and resulted in the promotions and accolades he has earned.
In 2007, the National Disability Institute honored Richard by naming an annual award in his honor. The NDI Richard Keeling Award is given to individuals who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to serving people with disabilities. Richard says that he finds the whole thing “kind-of humbling and embarrassing”, but one hopes he is getting used to the honor.
In 2008, the IRS recognized Richard as the “regional disabled employee of the year”. In his typically understated way, he said dinner at the World Congress Center was “pretty neat; it was really an honor.”
Despite his workload and the plethora of honors, Richard still finds time to give back to the community. In 2008, Richard began working with the IRS’s hiring initiative to employ more individuals with disabilities. “I didn't want to get involved with some ‘feel good’ initiative; I wanted to help place people with disabilities in higher level, full-time employment.” This initiative does just that: rather than providing access to dead-end jobs, Richard puts people with disabilities on a higher-graded career path. He continues, “I think this initiative is one of the things I’m most proud of in my career.”
Success aside, the single greatest thing that has happened in Richard’s life is Katherine, his now 10-year-old daughter. “She is the joy of my life!” Though quite the formidable athlete when he was younger, Richard is amazed at his daughter’s physical prowess. He has taught her to play both baseball and golf, and proudly cheers her on as she out-distances adults at the local driving range.
Despite a diving accident at age 16 resulting in a C-5 injury and quadriplegia, Richard built both a career and a full life for himself over the next several years with the IRS and his family.
But, as the title of this article asks, where is he now? Starting in 2009, every other month, EQUITY is going to re-visit the people we have profiled over the last several years. Are they still building their career? Are they still building assets? Have there been obstacles along the way?
When it comes to Richard, the answer is yes to all of the above!
Since we last checked in with Richard, he has been promoted to a Senior Tax Analyst with Product and Partnership Development (P&PD) in the SPEC headquarters, still residing in Atlanta GA.
The promotion resulted in a substantial bump in salary, as well as a significant increase in responsibilities. Richard’s involvement in partnership development has increased, as he crisscrosses the country establishing and maintaining relationships for the Service.
It was September 1st, 2007, on a return flight from a particularly successful Washington D.C. partner visit when it happened. Richard was transferring to the aisle chair for the trip home to Atlanta when he fell. Eventually, Richard made it to his seat, and as the plane took off he began preparing a report for his supervisor. Lost in work, as he is wont to do, he didn’t think much of the incident until he landed and started to drive home. By the time he returned to his house, he was experiencing a great deal of pain. His wife, Jeanne, insisted that he call the doctor and go to the hospital. X-rays indicated that Richard had broken both femurs. Richard endured four surgeries and a life-threatening bone infection, yet still continued to return phone calls and emails throughout the process. “I love my job. It just kills me to not be doing what I love,” he says. There’s no bravado with Richard; he is a person who truly loves what he does. Access to Assets didn’t know of his health issues when we sent him an email two days after his first surgery. He returned the email from his hospital bed the same day, scheduling a Seattle joint-presentation for 45 days later. “I just had too much work to do,” Richard sheepishly intones when kidded about his level of commitment to his career. However, it is this level of commitment which has served Richard well over the years and resulted in the promotions and accolades he has earned.
In 2007, the National Disability Institute honored Richard by naming an annual award in his honor. The NDI Richard Keeling Award is given to individuals who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to serving people with disabilities. Richard says that he finds the whole thing “kind-of humbling and embarrassing”, but one hopes he is getting used to the honor.
In 2008, the IRS recognized Richard as the “regional disabled employee of the year”. In his typically understated way, he said dinner at the World Congress Center was “pretty neat; it was really an honor.”
Despite his workload and the plethora of honors, Richard still finds time to give back to the community. In 2008, Richard began working with the IRS’s hiring initiative to employ more individuals with disabilities. “I didn't want to get involved with some ‘feel good’ initiative; I wanted to help place people with disabilities in higher level, full-time employment.” This initiative does just that: rather than providing access to dead-end jobs, Richard puts people with disabilities on a higher-graded career path. He continues, “I think this initiative is one of the things I’m most proud of in my career.”
Success aside, the single greatest thing that has happened in Richard’s life is Katherine, his now 10-year-old daughter. “She is the joy of my life!” Though quite the formidable athlete when he was younger, Richard is amazed at his daughter’s physical prowess. He has taught her to play both baseball and golf, and proudly cheers her on as she out-distances adults at the local driving range.