Staff

Sandy Hardy
Region 9 Technical Assistance Liaison & Trainer

Contact Info: pn3381@aol.com (325) 677-0767

Sandy Hardy has over 23 years of experience in employment services for people with disabilities. She currently serves as Trainer and Technical Assistance Liaison for SSA Region IX with Virginia Commonwealth University's Benefits Assistance Resource Center. In this capacity, Sandy provides work incentive training, technical assistance and consultation to all SSA funded Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach (BPAO) and Protection & Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS) projects in California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Sandy is also the Project Director for Imagine Enterprises, overseeing the Benefits Planning, Assistance, and Outreach project (BPAO) covering 94 counties in West Texas.

Before joining the VCU-BARC team, Sandy wore many hats as a Project Director for Imagine Enterprises. She worked with the Texas Employment Project, offering training and technical assistance to demonstration sites and parent support groups promoting quality employment for people with disabilities. She provided leadership regarding Social Security work incentives throughout the state of Texas as the Lead Benefits Planning Specialist for the Texas PASS Network. Sandy also directed a statewide School-to-Careers project funded through the Texas Workforce Commission where she developed a user-friendly resource guide and coordinated statewide training and technical assistance to ensure students with disabilities were included in job exploration, career training, and a smooth transition to the adult world of work.

Known for her high energy and passion, Sandy brings both to everything she is involved in to assist people with disabilities become a part of their community.