Turtle Mountain Site Coordinator, Willie Davis, has extraordinary accomplishments in disability services, both professionally and through his advocacy work. In 2005, Mr. Davis received the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor of the Year award from the Consortium of Administrators of Native American Rehabilitation. Mr. Davis has also received national recognition for his volunteer work, especially with the disability community and youth.

He not only has extensive education and professional experience with all aspects of the field of disability services. but also knowledge born of decades of personal experience. In August of 1980 at the age of 18, he was in a car accident that involved drinking and driving. Injury in the T 7/8 thoracic vertebrate resulted in paraplegia.

“I feel that the more I can give back to my community the more positive things can be and the better the future can be for the next generation. “

As a consultant, he has written many article for two newsletters focused on disability – the Miniwakan Waonspekiye (Spirit Lake Teacher) and the Miniwakan Tiyospaye (Spirit Lake Family).

Willie is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in Belcourt, ND and a graduate of the University of North Dakota.

In his spare time he has been an avid participant in wheelchair pool tournaments, enjoys bow-hunting for deer and watching his niece and nephew grow up at what seems to be an amazingly fast pace.