Lori Kain, Pensacola

Director of Community and Government Relations, Global Connections to Employment

Returning from a business trip to Washington, D.C., Lori Kain’s heart was full.

She had just watched one of her company’s self-advocates take the stage on Capitol Hill and present for government officials and key policymakers her story of navigating a life and career with a disability.

“This individual, who is typically introverted and timid, had been rehearsing what she was going to say from a paper,” Kain said. “By the time we got to the Hill, she said she didn’t need her paper anymore. She doubted herself, and then she found herself, and I knew that she could.”

Kain, the director of community and government relations at Global Connections to Employment (GCE), an organization devoted to empowering and facilitating workplace opportunities for those with disabilities, finds purpose in her belief that everyone has talent.

“People with disabilities have wonderful skills and abilities just like everyone else,” Kain said. “They need to be respected, have the opportunity to reach their full potential and feel like part of the community where they live and work. It’s why my team and I advocate for change on the Hill and share with them the impact of policy decisions.”

Kain is well-versed in the world of politics. Originally from the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, she attended SUNY Plattsburgh, where she obtained a degree in political science, and began working with assemblymen from Albany and Brooklyn.

Her extensive career has carried her to positions in media, marketing, vocational services and government relations with Time Warner Cable, New York-based financial institutions and area nonprofits, but it wasn’t until she did some “soul searching” that she found her home at GCE.

“I’d never been to Pensacola, but I knew the moment I came down to meet the team, that I was at home,” Kain said. “I had previously been a vocational director working with people with disabilities, and I developed an understanding of all the intricacies involved in finding them work, but my real passion was in government affairs. I’ve been here for seven years now and haven’t looked back.”

Outside of work, Kain has found friendship and community among fellow equestrians, both through volunteer and rescue programs and shows that benefit local causes. Since the age of 8, she has competed in hunter/jumper courses, but Kain said since turning 50, she sticks now to dressage.

“I figured I shouldn’t crash and burn anymore,” she laughed. “But, we have a wonderful horse community here, and wherever help is needed, we go.”

Kain is proud to be an advocate for the voiceless and for those who need a nudge toward discovering theirs.

“Our mission at GCE, and mine, is helping people throughout life’s journey,” she said. “Helping people be seen — really seen beyond what others think defines them — and helping them realize the importance of their story is endlessly gratifying. I’m grateful to have a part in it.”

Lori Kain was nominated for the 2024 Pinnacle Awards by Becca Hardin, President and CEO, Bay Economic Development Alliance.

Videography by The Workmans