ROSEVILLE, CA. - Julie Tauscher of PRIDE Industries was recently named to the Prader-Willi California Foundation (PWCF) Board of Directors.  Ms. Tauscher, a Case Manager at PRIDE’s Auburn facility, has developed a unique and effective work program for people with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), a rare, complex non-inherited genetic disorder for which there is no cure. 

People with PWS are born with an abnormality of the 15th chromosome which causes dysfunction of the hypothalamus, the area of the brain that regulates hunger and many other regulatory areas of the body.  People with PWS exhibit a constant craving and preoccupation with food accompanied by an unrelenting and overwhelming, physiological drive to eat that is not satiated by usual sensations of fullness. Unmanaged, this leads to obesity and extreme behavioral issues.

Ms. Tauscher manages PRIDE’s unique work program for people with PWS and was instrumental in developing the program model responsible for its success.  PRIDE’s PWS program is in a semi-integrated environment where 14 people with PWS work alongside 200 other individuals with and without disabilities.  PWS workers perform packaging, order fulfillment and light assembly work.  Notably, the people in the PWS program have all been employed at PRIDE for several years and the majority of the individuals are at their target weights.

“We are thrilled that Julie will join PWCF’s Board” said Lisa Graziano, PWCF Executive Director.  “She brings a unique expertise that will absolutely benefit California’s working-age teens and adults with PWS.  Her work changes lives daily and we are so grateful for her dedication to creating jobs and opportunity for people with PWS.”

The Prader-Willi  California Foundation is comprised of parents, friends, and relatives of persons with Prader-Willi Syndrome, as well as many dedicated professionals and care providers.  The mission of the Prader-Willi California Foundation is to provide to parents and professionals a state-wide network of information, advocacy, and support services to expressly meet the needs of children and adults with Prader-Willi Syndrome and their families.

PRIDE Industries is a nonprofit organization providing a variety of business solutions to meet the manufacturing and service needs of companies nationwide. PRIDE is dedicated to creating jobs for people with disabilities and employs more than 4,300 individuals across ten states and in the nation's capital, including more than 2,700 people with disabilities. For more information, please visit PRIDE online at www.prideindustries.com.