ContactCybersecurity Incident
DonateCareers
Donate Careers Planet Access
ContactCybersecurity Incident

Introducing Trailblazers 2025 Honorees

Meet the Trailblazers 2025 honorees who amplified voices of people with I/DD through meaningful storytelling, celebrated at Search Inc’s annual event.

Posted April 23, 2025 at 10:44 am

Trailblazers 2025: The Stories That Connect Us will be held on Thursday, June 5th, at the Carter Chicago, honoring our 56-year history as we look to the future of our work. 

Our 2025 Trailblazer Award honorees have amplified the voices of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) through meaningful storytelling. Their work with Search has been innovative in empowering people with I/DD to have confidence in sharing their own stories. By creating impactful, person-driven media, our honorees help break down barriers and misconceptions, fostering greater inclusivity in our communities. 

Our 2025 honorees have both advanced our mission significantly through their unique, person-centered approaches. These approaches have set them apart in our field.  

Learn more about our 2025 honorees below!  

Shawn Durr, Communications Director, Keystone Alliance

Our 2025 John Lipscomb Trailblazer Award honoree is Shawn Durr, Communications Director at the Keystone Alliance.

Shawn Durr started his career at Search in 1991 as a Direct Support Professional (DSP). When Shawn began at Search, Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILAs) were becoming viable through new Medicaid waiver laws. After seeing the impact of moving people from traditional institutional settings into beautiful community homes, Shawn decided to continue his career at Search in the residential program, now known as our Supported Living Program.

After many years in our SLP, Shawn became the Communications Manager at Search and began honing his craft. He then moved into the role of Communications Director at our parent company, Keystone Alliance, continuing to oversee all media for Search, including our social media, website, presentations, news articles, and more. Shawn’s time working in SLP deeply informs his work as a communicator, continuously centering the people we support in our messaging and strengthening their visibility in the community. His behind-the-scenes work has driven our mission for over 35 years by ensuring the voices and stories of those we support are empowered and uplifted.

Shawn’s innovative approach to storytelling has profoundly influenced Search’s external messaging. As we envision the future of our brand, we are honored to recognize Shawn’s extensive work in shaping our mission and vision, making us a true advocate for people with I/DD.

Justin Lynk, Creative Director, Just Storytelling

Justin Lynk became the Creative Director of his own firm, Just Storytelling, in 2022 after working in corporate media. Justin founded Just Storytelling to create organic, story-focused content for clients with meaningful causes.

Search was one of Just Storytelling’s first clients, starting with our 2022 Trailblazers video. Since that time, Justin has grown meaningful and fruitful relationships with the people we support. His unique ability to connect with people, on and off camera, has significantly elevated our brand and messaging. Justin’s talents and time uplift the voices of the people we support. Since 2022, he has worked on many projects at Search, including our Trailblazers videos, Giving Tuesday, recruitment videos, internal resources, self-advocates materials and more.

Justin creates a comfortable, welcoming environment in his work that fosters people telling their stories. These stories make a meaningful impact on our communities. His videography work has shared the stories of people with I/DD with thousands of community members, continuing to grow our mission and impact. We are excited to honor Justin as our 2025 Trailblazer honoree.

Keep up with all of our Events

View our upcoming events

Related Blogs

View All

We’re Officially Search360! 

Over the past year, we partnered with Magnetize, a branding agency, to reimagine how we share our story with people supported, families, stakeholders and the broader community. This evolution reflects our growth, the expanding reach of our services and the increasing impact of our social enterprises.  We kept the name Search because of its deep roots and strong recognition in our community. Our refreshed brand and visual identity signal momentum, confidence and a renewed commitment to building inclusive communities. Our new logo honors the compass that has guided us for decades while pointing firmly toward the future.  Alongside our new name comes a new tagline: Creating Inclusive Communities. […]

Learn More