Joan Baird

Joan Baird recently became one of the original members of the Special Olympics Georgia Educational Resource Network, designed to provide information and guidance to parents of children with special needs as well as special education teachers across the state.
For many years, Joan Baird, the director of student services for Madison County Schools in Georgia, has enriched the lives of students with developmental disabilities in an area where this population has traditionally been underserved. As an advocate for the Special Olympics, she has provided training opportunities to students within her school system to better themselves physically and emotionally.
Not only does Joan serve as an advocate for many participants in the Special Olympics and as a role model for many students, she is also a strong role model in the life of her daughter Hannah, who has Down ’s Syndrome. With the help of Joan’s encouragement and love, Hannah has prevailed as a community leader in Girl Scouts, Special Olympics, and was even the prom queen at her high school in 2010. Joan’s support for both her daughter and many other children with special needs in her community is what makes her a Daily Point of Light.