Board of Directors Candidate Biographies 2014

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1 Officer Nominees Board of Directors Candidate Biographies 2014 Ronald Brown President Nominee Ron Brown currently serves as Vice President of The Arc of the United States. He has over 36 years experience in the volunteer arena as an advocate for the disability community serving on the local, state, and national Board of Directors of The Arc. He began his national board career in 2006, and has also served as Chair of the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee, and is the current Chair of the Diversity Committee. His prior service includes his work on the boards of The Arc of Texas, The Arc of the Capital Area, Austinhaven, Advocacy, Inc., and Citizens Resource Information for Special Persons. Ron is retired from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). Ron has an adult daughter with an intellectual disability. Elise McMillan Vice President Nominee Elise McMillan currently serves as Secretary of the board of The Arc of the United States. She began her national board career in Elise also serves as a Co-chair of the Policy and Positions Committee that is responsible for developing The Arc s Public Policy Agenda and Position Statements. She is a Past President of The Arc of Davidson County and The Arc of Tennessee and remains actively involved with both chapters. Elise believes in the mission of The Arc and in including self-advocates in leadership roles in the organization. In addition to her work for The Arc, Elise is Co-Director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities; Director of Community Outreach, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center; and Senior Associate in the Department of Psychiatry. Elise has an adult son with an intellectual disability. Thomas Judd Treasurer Nominee Thomas Judd began his national board service in 2010 and also serves on the Policy and Positions Committee and its Legal Advocacy Subcommittee. He is also an active member of The Arc of Greater Twin Cities in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he served as President. Tom is known as a creative legal problem analyst and solver in the business environment, with abilities to identify and define issues, develop objectives, options, and solutions, while remaining cognizant of cost/benefit and business objectives. Tom is an attorney with Morrison Sund PLLC. He is also a family member of several people with intellectual disabilities. M.J. Bartelmay Secretary Nominee M.J. Bartelmay currently serves as Treasurer of The Arc of the United States. He began his national board service in He has served The Arc at every level national, state, and local since While on the national board, M.J. has chaired the Board Convention Committee and served as a member of The Committee on the Future of The Arc and the Ad Hoc Work Group on Planned Communities and Other Residential Alternatives for People with I/DD. He is currently Chair of The Arc of the United States Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee. He has also mentored self-advocates for board service at all levels of The Arc. In addition to his service to The Arc, he has also held numerous positions as an advocate and leader for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In addition to this work for The Arc, M.J. is an independent Information Technology Consultant. M.J. has a son with an intellectual disability. 1

2 Board of Directors Candidate Biographies 2014 Director Nominees Barbara Coppens Barbara Coppens is currently a member of the board of The Arc of the United States. She began her national board service in 2010, and also serves on the Policy and Positions Committee and the National Council of Self-Advocates. She also serves on several other boards and committees including: President, New Jersey Statewide Self Advocacy Network; Chair, Council 4 New Jersey statewide Self Advocacy Network; second term with The Arc of New Jersey Board of Directors; Camden County Monday Morning Project; and second term with The Arc of New Jersey Governmental Affairs Committee. She is also an active member of Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE). Barbara is also the recipient of many wards, including the 1993 New Jersey Statewide Self-Advocacy Network Jane Miller Leadership Award. For the last eight years, Barbara has worked as a full-time Advocate Assistant with Disability Rights New Jersey (DRNJ). Hugh M. Evans III Election by the Board of Directors Hugh Evans has been a member of the board of The Arc of the United States since 2010, and he continues to serve on the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee. He remains active at the local level through his membership in The Arc of Baltimore. Hugh is the Immediate Past President of the Board of Directors of V-LINC, a nonprofit organization that focuses on promoting independence for people with disabilities through the use of assistive technology. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of Catholic Charities of Baltimore. He has extensive experience in investment management, financial management, and organizational development, working with both large and small companies and nonprofit organizations. He is the Vice President of Corporate Development and Ventures at 3D Systems, a leading provider of 3D printing. Hugh is the father of a young daughter with Trisomy 21. Sheryl Frishman Sheryl Frishman is an attorney in New York who has also spent many years on the Board of her local chapter, The Arc Westchester, including serving as Board President, and has served on the Board of NYSARC. Through her legal work, she is very active in health care, especially Medicaid for persons with I/DD. She is also very involved in employment and the development of employment opportunities for persons with I/DD and in housing by working toward creating alternative types of housing arrangements that are inclusive and appropriate for persons with I/DD. She also advocates for her 14 year old son who has Autism. 2

3 Director Nominees (continued) Dena L. Gassner Dena Gassner is a Social Worker in Huntington, West Virginia, who has also engaged in public policy advocacy on the local, regional, state, and national levels on topics such as denial of services due to a lack of service providers who can provide systems navigation support. She has also presented to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee and to the U.S. House of Representatives and spent considerable time at Day on the Hill events in Washington, D.C. She has also served as an advisory board member to the Tennessee Autism Summit. Dena has assisted many clients in navigating transition and vocational rehabilitation, and has given testimony before VR National Offices. Dena self-identifies as having been diagnosed with Asperger s syndrome as an adult; she has a 24 year old son who is on the Autism spectrum as well. Mary Gonzalez Mary Gonzalez is experienced in public policy and an expert in leadership development. Over the years, she has trained many advocates and community organizers through an organization that she co-founded, The Gamaliel Foundation, which is known for its work in training community organizers and advancing social justice causes. She is a former member of the Illinois Governor s Council on Developmental Disabilities. Mary has been involved with many local chapters of The Arc in California, and has been a speaker at the National Conference of Executives Summer Leadership Institute and at NCE s pre-conference training during the National Convention. Mary is recently retired. She had a brother with a developmental disability. Nelly Nieblas Nelly Nieblas is the Director of Public Policy and External Affairs for Public Allies, Inc., Washington, D.C., an AmeriCorps program that advances new leadership to strengthen communities, nonprofits, and civil participation. She has also served as Special Counsel at the White House on youth and disabilities. While in Los Angeles, she worked in the Los Angeles County Department of Social Services as a Social Services Research Analyst and as Assistant Legislative Deputy in the office of Gloria Molina, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. She also served as a UN Observer-Rehabilitation International, New York, for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Nelly self-identifies as an individual with cerebral palsy. Randall Patrick Randall Patrick has served on the national board since He has also served on The Arc s national Resource Development Committee, and continues to serve on the Policy and Positions Committee. On the local level, he serves on the board of The Arc of Colorado, and he has identified two new chapters in Colorado and has fundraising contacts that will benefit The Arc as a whole. He enjoys his work on the national board, is a strong advocate for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He also supports self-advocates in their efforts to become leaders in the organization. Randall is employed in the electrical and plumbing business. 3

4 Director Nominees (continued) Kurt Rutzen Kurt Rutzen has been a member of the board of The Arc of the United States since He also serves on the Policy and Positions Committee and on the National Council of Self-Advocates. He is a self-advocate who has been actively involved as a volunteer with The Arc of Minnesota for the last 11 years. Kurt is passionate about people with disabilities and helping them. He does not need many services, but wishes to advocate for people who do require a lot of services. Kurt works as a Program Specialist for the University of Minnesota Institute on Community Integration s Research and Training Center on Community Living. He is also actively involved with the Quality Mall Project. The project, The QualityMall.org, is a web site on person-centered services supporting people with developmental disabilities. Kathleen Stauffer Election by the Board of Directors Kathleen Stauffer is the Chief Executive Officer of The Arc of New London County in Norwich, CT. She is a recognized leader in public policy advocacy and in individual advocacy for self-advocates. Her leadership skills have contributed to a strong track record for building dynamic teams, supporting people, and working with diverse communities and cultures. In the area of employment for people with I/DD, she advocates real work for real pay. In the housing arena, Kathleen s chapter serves about 61 people with I/DD in community living homes. Kathleen serves as a member of the Steering Committee for the National Conference of Executives of The Arc. 4

5 Returning Directors Tony Anderson Tony Anderson is currently a member of the board of The Arc of the United States. He also serves on the Board Development Committee. He is the immediate past Chair of the Steering Committee of the National Conference of Executives (NCE) of The Arc. He was the Deputy Director of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities ( ), and he was appointed by the Governor of California to serve on the Governor s Committee on Developmental Disabilities. For some years now, he has been the Executive Director of The Arc of California, one of the oldest and largest chapters of The Arc. Gary Bass Gary Bass is serving his first term as a national board member and is a member of the Policy and Positions Committee. Since 2011, Gary Bass has been the Executive Director of the Bauman Foundation, a Washington, D.C. based advocacy organization. In 1983, he founded OMB Watch (now called the Center on Effective Government), a national research, educational, and advocacy organization that he directed for 28 years. He s also an Affiliated Professor at Georgetown University where he teaches about non-profit organizations. He has expertise in public policy and fundraising. Doug Church Doug Church has been a national board member since He also serves on the Board Development Committee. He has also served as Co-Chair of the Resource Development Committee. In addition to his service at the national level, he s also an active volunteer at the local level who has served on the board of The Arc of Northern Virginia and as President of The Arc of Northern Virginia Foundation. Doug is a banker, with more than 30 years experience in Northern Virginia and the markets served by First Virginia Bank, Inc. He currently holds the position of Chairman of Virginia Heritage Bank, an institution that has grown to an $11 billion corporation during Doug s tenure. He is the father of an adult son with an intellectual disability. Tim Hornbecker Tim Hornbecker is currently the Chair for the National Conference of Executives (NCE) Steering Committee for The Arc of the United States. In that role, he serves as a national board member and a member of the Executive Committee. He started his service on the national board in He has been CEO of three local chapters of the Arc in California and Washington, as well as Executive Director of two non-profits also serving people with developmental disabilities. He has been the Director of Community Organizing and Advocacy for The Arc of California. He is currently the Chief Development Officer for The Arc of Alameda County, one of the largest providers of educational, employment, and recreational services to children and adults with I/DD in the Oakland and East Bay Area of Northern California. A major influence in his life was his cousin with Down Syndrome and her parents who founded The Arc of Santa Cruz, CA. 5

6 Returning Directors (cont d) Fred Misilo Fred Misilo is serving his first term as a national board member. He also serves on the Policy and Positions Committee, the Legal Advocacy Subcommittee, and has served on the Ad Hoc Committee on Planned Communities and Other Residential Alternatives for People with I/DD. He is also the Immediate Past of The Arc of Massachusetts and a longstanding board member of that chapter. He has a long history of advocacy within the legislative and executive branches of Massachusetts government, including the position of Deputy Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services. Fred has devoted 35 years to The Arc s mission and looks forward to continuing his service on the national board. Fred is an Officer and Chair of the Trust and Estate Department and Chair of the Elder Law and Special Needs Practice Group at the law firm of Fletcher Tilton PC. Kelly Piacenti Kelly Piacenti has been a national board member since She also serves on the Diversity Committee. She has also served on the Resource Development Committee and the Chapter Excellence Committee of the national organization. On the local level, she is also an active advocate who is a member of The Arc of Morris, New Jersey. She has been the director of the Metlife Center for Special Needs Planning in Somerset New Jersey. Kelly is a spokesperson for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities who cannot speak for themselves. She also mentors a self-advocate on the national board. She is the mother of a young son with developmental disabilities. Michele Poole Michele Poole is serving her first term as a national board member. She is also a member of the Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee. She has served for many years on the state and local level: as President of The Arc Palm Beach and as a board member. She is the Immediate Past President of The Arc of Florida and a board member of two other affiliated members of The Arc of Florida. She is a strong voice within the organization and brings assets in the form of fundraising and organizing skills. She has a daughter with a developmental disability. She owns an electrical construction company with her husband. Philip Richards Philip Richards is serving his first term as a national board member. He s also a member of the Diversity Committee. He is also the Past-President of The Arc of Walker County, Past-President of The Arc of Jefferson County, and a board member of The Arc of Alabama. He has been active as an advocate at the state level representing the interests of people with I/DD and their families before the legislature, the Governor, the Department of Mental Health, and local providers. He continues to be an advocate for children and adults with developmental disabilities, including for one of his two daughters, and is therefore familiar with Special Education. He understands the importance of The Arc of the United States in assuring legal and fiscal resources. He has also worked in the mental health system on behalf of his other daughter. Philip recently retired from his position as Manager of External Affairs at Energen, a diversified energy company, and is now the owner of an insurance business. 6

7 Returning Directors (cont d) Margaret Lee Thompson Margaret Lee Thompson is serving her first term as a national board member. She also serves on the Policy and Positions Committee. She has also worked in public policy for 40 years in three states, including Washington State. She became a member of The Arc of Washington when her son was born in 1968 and began a lifetime of advocacy. She later served as a board member there. She started the King County Parent Coalition for D.D., a grass roots organization involved in advocacy, parent education, and information. She was employed by The Arc of King County for many years. She has been active with the legislature in Washington State and has involved parents in the legislative process. She has a wide knowledge of many disability issues, including disability law, Special Education, employment and housing for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Nancy Webster Nancy Webster currently serves as President of The Arc of the United States. After the elections, Nancy will assume the position of Immediate-Past President of the national board. Her affiliation with The Arc began in 2001 when she served as a member of the Development Committee. In 2002, she was elected to The Arc s national board and has served on and chaired the Development Committee and has served on the Governance and Rules Committee and the Task force on Affiliation and Growth, and chaired the Committee on the Future of The Arc, which was charged with developing a strategic plan: The Strategic Framework for the Future of The Arc, Under her leadership, the Committee on the Future of the Arc formulated recommendations to strengthen the chapter and membership structure in order to accomplish The Arc s new plan. Prior to joining The Arc board, Nancy was active in The Arc of Illinois from 1992 to Nancy is retired from Environmental Services, Inc. (ESI). Nancy has a sister with an intellectual disability. Carol Wheeler Carol Wheeler is serving her first term as a national board member. She also serves on the Diversity Committee. She was a member of the President s Committee on People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID), Washington, D.C. from She is a Co-Chair of the Honorary Board of the N. Street Village; and recently coordinated the Washington Chapter of Project Children. She has professional experience in broadcasting and was the Vice-President for Government Affairs for the National Association of Broadcasters. She also worked as a liaison for women in the Carter Administration. She is the mother of a transition age son with Williams Syndrome. August

Board of Directors - Candidate Biographies 2018

Board of Directors - Candidate Biographies 2018 Officers Fred Misilo President Fred Misilo has been a national board member since 2012 and current serves as President of the board of The Arc of the United