Candidates

Affiliation: Progress CIL (Norman, OK)

Length of time they have been an individual member of NCIL: Over 25 years.

NCIL Committees, Subcommittees or Task Forces they have served on: Vice President, Rehabilitation Act Subcommittee, and many others.

What they consider to be their greatest accomplishment as an advocate during their involvement in Independent Living: Keeping focused on our roots.

Skills, talents, and resources they would bring to the NCIL Board: Years of knowledge and understanding of working with CILs, SILC, DSEs.

Why they want to serve on the NCIL Board: To continue to fulfill the work of the IL community

Nominator: Steven Higgins

Affiliation: Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living (Springfield, IL)

Length of time they have been an individual member of NCIL: 4 Years

NCIL Committees, Subcommittees or Task Forces they have served on: Operational Excellence Committee; Regional Representatives Committee; Executive Committee; Annual Conference Committee.

What they consider to be their greatest accomplishment as an advocate during their involvement in Independent Living: Ensuring PWD have their voices heard and that their concerns are addressed.

Skills, talents, and resources they would bring to the NCIL Board: Lived experience along with 20+ years of advocacy.

Why they want to serve on the NCIL Board: To ensure that the mission and vision of NCIL is fulfilled.

Nominator: Jeremy Morris

Affiliation: Disability Pride Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)

Length of time they have been an individual member of NCIL: Over a year.         

NCIL Committees, Subcommittees or Task Forces they have served on: DEAI Committee and Regional Representatives Committee

What they consider to be their greatest accomplishment as an advocate during their involvement in Independent Living: Built a Disability Pride movement which includes CIL participation to highlight the local CILs, their services, and promote an influx of new consumer.

Skills, talents, and resources they would bring to the NCIL Board: Extensive work in community engagement through her own nonprofit, Disability Pride Pennsylvania. She builds community through social programming by bringing community members to the table to build a program/event that speaks and looks like the entire community. She uses her space to uplift others. Vicki understands that she does not need to be or should be the person speaking in a room, but also uses her privilege to open doors. She serves on boards and committees throughout PA talking about DEIA, and has been a guest speaker about working together, mentoring, disability, and DEIA.

Why they want to serve on the NCIL Board: She believes in DEIA principals and wants to help build a NCIL community that looks, feels, and welcomes all disability communities, especially ones that historically have been underserved or not served. Diversity is the look, Equity is the feel, Inclusion is the why, and Access welcomes everyone.

Nominator: Larissa Martin

Affiliation: Liberty Resources, Inc. (Philadelphia, PA)

Length of time they have been an individual member of NCIL: Two years.

NCIL Committees, Subcommittees or Task Forces they have served on: Rehabilitation Act Committee; Advocacy & Public Policy Committee; and now the CIL Capacity Committee

What they consider to be their greatest accomplishment as an advocate during their involvement in Independent Living: ADA litigation involving Public transit, ATM Access, Voting Machine and Polling Place Access, and also accessible affordable housing (FHAA).

Skills, talents, and resources they would bring to the NCIL Board: Enjoys coalition building, negotiating resolving problems, overcoming challenges, and individual and systems advocacy, and peaceful, non-violent civil disobedience.

Why they want to serve on the NCIL Board: Committed to IL as a PWD seeking reelection

Nominator: Jeff Hughes

Affiliation: Independent Resources, Inc. (Wilmington, DE)

Length of time they have been an individual member of NCIL: New member

NCIL Committees, Subcommittees or Task Forces they have served on: None

What they consider to be their greatest accomplishment as an advocate during their involvement in Independent Living: Utilizing her seat on the Governor’s Council for Housing and other State, County and local boards to ensure individuals with disabilities have a seat at the table.

Skills, talents, and resources they would bring to the NCIL Board: She has many skills, talents and resources. To name a few tech savvy, a business owner and much more. Well known in the State.

Why they want to serve on the NCIL Board: As the Executive Director of the largest CIL in Delaware, it opens up opportunities for greater collaborations and partnerships.

Nominator: Lillian Harrison

Affiliation: Access to Independence, Inc. (Madison, WI)

Length of time they have been an individual member of NCIL: 2 years, currently, and more as a previous member.

NCIL Committees, Subcommittees or Task Forces they have served on: Currently on: Advocacy and Public Policy Committee (Co-Chair); CIL Capacity Committee (Chair); Advocacy Subcommittees including (Housing, ADA / Civil Rights, and Healthcare); and formerly on: Executive Committee; Operational Excellence Committee (formerly the HR Committee – Chair); Subcommittees including: Conference Planning and Membership Recruitment; and appointed by the NCIL President to lead the Task Force that developed a new NCIL Mission Statement.

What they consider to be their greatest accomplishment as an advocate during their involvement in Independent Living: My greatest accomplishment as an advocate was my work on the Affordable Care Act, when serving as a Policy Analyst for NCIL. I was proud of the work I contributed to that final bill, which expanded Medicaid access, eliminated discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions, and even included a long-term services and supports provision (although it was scrapped during implementation), among many important provisions. I worked to educate and empower NCIL members to advocate for the bill’s provisions that most impacted people with disabilities. I also spent many hours on Capitol Hill, working with other disability partners. I am proud to have worked on behalf of NCIL members as part of this historic legislative effort.

Skills, talents, and resources they would bring to the NCIL Board: First, I am a person with mental health and substance use disabilities, and consider my lived experience an important part of what I bring to the board. I have also been a part of the IL movement for 20 years. In the last two years, I have been a very active member of the NCIL Board of Directors. I was first elected as Secretary, and led the Operational Excellence Committee (formerly the HR Committee. In the one year I served in that capacity, the committee helped develop and approve new organizational bylaws and personnel policies. The new bylaws were a significant step in implementing the new strategic plan passed in 2022. As part of the by-laws effort, I was appointed to lead a taskforce that developed a new NCIL mission statement. With the passage of the new bylaws in 2023 came the development of the new CIL Capacity-Building Committee that elevated the work of the long-standing Rehab Act Subcommittee, and expanded its scope. I was appointed by the NCIL President to lead the committee, and to fulfill that role, I resigned as Secretary and was appointed to a Member-at-Large position. Per the new By-laws, the CIL Capacity-Building Chair is also the Co-Chair of the Advocacy and Public Policy Committee, along with the NCIL Vice President. I have been able to use my experience working in a CIL for nearly 20 years, and my time as a Policy Analyst, to support NCIL’s advocacy and policy efforts. My experience in Independent Living began in 2004 when I was hired as an Independent Living Specialist for Independent Living Resources (of La Crosse, Wisconsin), in a rural branch office. I provided the array of services offered by a CIL for several years, and engaged in various systemic advocacy activities from long-term care reform, to state legislative candidate forums. From there, it was on to Washington, D.C., where I worked for NCIL as a Healthcare Policy Fellow, and soon moved into a Policy Analyst role, gaining an understanding of NCIL’s federal advocacy work, and impact, as well as the importance of educating and empowering the grassroots membership to be engaged in that work. Following my time in DC, I was hired as the Assistant Director for Access to Independence, the CIL in Madison, WI. In that role, which I held for 9 years, I led development and growth of programs and services offered by the CIL, which serves both urban and rural communities. I also built relationships with many community partners in the four-county service region to address access and inclusion. In 2019, I was hired as Executive Director of Access to Independence, and have led growth and visibility of the CIL in that time. One area I am very proud of has been directing the CIL to engage in equity and inclusion work. Access to Independence made significant investment with a local organization led and run by women of color who supported the CIL through a months-long process to develop and implement an equity roadmap. Equity work is a non-stop journey, and the roadmap is a multi-phased approach to improve the equity, inclusion, and intersectionality of the CIL – including the board, the staff, the people served, and community partners.  In addition to my work at Access to Independence, I also serve as Board Chair for the Wisconsin Coalition of Independent Living Centers (WCILC). WCILC has 100% membership of all eight CILs in Wisconsin, and I have led the state association through significant transition over the last five years. As Board Chair, I have supported the coalition to engage in its own equity and inclusion work. I also serve as a co-chair of the coalition’s long-term care and healthcare advocacy committee. Finally, I served for 2 years as the Center Director Rep for Wisconsin’s SILC, the Independent Living Council of WI (ILCW). In that role, I served on the executive committee, was involved in supporting the obligations of the SILC while it was without a staff member for nearly two years, and the hiring of a new staff person. I continue to be an active member of the SPIL development committee, and have led efforts to define and promote funding growth and equity among the 8 CILs in Wisconsin.

Why they want to serve on the NCIL Board: I want to continue use all of the experience and skills I have to further the work I have started as the Chair of the CIL Capacity Committee, and as Co-Chair of the Advocacy and Public Policy Committee. I want to generally support the growth and impact of NCIL, and ensure that equity and inclusion remain a focus throughout that growth and impact.

Nominator: Jason Beloungy

Affiliation: Spa Area Independent Living Services (Hot Springs, AR)

Length of time they have been an individual member of NCIL: 3 years individual, 18 years with CIL.

NCIL Committees, Subcommittees or Task Forces they have served on: Currently Member At-Large on NCIL Board, LTSS / Healthcare; and ADA / Civil Rights Subcommittees.

What they consider to be their greatest accomplishment as an advocate during their involvement in Independent Living: Creating a Health & Wellness Program at SAILS, involvement with civil disobedience and fighting for disability rights & justice.

Skills, talents, and resources they would bring to the NCIL Board: Amy has worked for her local CIL (SAILS) for 18 years, since the age of 19. She has held every position, created programs, and is currently serving as Co-Executive Director.  She has two years of board experience. Leadership skills, lived experience as a person with mental health disabilities, experience in working with unhoused individuals with disabilities.

Why they want to serve on the NCIL Board: Amy has served on the NCIL board for two years and wants to continue to serve. She is passionate about disability rights and advocacy, and wants to continue to make a meaningful impact in the lives of people with disabilities.

Nominator: LeDante Walker

Affiliation: Independence Associates (East Bridgewater, MA)

Length of time they have been an individual member of NCIL: 4-5 years

NCIL Committees, Subcommittees or Task Forces they have served on: Region 1 Leadership Committee, and ADA / Civil Rights Subcommittee.

What they consider to be their greatest accomplishment as an advocate during their involvement in Independent Living: Andrew considers his greatest accomplishments to be contributing to the NCIL advocacy efforts, and becoming a youth consumer Board member at Independence Associates (his home CIL).

Skills, talents, and resources they would bring to the NCIL Board: Andrew will bring his determination, knowledge of the IL network in MA, and passion for advocacy to the IL Board.

Why they want to serve on the NCIL Board: Andrew believes the youth presence is an important for NCIL’s mission, and his passion for NCIL’s work will contribute to the Board.

Nominator: Aliza Levine; Mark Lewis; Jim Ward; Steve Higgins

Affiliation: North Carolina Statewide Independent Living Council (Waxhaw, NC)

Length of time they have been an individual member of NCIL: I have been a member of NCIL since February 13, 2024.

NCIL Committees, Subcommittees or Task Forces they have served on: Since I am a new member, I have not served on any NCIL Committees, Subcommittees or Task Forces yet, however, if elected, I would take this opportunity to get fully engaged and join a few in which I am most passionate.

What they consider to be their greatest accomplishment as an advocate during their involvement in Independent Living: I serve as a Governor-appointed Councilmember on the Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Statewide Independent Living Council. On these respective councils, I work diligently to protect the rights of and improve services for people with disabilities. I advance the elimination of societal barriers, promote equity and inclusion, and ensure that North Carolina is accessible to people of all abilities. I believe that if we as a society are purposeful in eliminating barriers and creating a more equitable and accessible world, then people with disabilities can live as independently as those without. To be appointed to not only one but two state councils by the Governor of the State of North Carolina where I can advocate for people like myself is one of the greatest accomplishments of my career so far, to have the trust and confidence of the Governor to serve and advocate for the people.

Skills, talents, and resources they would bring to the NCIL Board: I am a dedicated community leader and passionate public servant with a demonstrated history of working for and volunteering with municipal, county, and state government and nonprofit organizations. As one of the youngest appointed public officials throughout North Carolina, I have steadfastly served the people of my community, representing my generation while simultaneously helping improve the community for all residents. Therefore, I feel obligated to be in the room as an advocate and take what actions I can today to be a positive force for planned progress in my community for tomorrow within the various capacities in which I serve. I have cultivated a substantial record of service, which reflects my dedication and my willingness to put service above self. I have consistently shown up and have done the work, advocating for the folks who call my community home.

Why they want to serve on the NCIL Board: As a leader, I want to ensure that communities are well-equipped to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to prosper for generations to come and that folks of all demographics are welcome and can live, work, and play in their respective communities. When making decisions that will affect everyone, I strive to ensure we collaborate and that we are being inclusive of everyone, that everyone has a seat at the table, and that everyone’s needs are met. I want everyone in the community to have the opportunity not just to survive but to thrive. I believe the community thrives when we collaborate with folks with different lived experiences and backgrounds. We can shape the future of the community and create a vibrant and inclusive environment we all aspire to live in. If elected, this is what I will strive to do and advocate for and provide my generation with leadership and representation to ensure these ideals are met.

Nominator: Michael Evola

Affiliation: Western New York Independent Living (Buffalo, NY)

Length of time they have been an individual member of NCIL: 12 years

NCIL Committees, Subcommittees or Task Forces they have served on: Regional Representatives Committee, Chair Membership Recruitment & Retention Committee, Finance Committee

What they consider to be their greatest accomplishment as an advocate during their involvement in Independent Living: Believes their greatest accomplishment to be bringing new advocates into the movement and encouraging individual storytelling as a mechanism to create change.

Skills, talents, and resources they would bring to the NCIL Board: More than 18 years of experience in the Independent Living Movement as well as more than 8 years in CIL and Nonprofit leadership.  Aaron brings excellent collaboration and strategic planning experience as well as a progressive view of advocacy and service delivery.

Why they want to serve on the NCIL Board: Believes in the mission of NCIL and the national Independent Living movement as well as bringing this movement together with other national allied movements in the Civil and Human Rights sphere.

Nominator: Aaron Baier

Affiliation: SILC TN (Jackson, TN)

Length of time they have been an individual member of NCIL: 1 year.

NCIL Committees, Subcommittees or Task Forces they have served on: DEAI

What they consider to be their greatest accomplishment as an advocate during their involvement in Independent Living: Being able account ambassador and helping to facilitate the Age Adjustment Act.

Skills, talents, and resources they would bring to the NCIL Board: Reliable, resourceful, tech savvy.

Why they want to serve on the NCIL Board: The reason why would like to serve on the board is to bring fresh perspectives from my lived experience, as well as having a unique perspective of working in different industries before landing in the nonprofit realm.

Nominator: Theo Braddy

Affiliation: None (Clinton, OK)

Length of time they have been an individual member of NCIL: 2 years.

NCIL Committees, Subcommittees or Task Forces they have served on: None

What they consider to be their greatest accomplishment as an advocate during their involvement in Independent Living: Independent life experience.

Skills, talents, and resources they would bring to the NCIL Board: Great communication skills.

Why they want to serve on the NCIL Board: Help others achieve full independence.

Nominator: Greg Colvin

Affiliation: Summit Independent Living (Missoula, MT)

Length of time they have been an individual member of NCIL: Since 2022

NCIL Committees, Subcommittees or Task Forces they have served on: Previous experience as Region 8 Representative when in IL position 2010-2017.

What they consider to be their greatest accomplishment as an advocate during their involvement in Independent Living: Being an authentic leader to CIL staff to remain rooted in IL mission and history.

Skills, talents, and resources they would bring to the NCIL Board: Been in IL since 2006 been ED at 3 of Montana’s 4 CILs have extensive experience in employment law and have Master in Human Resource Management I have done work with many CIL across the county mentoring for personnel management and board relations.

Why they want to serve on the NCIL Board: Our region is underserved I have access to and many collaborative relationships already built.

Nominator: Tami Hoar

Affiliation: None (Salida, CO)

Length of time they have been an individual member of NCIL: 10 years.

NCIL Committees, Subcommittees or Task Forces they have served on: Transportation, ADA / Civil Rights and Housing

What they consider to be their greatest accomplishment as an advocate during their involvement in Independent Living: Vice Chair for the Colorado SILC for 3 years starting in 2022.

Skills, talents, and resources they would bring to the NCIL Board: Scott will bring self advocacy, resources and other organizations to NCIL.

Why they want to serve on the NCIL Board: Scott has been a member of NCIL and served on NCIL’s subcommittees for 10 years.

Nominator: Scott Lindbloom

Affiliation: Disability Empowerment Center (Seattle, WA)

Length of time they have been an individual member of NCIL: I have been a NCIL individual member for 10+ years.

NCIL Committees, Subcommittees or Task Forces they have served on: Housing, Advocacy & Public Policy, Executive, ADA / Civil Rights.

What they consider to be their greatest accomplishment as an advocate during their involvement in Independent Living: I consider my greatest accomplishment during my involvement with IL the advocacy work I have been doing I have been doing with the disability community in King County, WA. During the pandemic, I co-founded the King County Disability Consortium (KCDC) to address the inequities in COVID resources. The KCDC is still active and hosts monthly meetings to organize continued advocacy efforts. We have been focused on promoting disability access, equity and inclusion in all of King County’s programs and services. This group has grown from 30 organizations to over 70 individual advocates and organizations. In partnership with KCDC, I co-authored a strategic report “Still left out after 30 years, King County is failing the disability community”. The county is currently using that report as a roadmap in futures planning for equity and inclusion.

Skills, talents, and resources they would bring to the NCIL Board: Developing partnerships, research, leadership, knowledge of ADA and other related disability laws, active participation in boards and workgroups, enthusiasm and excitement.

Why they want to serve on the NCIL Board: I want to continue to serve on the NCIL board because I want to be part of the strategic changes NCIL is making. I love to use my skills and talents to continue to work towards inclusion and equity.

Nominator: Kimberly Meck