April 15, 2018 to April 17, 2018
New Orleans, Louisiana
Converge: verb | con·verge | kən-ˈvərj |
To come together and unite in a common interest or focus.
In 2018, the ANCOR community of member agencies, our partners, and our allies will Converge in the Big Easy to cultivate unique partnerships for creative solutions; to weave community networks and resources to enhance the quality services and supports we provide for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD); to make an indelible impact in our collective national advocacy; and to motivate, nurture, and inspire each other.
Together, we have a stake in building opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. So, join us on April 15 – 17, 2018 at the Sheraton in New Orleans. Hear the latest developments from subject matter experts, learn from your peers, and leverage our diverse community to create new opportunities.
Visit this site frequently for schedule and session updates.
Fees
Sheraton New Orleans
d cancellations occur within the ANCOR group block at the discounted group rate.
Dr. Pritpal S. Tamber is the Co-Founder and CEO of Bridging Health & Community, a Seattle-based nonprofit aiming to transform how we approach health so that it goes beyond health care and public health to include fostering the agency of a community - its collective ability to make purposeful choices. He is the former Physician Editor of TEDMED and began his career as an editor at the British Medical Journal.
Dan Habib is the creator of the award-winning documentary films 
Erica Anderson is the Senior Director of the Disability Network Business Acumen Center at the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD). Previously, she worked at the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and at a FIDE-SNP in Wisconsin in managed care operations.
Carrie Arnold is the Chief Human Resources Officer for Sunshine Communities in Maumee, OH. Sunshine is a non-profit agency that serves individuals with developmental disabilities. Carrie has been in HR since 1994 and with Sunshine since 2012. She has a Bachelor's degree and MBA from the University of Toledo.
Robert Baker has been with Keystone Human Services (KHS) for 10 years and serves as Vice President of KHS and the President and CEO of two subsidiaries: Keystone Service Systems and Keystone Autism Services. He is responsible for approximately $130 million in programming including a full range of intellectual disability, mental health, autism, and children’s services.
Claire Benway has 15 years of experience working residential, vocational and clinical settings. She, training and technical assistance in the areas of competency based training, organizational design, person-centered practices, and workforce development. She is a Person-Centered Thinking Trainer, holds a Master’s Degree and enjoys incorporating fun into all her training.
Dr. Laura Brackin, CEO of Brackin and Associates, is a national disability expert with 30 years of experience in the field. Her experience includes leading Louisiana’s Developmental Disabilities Office, the University Center for Excellence in DD’s Community Development Program; and Executive Director for Louisiana Governor’s Office of Disability Affairs.
John Butterworth is the Director of Employment Systems Change and Evaluation at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at UMass Boston. With over 35 years of experience, he manages projects on employment support, transition, and state systems change including Access to Integrated Employment and the State Employment Leadership Network.
Richard Davis, M.S.W., is a Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). Richard works across government agencies to align policy in support of competitive, integrated employment. He has primary responsibility for several Federal policy initiatives, including the Employment First State Leadership Mentoring Program.
Chris Devine is the Director of Human Resources and joined the St. Louis Arc in 2015. Her previous experience of 28 years was in Healthcare and Manufacturing. She obtained her B.S. in Business Administration from Lindenwood University.
Donna Elbrecht has been in leadership positions for disability service organizations for more than 25 years. Her work in Iowa and Indiana has been focused on creating innovative community-based services and supports for people with disabilities. She has provided training, consultation and presentations on managing change, program growth strategies, strategic planning, developing corporate partnerships, crisis management, and marketing vocational services. 
Josef Farkaschek is a consumer with UCP Seguin and saw his long term goal come true when he purchased his own home in the community he aspired to live in and is being supported with total natural supports.
Amanda Faulkner is the Executive Director of a nonprofit that provides services for individuals experiencing developmental disabilities in Alaska. Amanda has been in the special education field for over 16 years and involved with FCS since 2002 when she was hired as a Developmental Specialist for the Infant Learning Program.
Genevieve Fitzgibbon has devoted her career to the community inclusion of people with disability. She has over two decades of experience in the development of innovative supports for people with intellectual disability, autism, and those who use mental health services. She is currently focused on Keystone International’s newest initiatives in India.
Dr. Robert Fletcher is the Founder and CEO-Emeritus of the NADD. His vision and leadership have brought NADD to a position where it is recognized as the world’s leading organization in providing educational resources, conferences, trainings, consultation services, as well as accreditation and certification programs in the field of dual diagnosis.
Doug Golub, President of MediSked, LLC, has over 15 years of experience delivering innovative technology solutions to the human services industry. Through understanding what is possible with technology, Golub is constantly fostering ways to improve workflows, impacting quality of care and adapting to regulatory changes. Golub holds a Masters of Information Systems from RIT.
John Graham has worked with agencies to design solutions made to meet their unique and complex needs for over 25 years. As CEO, John has partnered with providers throughout the U.S. to deliver the most cost-effective and affordable solutions that result in reduced payroll costs, increased productivity, and compliance with state and DOL regulations.
Alfonso “Al” Guida is the President and CEO of Guide Consulting Services, a boutique government relations firm primarily serving nonprofits to advance and defend social issues. Previously, Al served as Executive Director of the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign. Prior to the Campaign, Al was Senior Vice President for Government Relations and Public Policy at the National Mental Health Association.
Charles J. Hooker, III is the President and CEO of Keystone Human Services, a global provider of services and supports for people with intellectual disability, autism, and psychosocial disability, currently in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, the Republic of Moldova, and India. Mr. Hooker also is the Chair of ANCOR’s International Council.
Nikki Jones leads employee training and engagement initiatives at the St. Louis Arc. Nikki joined the Arc in 2009 and prior to that managed programs and trained employees at the YMCA. Nikki earned her masters degree from Ball State University in 2005 and demonstrates passion and enthusiasm in her work.
Rie Kennedy-Lizotte is the Director of Employment Policy at NASDDDS and directs NASDDDS work in the State Employment Leadership Network, in partnership with ICI. With over 30 years in the field, she has served in the Georgia Office of Developmental Disabilities, Lehigh County Pennsylvania Developmental Disability Agency, and Via of the Lehigh Valley (PA).
George Klauser is a proud father of an adult daughter with disabilities. He has 10+ years of non-profit leadership experience, supporting people with goals to live their dreams and desires in housing and employment opportunities. George has now dedicated his career to developing new service models that integrate medical/social service models.
Barb Kleist has 30 years of experience as a Direct Support Professional, policy advocate and mediator. Her work at the UofM includes workforce development, state and federal policy influencing person centered practices and positive behavior support, and community living. She holds a Masters of Education and Juris Doctorate.
Amie Lulinski has been in the field since 1995, serving in roles ranging from Direct Support Professional to Director of Research and Evaluation at The Arc of the US. She has a PhD in Disability Studies from University of Illinois at Chicago and beginning July 1, 2018 will serve on the board of AAIDD.
Dr. Patricia Lyons has 30 years of experience advocating on behalf of vulnerable populations. Dr. Lyons’ research interest is in the intersection of health promotion and education to health outcomes within minority communities. Dr. Lyons span of work has been committed to identification of disparities and equitable access to care.
Cindy Mahan established Friendship Community Care (FCC) in 1972. She has served as CEO for over 45 years and developed FCC Statewide systems which provides a comprehensive array of services for children and adults with developmental disabilities. Ms. Mahan serves as an adviser in the development of the provider-led Arkansas Shared Savings Entity (PASSE).
Dr. Ludmila Malcoci has over 20 years experience in the development and implementation of programs related to community development, the social protection and inclusion of vulnerable groups, inclusive education, and public health. She has worked as consultant for organizations including World Bank, USAID, UNICEF, UNDP, Soros Foundation, and the European Commission.
Dr. Lisa Mathis has spent over a decade overseeing, improving and expanding employment, residential, adult day, and children services for a comprehensive provider in NW Arkansas. She has also written and coauthored several disability focused publications. Dr. Mathis ensures CERIIDD’s work operates efficiently to maximize the impact on the lives of people with IDD.
Edward R. Matthews has worked in the developmental disabilities field since 1974, beginning his career as a school psychologist. During his tenure with the NY Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, he directed the team responsible for the acquisition of all residential and day program sites to implement the deinstitutionalization of Willowbrook, Staten Island, Letchworth and Westchester Developmental Centers.
Joe Mengoni -VP of Residential Services, UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago has served three decades operating group homes, leading federal grant programs while offering financial support for organizations and individuals to purchase homes. Known for creativity being his strongest attribute, Joe drives consumers to their own level of independent success.
Sean Murray is a product manager at MediSked, LLC, with a passion for improving quality of services and systems through technology. As a digital usability and user experience professional in the human services world, Murray is dedicated to identifying opportunities for innovation using data and analytics
Precious Myers-Brown, Regional Director for DC/MD, St. John's Community Services, moved to the Washington DC area from NYC to pursue professional goals. She studied psychology and organizational leadership at SUNY New Paltz and Nyack College. She has over 25 years of supporting people with disabilities to live their best lives. Precious uses her passion for promoting a workforce that understands their value in helping those dreams.
Patricia Nobbie, Ph.D. is a Disability Policy Engagement Director on the Federal Affairs Team at Anthem Inc., where she is part of the stakeholder and advocate engagement team. Pat previously worked at ACL, the US Senate, and the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities. She is a parent of a young woman with Down Syndrome, Mia, who lives and is employed successfully in Athens, GA.
Deb Rasmusson is the Chief Program Officer at Sunshine Communities. Deb has worked for Sunshine for the past 33 years in a variety of positions. Currently, she oversees the program office including residential, vocational, clinical, admissions and nursing programs. Deb has a Bachelors degree from OSU and JD from UT.
Destree Rudolph has served in the field of disability services since 1999. She earned her Master of Science degree in rehabilitation counseling from Western Oregon University in 2014, and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. She is a working therapist, specializing in mental health counseling with people with disabilities.
Ali Sayer directs the research/data collection/survey studies at EconSys. He holds multiple master’s degrees in Operations Research/Applied Statistics and Economics. He has conducted numerous studies in the disability area ranging from evaluating VA's Disability Compensation Program to providing program management support to DOL/Office of Disability Employment Policy's Employment First Initiative.
Stephanie Scott oversees efforts to improve quality of services at the St. Louis Arc, including CQL accreditation. She has worked to build capacity for internal evaluation, develop systems for information and data sharing, and implement an agency-wide Quality Enhancement Plan. In 2014, Stephanie was recognized as an ANCOR’s Emerging Leaders.
Katy Stafford-Cunningham is Executive Vice President of Public Policy, Technical Assistance and External Operations at INARF, the Indiana association for service providers. She has been with INARF for three years and focuses mainly on Governmental Affairs as the Association’s registered state lobbyist, as well as the Ability Indiana program, Indiana’s State Use program that partners with State agencies to employ individuals with disabilities.
Debbie Stehling has twenty years’ experience supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and developing new programs. Debbie serves on the Arkansas Waiver Association Board of Directors. Debbie has been intensely involved in the transformation of the Provider Led Model of organized healthcare, for persons with IDD and behavioral healthcare needs.
Don Tebbe is a consultant on nonprofit leadership succession. Since 1993 he has helped over 100 nonprofits manage CEO and other senior leadership transitions, and dozens of others prepare leadership succession and organizational sustainability plans. In addition to numerous articles, Don is the author of award-winning BoardSource book, Chief Executive Transitions: How to Hire & Support a Nonprofit CEO and a new book, The Nonprofit CEO Succession Roadmap: Your Guide for the Journey to Life’s Next Chapter.
Christine Touvelle has seven years of experience with individuals with I/DD. Ms. Touvelle leads the implementation of CERIIDD’s business intelligence tools and data visualization, assists with data analysis, and leads the authoring of CERIIDD’s Data Briefs.
Barb Turner is the Sr. Director of External Affairs for ARRM. Barb has worked for over 30 years in the disability field, 10 years at ARRM. Barb has promoted using technology in providing services, including drafting legislation, working on rate setting issues, and providing technical assistance to ARRM members.
Laura Vegas, Project Director for MCO Business Acumen for the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disability Services (NASDDDS), has more than 24 years of experience in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Previously, Laura was the Director of Employment and Community First CHOICES and Select Community for BlueCross/BlueShield of TN and Assistant Commissioner for Policy and Innovation for the TN Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Che Walker has 20 years of experience working in the field of IDD in Oregon. He is an LPC eligible to practice in the State of Oregon. Che has held many positions related to the support of individuals experiencing co-occurring/comorbid disorders, and is often considered an "expert" throughout the state.
Thomas “Tom” Wilds is a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for ODEP at the U.S. Dept. of Labor. In 2014 he retired after 33 years as CEO/President of St. John’s Community Services, a historic non-profit agency that provided both direct services and advocacy for people living with disabilities in DC, PA, NJ, TN, and VA. He was inducted into the ANCOR Legacy Leaders Circle in 2014.
Cherie Young, Staffing and Training Coordinator at St. John's Community Services, has immersed herself in supporting the DMV and Delaware areas as a Training Coordinator for over a decade. In that decade, she has embraced her role as manager of over 400 employees, providing trainings and orientations annually using her zest for people as her driving force.
ANCOR welcomes our Direct Support Professionals (DSP) to the 2018 Annual Conference! ANCOR is keenly aware of the critical role that our Direct Support workforce play in providing services and supports for people with disabilities to live, work, and thrive in their communities. To support the professional growth of our DSP workforce, ANCOR is pleased to continue to offer a deeply discounted conference rate to enable leadership teams to bring their DSP staff with them to attend the ANCOR Annual Conference.