Previous Team Member Spotlights
Patrice A. Beard
Mental Health and Data Integration Specialist
Center for Family Involvement
What is your role at the Partnership?
I am the Mental Health and NCI Project and Training Specialist
How long have you been at the Partnership?
11 years
What does your job entail?
As the mental health specialist, I offer emotional support and resources to families who are living with mental health conditions. I serve on several statewide behavioral health advisory boards where I offer the family perspective. In addition, I oversee interviewer quality assurance and training for the National Core Indicators (NCI) projects, where we interview adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities, older adults and people with physical disabilities across the state of Virginia.
What do you like best about your job?
Having the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life.
What is one thing you would like for everyone to know about the Partnership?
Our common goal is working together to give the best support to families and people with lived experience.
How do you define success?
Making a difference in someone’s life and giving someone hope.
What inspires you?
When I’m able to offer support to someone and know that it’s made an impact on their lives.
What is one new thing you learned in the last month?
It’s never too late to learn new things!
What are three things that are important to you?
- Taking time for myself
- My family
- Being empathetic
Crystal R. Bell, Ed.D
Secondary Program Specialist
What inspired you to work in the disability field, and what keeps you motivated? It's a combination of my personality, childhood, and early career experiences. As an only child, I always had to go out and make friends, so, somehow I became the protector of those who were left out or overlooked, I would actually seek out people to make them feel included. Additionally, two of my aunt’s were foster caregivers of adults with autism when I was a child. This experience growing gave me a first-hand understanding of how beautifully nuanced people can be. In undergrad, I was pre-med, but quickly realized how much I hated it, so as an early graduate I was quite lost on where I wanted my career to go until a good friend of mine, who was a middle school principal at the time, offered me a part time job as a paraprofessional. I fell in love immediately and I’ve never looked back. So for two years, I worked full time and completed my Master’s. When I graduated, in the same classroom that I was a paraprofessional in, I became the teacher. What keeps me motivated is looking around and seeing many children who look like me identified for special education and hoping that in some small way, I can do my part to change those outcomes.
Can you share a memorable moment in your career that had a significant impact on you or the individuals you serve?Wow, there are so many. One year, I had a self-contained math class with 10 boys. Several of my students passed the SOL, I know scores aren’t everything, but this moment made me realize that I was having an impact.
What is one misconception about your role or the disability field that you would like to clarify? I think there’s a misconception that we can solve all of the problems for a school. While it is humbling and flattering that people have that much faith in us, we are all working within systems, some parts we can directly influence, and others we have to accept.
How do you approach creating inclusive environments or supporting accessibility in your work? Creating an environment that is inclusive cannot be an afterthought. I’m honestly still growing in this area, but I notice that when I try to think about who could be in my audience or who I’m working with from the onset, it’s much easier.
What skills or qualities do you feel are most important in serving the disability community? Having an open mind, compassion
What is a recent project or initiative you are proud of, and how did it benefit those you work with? Over the summer, I sat down with 4 other colleagues to try to predict what would be needed for this school year. We landed on providing workshops on specially designed instruction. It was intense. We had think tank sessions pouring out every idea in our heads, we disagreed, we challenged each other, we thought hard and left 4-5 hour sessions with our heads hurting, but at the end of all of it, we produced an amazing workshop presentation that we have been presenting everywhere and it just reminded me that all of that deep work was worth it. Also, I was able to work with two colleagues that I rarely get an opportunity to work with on a transition presentation that spans the whole child (early childhood to post-secondary) and that was really cool to do.
How do you stay informed and continue learning about best practices in the disability field? You have to remain hungry and try to remain proactive, while we often have to respond to the needs of people we serve, it's a good thing to create a habit and rhythm of proactive learning. I also try to make it a point to reach out to people to make and foster connections. I meet regularly with colleagues to discuss and reflect on the learning that I’m consuming.
What is one thing you wish more people understood about individuals with disabilities? Everyone of us is incredibly unique, individuals with disabilities are nuanced. Ultimately though, we often all want a lot of the same things out of life including autonomy, independence, love, community, purpose, and meaningful work among other things.
How has working in the disability field changed your perspective or influenced your personal growth? Working in this field has opened my mind to how privileged I am, even as a person who identifies as a part of a minoritized group. It has influenced me to speak up for myself and others.
What advice would you give to someone starting a career in the disability field? Try not to lose your wonder and hunger to learn more, when you start feeling stagnant, find something new to explore that can contribute to helping make people’s lives better. Also, do something with what you learned as soon as possible, this is the best way to make sure that you don’t become stuffed with information that never goes anywhere. Also, it’s cliche, but never forget why you’re doing this work, check in with that often and regularly.
Nickie Brandenburger
Director, Family to Family Network
What is your role at the Partnership?
I am the Director of the Family to Family Network and Co-Director of the Center for Family Involvement
How long have you been at the Partnership?
Since 2015
What does your job entail?
Supporting families of children and adults with disabilities through emotional support and systems navigation.
What do you like best about your job?
Our team members have a wide variety of experience and knowledge supporting families. We learn so much from each other.
What is one thing you would like for everyone to know about the Partnership?
Collaboration involves forging meaningful partnerships with others, and our organization, the Partnership for People with Disabilities, embodies this very principle in its name.
How do you define success?
Success, for me, is when the parent of a child/adult becomes self-sufficient in their advocacy. I know I've done well if they no longer need my help because that means they have the tools they need to advocate for their child. If they continue asking about the same issue, I know that I need to adjust my approach.
What inspires you?
Accountability. It allows people to understand what is expected of them and take responsibility.
What is one step that everyone can take to foster inclusiveness?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Curiosity is the antidote to complacency.
Jackie B. Robinson Brock
Program Specialist
What is your role at the Partnership?
I have a number of roles at the Partnership. I am the new Early Childhood Content Team leader. I work on a number of grants related to early childhood and health as a director. A lot of the early childhood grants that I work on are related to infant and early childhood mental health. I also serve as the Assistant Director of Virginia LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities). Last but not least I also work on a project that addresses abuse of adults with disabilities.
How long have you been at the Partnership?
I started working at the Partnership in 2011 as a masters of social work student. The Partnership was my masters field placement so I was there for the fall and spring semester. When I graduated in 2012 I started working on the I-CAN! Accessibility Project which is a partnership between the school of social work and the Partnership. In 2013 the Partnership was awarded a large grant for early childhood professional development and I was brought in as the Director of that project. I have been here ever since!
What does your job entail?
Every day is a little different depending on the needs of the projects that I work on. As a director I am responsible for mapping out project timelines, making sure that we meet the funders deliverables, overseeing staff, meeting with stakeholders, and implementing the various aspects of the program.
What do you like best about your job?
I love that the work we do at the partnership is centered in the needs of the community. The staff at the Partnership are talented, dedicated, and an overall wonderful people!
What is one thing you would like for everyone to know about the Partnership?
We are engaged in so many different amazing projects that serve children, families, and adults with disabilities. Much of the work we do is prevention oriented like training and providing the community with resources to better meet the needs of people with disabilities.
How do you define success?
Being able to influence systems change and make the world a more equitable place for people with disabilities and their family members.
What inspires you?
I am inspired by people who think outside of the box to find ways to address problems.
What is one new thing you learned in the last month?
Children with disabilities experience homelessness at a greater rate than children without disabilities.
What is one step that everyone can take to foster inclusiveness?
Find ways to include people with lived experiences in all aspects of the work that I do at the Partnership.
Richard Chapman, Ph.D.
Assistant Director for Disability Leadership
What is your role at the Partnership?
I am the Assistant Director for The Center for Disability Leadership at The Partnership for People with Disabilities.
How long have you been at the Partnership?
I have been at the Partnership since July 2022.
What does your job entail?
I think I have the best role in the partnership. I get to amplify the voices of persons with disabilities. My role entails the voices of persons with disabilities all listened to in our various projects. I help coordinate The Center for Disability Leadership at the partnership. I am involved in various projects that promote self-determination for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
What do you like best about your job?
Opportunity I have to collaborate with an incredible team at the Partnership.
What is one thing you would like for everyone to know about the Partnership?
We are committed to improving the lives of persons with disabilities and their families.
How do you define success?
Success is defined as making any meaningful contribution to society.
What is one new thing you learned in the last month?
I am participating in a new customized employment training as part of a project I am involved with.
What are three things that are important to you?
Family, the inclusion of persons with disabilities, and my friends
Erin Croyle
Communications Specialist
Center for Family Involvement
What is your role at the Partnership?
Communications Specialist at the Center for Family Involvement.
How long have you been at the Partnership?
Nearly a decade!
What does your job entail?
Utilizing all forms of media to reach individuals with disabilities and their families. The Center for Family Involvement provides informational and emotional support to anyone who needs it. We're constantly sharing what we're doing along with the work of our community partners. We promote our Family to Family Network which provides one on one support, matching trained staff and volunteers with similar lived experiences. I also collaborate with colleagues at the Partnership so we can share the amazing research and work being done here.
My communications colleagues and I are constantly changing our outgoing messaging based on data, trends, and analytics. We use social media, websites, podcasts, and more. Where and how we access information is always evolving, and we change our strategies to meet folks where they are.
What do you like best about your job?
So many things. Big picture - creating content that validates both how hard and beautiful our existence is. Having a disability, caring for someone with a disability in a world where ableism is so embedded - it helps to know we're not alone in our struggles. More specifically, I am loving hosting our podcast, The Odyssey: Parenting. Caregiving. Disability. There are so many powerful stories to share. I wish I could do an episode every week!
What is one thing you would like for everyone to know about the Partnership?
Everything. The Partnership is doing groundbreaking work to improve the lives of people with disabilities and the communities we live in. Choosing just one aspect of all that amazingness is impossible for a communications person to answer.
How do you define success?
I don't. Not anymore, at least. I'm old enough to know that conventional definitions of success are largely based on luck. Life is hard.
When you have a child or children with disabilities, your wishes, hopes, and dreams change drastically. I'm lucky to be surrounded by people who love me. I feel content most of the time. I suppose that's success.
What inspires you?
My children. Their insight, innovation, resilience, and love for those around them is inspiring. They challenge me to be better every day. And they forgive me when I fall short.
What is one new thing you learned in the last month?
If someone mistakes nail polish for lipstick and slathers it all over their mouth, you can remove it with apple cider vinegar (or any vinegar, but apple cider is prefered). Follow up with an exfoliating lip scrub and hydrating balm and you are good to go! :)
What is one step that everyone can take to foster inclusiveness?
Try stepping out of your own existence and look at the world from the perspective of someone who is disabled. Imagine moving through your day with physical, mental, and/or emotional obstacles and roadblocks. Universal implementation of universal design for living and learning is, unfortunately, a long way off. Think about how we can demolish those roadblocks in our infrastructure and our mindsets.
Charles Daniel
IT Manager
What is your role at the Partnership?
My role is to manage the Partnership technology and provide technology support to all staff. I am the Partnerships technology department all rolled up into one.
How long have you been at the Partnership?
I have been with the Partnership for 25 years.
What does your job entail?
My job entails providing technical support for computers, printers, network infrastructure, and anything else involving technology.
What do you like best about your job?
Solving technical problems and constant learning. The satisfaction that comes from diagnosing and solving complex technical issues can be very rewarding. The technology field is dynamic and ever-evolving, which means there are always new tools, systems, and technologies to learn.
What is one thing you would like for everyone to know about the Partnership?
I would like for everyone to know that the Partnership is a great place to work and the work they do is very special.
How do you define success?
Success can be defined in various ways, depending on the context and perspective. Broadly, it refers to the achievement of a set goal or the attainment of prosperity, status, or fame. However, the nuances of success can differ significantly based on individual values, societal norms, and specific objectives. Success for me was when I achieved my MSIS degree this past Fall semester.
What inspires you?
My family inspires me and I am inspired by the accomplishments of others.
What is one new thing you learned in the last month?
I learned how to plant a Fern.
What is one step that everyone can take to foster inclusiveness?
One step that everyone can take to foster inclusiveness is to practice active listening. This involves attentively listening to others, especially those from different backgrounds, cultures, or communities, with the intention of genuinely understanding their experiences and perspectives.
Molly Dellinger-Wray
Program Specialist/Community Supports
Positive Behavior Supports and Abuse and Neglect
Project LEAP- Leadership for Empowerment and Abuse Prevention
Project CHAT- Communication and Health Advocacy Training
Traumatic Brain Injury - TBI Project
What is your role at the Partnership?
I work on several grants: Positive Behavior Support, LEAP (Leadership for Empowerment and Abuse Prevention), CHAT (Communication and Health Advocacy Training), and a Traumatic Brain Injury Project. I like CHAT and LEAP because I have an opportunity to work directly with people with IDD and I have learned a lot from them! I also lead a network for the Association for Positive Behavior Support called Home and Community PBS, which is really interesting and fun.
How long have you been at the Partnership?
I think I am the old timer here! I worked at the Partnership when it was established and became VIDD in the 1980s. I stopped working full-time here for 12 years but was lucky enough to work part-time on a respite project for a few hours while I was home with my kids.
What does your job entail?
Every day is different. It seems like lately I’ve been doing a lot of webinars about person-centered health and healthy relationships. We are currently revising the entire PBS curriculum to teach people how to provide services to people whose behavior is challenging to others.
What do you like best about your job?
I think that everyone here really works hard to make lives better for people with disabilities and if we recognize an unmet need, we will work hard to address it. I feel really good about that.
What is one thing you would like for everyone to know about the Partnership?
I would like others to know that we are a non-profit organization that does excellent work that is solely funded by grants and contracts. We would gratefully accept small donations from individuals who value our efforts!
How do you define success?
I like looking at evidence-based data. If there has been an improvement in someone’s learning or understanding based upon something that I have said or done, that’s success!
What inspires you?
When I look at the statistics of the children and adults who experience abuse, I feel very inspired to do something that could help prevent it. Many of the participants of LEAP training have told me how much the training has helped them and I feel like it’s very important to get as many people to participate in it as possible.
What is one new thing you learned in the last month?
I have had to do a lot of work on an Excel sheet and I’m learning better about all of the functions of that.
What are three things that are important to you?
- Helping everyone to have healthy relationships in their lives
- Maintaining relationships with people I have known over the years in many different facets of my life
- Helping people who are marginalized be heard and recognized.
Kayla Diggs Brody
Project Manager
What is your role at the Partnership?
Project Manager on projects relating to quality improvement and health related projects.
How long have you been at the Partnership?
I started working at the Partnership in October 2013, almost 10 years!
What does your job entail?
Data management
Developing processes to meet project deliverables
Troubleshooting when these processes do not work
Planning for future projects
What do you like best about your job?
I love the people I work with because everyone is willing to lend support and advice if called upon. I also appreciate the variety in the types of things I am able to work on. I get to be creative, analytical, inventive and social. It’s nice to be able to put on a different “hat” each day.
What is one thing you would like for everyone to know about the Partnership?
Everyone working at the Partnership is committed to improving or enhancing the lives of people with disabilities and their families. We all want to make some kind of impact whether it be directly with someone or on the systems and organizations that support people.
How do you define success?
I would probably split this into personal and project related. Project related success is defined as meeting the goals and objectives of the project and aligning them with the mission and vision of the Partnership. Personally, I would define success as knowing that I’ve done my best or created a product to my personal set of standards, which some say are too high, but that’s probably true for a lot of folks.
What inspires you?
What a tough question! When others don’t up give up because it’s hard. Seeing others determination will always make me want to do better or try harder.
What’s one new thing you learned in the last month?
I learned a really cool function that allows you to merge multiple Excel sheets together based on one common factor.
What are three things that are important to you?
Professionally: working efficiently, collaborating with others and creating a community, developing products that add to the positive reputation at the Partnership
Personally: my family (including my 2 dogs), staying active and staying connected in the Richmond community
Parthenia Dinora, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Partnership for People with Disabilities
What is your role at the Partnership?
I am the executive director and I also work on many grant projects at the Partnership.
How long have you been at the Partnership?
A long time - 21 years!!! The Partnership is a great place to work with amazing faculty and staff! I have never wanted to leave.
What does your job entail?
I lead the University Center for Excellence and work with many partners within VCU and throughout the community to support research and innovative practices for supporting children and adults with disabilities and their families so that they can live the lives that they want. I also write a lot of grants.
What do you like best about your job?
There is never a dull moment! I love that I get to work in so many areas and continue to learn new things every day.
What is one thing you would like for everyone to know about the Partnership?
We are COMMITTED to supporting great lives for people with disabilities in Virginia.
How do you define success?
I think success is a journey. Success is living a life true to your values and putting all that you can into meeting goals that align with these values.
What inspires you?
Honesty, integrity, kindness & humor
What is one new thing you learned in the last month?
I am digging deep into AI…totally amazing and transformative.
What are three things that are important to you?
I am going to repeat myself (and cheat and give four)… honesty, integrity, kindness & humor
Kim Dupre, Ed. D
Program Specialist
What inspired you to work in the disability field, and what keeps you motivated?
One of my core values is making a difference; it is the heart of who I am and what keeps me motivated. When I graduated college with a degree in psychology, I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go; I just knew I wanted to help people. That summer, my aunt asked me to volunteer at a camp with kids who had cancer. Their resilience, strength, and ability to find joy in the toughest times were life-changing for me. After that summer, I knew I wanted to work with individuals who bring diverse strengths and perspectives to the world. I took a job at a group home working with adults with disabilities, which taught me so much. Their individuality, creativity, and determination inspired me to deepen my understanding of how it is important to create spaces inclusive spaces where everyone can thrive. That experience helped me take the next step in my career, and I went back to college to become a school counselor.
Can you share a memorable moment in your career that had a significant impact on you or the individuals you serve?
In one of the school divisions I worked in, I was in charge of the mentoring programs for at-promise youth across all the schools. There were countless memorable moments in this role, but one that will always stay with me is when we took a group of students to a shelter to feed people experiencing homelessness. It was the first time the shelter had allowed a group of adolescents to volunteer, and many of my colleagues were hesitant about whether it would go smoothly. But my staff and I believed in these students; we knew they had the potential to rise to the occasion. As we expected, they were incredible. The shelter staff was so impressed that they invited us back two more times. It was even more meaningful when a student’s mother called me afterward. She told me it was the first time all year that her son was excited to get out of bed to go to school. I share this moment because moments like that show the power of believing in others and creating opportunities for them to shine.
What is one misconception about your role or the disability field that you would like to clarify?
As systems coaches, our role isn’t to direct schools but to support, guide, and empower them in achieving their goals.
How do you approach creating inclusive environments or supporting accessibility in your work?
I try to make it a priority to seek out different perspectives and understand the needs of the people I work with. It is important to me to foster spaces where people feel valued and included. This is an on-going area of growth for me.
What skills or qualities do you feel are most important in serving the disability community?
Listening, flexibility, compassion, and collaboration.
What is a recent project or initiative you are proud of, and how did it benefit those you work with?
I have the privilege of working with an incredible and passionate team at the Virginia Tiered Systems of Supports (VTSS) on a literature review for supporting students with internalizing behaviors. Our work has led to exciting opportunities to share our findings - first at our mental health conference in November, and now nationally at the APBS conference.
How do you stay informed and continue learning about best practices in the disability field?
As the Education Content Specialist, I work with some amazing staff at PPD who share their expertise and insights. I am excited for this collaboration and to continuously learn from them on new strategies for supporting the disability community effectively.
What is one thing you wish more people understood about individuals with disabilities?
Everyone brings value and has something meaningful to contribute. By focusing on people’s abilities and strengths rather than perceived limitations, we can foster inclusion and empowerment.
How has working in the disability field changed your perspective or influenced your personal growth?
I would say that I am still growing and learning everyday in this field. I have learned to be more mindful around creating spaces where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute. Everyone has a story, and taking the time to really listen to others experiences.
What advice would you give to someone starting a career in the disability field?
Always stay curious.
Erik Froehlich
Information Technology Specialist
T/TAC
What is your role at the Partnership?
Staff IT support/resources, website management and I also work with the Assistive Technology & Instructional Technology Lab.
How long have you been at the Partnership?
A little over 20 years.
What does your job entail?
Maintaining & supporting all T/TAC user technologies, Managing and maintaining the AT & IT Lending Labs. Managing the T/TAC website & supporting virtual events.
What do you like best about your job?
The variety/ scope of work & the people I work with.
What is one thing you would like for everyone to know about the Partnership?
The Partnership is made up of a group of kind, hardworking people that truly want the best for those we serve.
How do you define success?
A job well done, the feeling of being appreciated & respected by the people around me.
What inspires you?
Sincerely enthusiastic people
What are three things that are important to you?
My family, my friends and my animal companions.
Edgar Gamba
Cultural Broker to the Latinx Community
What is your role at the Partnership?
I’m a Cultural Broker for the Latino Community
How long have you been at the Partnership?
3 years (part time)
What does your job entail?
Basically my job is to serve as a cultural bridge for the Latino/a community, giving all the support and coaching them to navigate in the system of people with disabilities.
What do you like best about your job?
What I’m passionate about my job is seeing how families become self-advocates for their loved ones with disabilities, and at the same time witnessing how they achieve the dreams and goals of their special health needs kids.
What is one thing you would like for everyone to know about the Partnership?
I think that compassion, understanding, close listening and commitment to the special needs community, are the values that stand out in the partnership. This condition is due to the fact that we are parents or close relatives of people with special health conditions, and that is the key to helping others.
How do you define success?
I would define success at work by what I learned by key job assignment experiences and how I was able to use that knowledge for improved results and myself.
What inspires you?
I’m inspired by constant progress, I find it exciting to implement new ideas, and see them through to the fruition, I find the most satisfaction implementing out of the box ideas that ultimately prove their value.
I like to be challenged at the job and I like the opportunity to put in place my skills and talents.
What is one new thing you learned in the last month?
In the last month I had the honor to participate in a project within Family Voices United promoting Diversity and inclusion for CYSHCN and their families (FamU) .
What is one step that everyone can take to foster inclusiveness?
Welcome ideas that are different from your own, and support fellow teammates. The creativity that comes with inclusiveness can help to generate new ideas or improve a process already in place. It can also make work more interesting, engaging, and fun.
Seb Prohn
Assistant Director; Research & Evaluation
What is your role at the Partnership?
Assistant Director: Research & Evaluation
How long have you been at the Partnership?
Since 2018
What does your job entail?
It’s an exciting concoction of project management, project administration, project evaluation, grant-writing, research and supervision.
What do you like best about your job?
I learn something new every single day. Sometimes it may be from others’ research, sometimes it may be an insight into the lived experiences of people with IDD and their families, and many times its something else, but I’m constantly learning and constantly humbled by how little I know.
What is one thing you would like for everyone to know about the Partnership?
I wish everyone across the university and in the community knew the diverse and incredible talents and experiences of our staff, and how all that talent is so intensely focused producing better communities for people with IDD and their families.
How do you define success?
Producing meaningful impacts on the lives of people with IDD by including them in processes that produce change.
What inspires you?
The resilience of people and nature.
What is one new thing you learned in the last month?
I’m reading Charlotte’s Web to my daughter, Iris and Serafina and the Black Cloak to my son, Benjamin. Ironically, the book that taught me that a shoat was a young pig was not the book that has a shoat as the protagonist.
What are three things that are important to you?
Family, science, and hope.
Jill Rose
Videographer, Social Media and Communications
Center for Family Involvement
What is your role at the Partnership?
I work for CFI doing anything visual. Graphics, website, social media, video, reels, etc. I also help with PPD social media as well as a few other organizations.
How long have you been at the Partnership? Since around 2011
What does your job entail?
I like to make everything look “pretty” is how I think of it. I also want to tell a cohesive color story, meaning, when people see anything related to CFI, they instantly know it’s CFI. In other words, I pay close attention to branding.
What do you like best about your job? The freedom to be creative.
What is one thing you would like for everyone to know about the Partnership?
I would like for more people who have impressive projects at the PPD to “show off” or be willing to brag about their accomplishments. I’m not sure yet how to do this, but we are constantly brainstorming ideas. We need to gently nudge people out of their academic silos and say “look world, look at these amazing things we’ve discovered over here at the PPD!”
How do you define success?
I see success in numbers. I’m a numbers nerd.
What inspires you?
I’m inspired to create visually stimulating content because visual media is my passion. We also strive to teach the families of VA what’s available to them or offer new insight.
What is one new thing you learned in the last month?
That AI voice over is extremely useful for making reels compliant and I no longer need to rely on outside people to do this. AI voice over is very impressive.
What are three things that are important to you?
Mental Health is number ONE. Staying centred, healthy and having inner peace is really the only thing that matters to me. Once that is in place, creativity is easy and if creativity is easy, my job is easy.
Adrienne Quarles-Smith
Program Specialist, Early Childhood Special Education
What is your role at the Partnership?
Program Specialist, Early Childhood Special Education
How long have you been at the Partnership?
Since August 2018
What does your job entail?
I provide training and technical assistance for school divisions within superintendent’s regions 1 & 8 to support infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with disabilities across all educational settings.
What do you like best about your job?
The best part of my job is having the opportunity to work with and promote the amazing work that Early Childhood Special Educators (ECSE) do everyday to support our youngest citizens with disabilities and their families.
What is one thing you would like for everyone to know about the Partnership?
As an adult with a disability it's important to be a part of an organization that centers and celebrates differing abilities through a commitment to education, advocacy, and community engagement.
How do you define success?
I define success by the meaningful connections and relationships I am privileged to have with my family, friends, colleagues, and the communities I have served as an educator.
What inspires you?
I am deeply inspired by individuals with disabilities who serve as mirrors for students, families, and communities by openly sharing their lived experiences and celebrating their differing abilities.
What is one new thing you learned in the last month?
Last month, I learned the value of reflection and making peace with change by beginning a meditation practice.
What are three things that are important to you?
- Elevating the voices of families of students with disabilities.
- Creating spaces for courageous conversations about the impact of equitable practices.
- Maintaining my community connections.
Kim Stevens
IT Project Manager
What is your role at the Partnership?
I am the IT Project Manager at the Partnership.
How long have you been at the Partnership?
I have been at the Partnership for over 10 years. In 2011, I began working in a part-time capacity then in 2014, I became a full-time employee.
What does your job entail?
I have the great opportunity to supervise and work with multiple teams, including the Administrative Services, Event Management, and Design & Tech teams. Each work group provides support across the Partnership including administrative and program support; planning and implementing in-person, hybrid and virtual events, trainings, and conferences; website and graphic development and maintenance; and technology management that ranges from hardware and software support to application development and maintenance.
What do you like best about your job?
I enjoy working with my colleagues and delivering products that allow the Partnership to achieve its mission of partnering with people with disabilities and others to build communities where all people can live, learn, work, and play together. All Partnership staff bring varied lived experiences, knowledge and insights that allow me to continue to grow and learn every day.
What is one thing you would like for everyone to know about the Partnership?
The Partnership’s scope of work and impact is far reaching. Each staff member within our varied roles, grants, programs and projects, is truly focused on improving the lives of people with disabilities.
How do you define success?
Success, for me, is about setting goals that allow you to take risks, learn from challenges, honor and deliver on commitments all while being your authentic self.
What inspires you?
Faith, family and the belief that anything is possible (if you start with the belief that it can be) are the things that inspire me the most.
What is one new thing you learned in the last month?
I learned the importance of having living wills and advanced directives for those you love!
What is one step that everyone can take to foster inclusiveness?
One step everyone can take to foster inclusiveness is to be curious! To be open and truly see and seek the value of people with varied lived experiences
Angela West
Multi-Cultural Specialist
What is your role at the Partnership?
I am currently transitioning into a new role as the Disability Engagement Specialist. Super excited about this new opportunity.
How long have you been at the Partnership?
Since 2015
What does your job entail?
In the new role, my job will help ensure the voices of people with disabilities are included in different projects at the Partnership.
What do you like best about your job?
I love connecting with different people with disabilities and learning from them. Every day is a different day and I learn how to be a better teammate.
What is one thing you would like for everyone to know about the Partnership?
We are people first. What do I mean about that? We come with our own lived experiences, and we try our best to collaborate with the community to better serve people with disabilities, family members, and professionals.
How do you define success?
Success is achievement of your goals and learning from your failures in order to accomplish future aspirations.
What inspires you?
Seeing people that I work with accomplish their goals and dreams.
What’s one new thing you learned in the last month?
It’s important to block out time in my work schedule to journal and dream about future work.
What are three things that are important to you?
My faith, my family including my two baby cats, and my friends.
Dana Yarbrough
Associate Director, Partnership for People with Disabilities
Director, Center for Family Involvement
What is your role at the Partnership?
I ‘wear many hats’ at the Partnership. I serve as the UCEDD’s associate director, direct the Center for Family Involvement, and support over a dozen projects as the principal investigator or project director.
How long have you been at the Partnership?
I started shortly before 2000 hired in an hourly position to provide a family perspective of disabilities. I moved into a full-time community engagement specialist position in 2005.
What does your job entail?
Currently, my energy is spread across over 14+ projects. I mentor staff for whom I supervise, represent the UCEDD in meetings externally on a variety of topics (e.g., family engagement, employment, community engagement, maternal & child health), and manage the work of projects including participating in evaluation activities, developing new products for families, writing reports, and ensuring we don’t overspend a project budget. I also spend time each week in meetings with the Partnership’s executive director assessing our organizational structure and writing grants and negotiating state contracts to grow and sustain important work.
What do you like best about your job?
What I like best about working at the Partnership is the variety of work I do each week. On any given day I am attending meetings externally and internally, grant writing, presenting at conferences on some of my specific work in compassionate engagement with families or the work of our cultural broker initiative, entering data and organizing files on my computer, and/or writing reports.
What is one thing you would like for everyone to know about the Partnership?
I want everyone to see how the Partnership models partnering. What I mean by that is we live our organization’s mission through our work here because of some connection to disability personally and/or professionally, we truly look to help one another in any way possible, and we don’t put expiration dates on our partnerships externally.
How do you define success?
To be successful, you must have your heart in your business and your business in your heart. I wish I could claim that quote, but it comes from an author, Thomas Watson. With COVID-19, social, racial, and economic upheaval, we need to rethink complex structures and rules and put people at the heart and culture of our work. When we have accomplished that, we are successful.
What inspires you?
We know the history of people with disabilities in Virginia is fraught with ugly treatment, some that still happens today. I am inspired when people with disabilities and parents share their stories of resilience that gives out rays of hope.
What’s one new thing you learned in the last month?
I love reading books and articles about leadership behavior development. With our changing environment – things being more complex, volatile, and unpredictable in our world – it is no longer just a leadership challenge about what does good leadership look like. It is a development challenge for how to grow bigger minds through horizontal development (mastering competencies) and vertical development (staff being responsible for their own development).
What are three things that are important to you?
Building at the Partnership a culture of acceptance, belonging, and fun!