Ashe has been an In-Home Provider since 2016, providing care to his 11-year-old son with Down Syndrome and his 8-year-old son with Autism. He was a Correctional Officer at San Quentin State Prison from 1990 to 2001. Ashe is a Foundation Board Member for UCP.

Jessica Brown (Poway) has been a Disability Integration Associate Volunteer for American Red Cross since 2021. She was a Personal Caregiver from 2018 to 2021. She held several positions at Eanes-Westlake Innovative District from 2002 to 2018, including Principal, Assistant Principal, Special Education Teacher and 3rd Grade Teacher. Brown earned a Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration from Concordia University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Behavior from the University of San Francisco. Brown is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management.

Lee has been the Sinton visiting professor in holocaust, genocide and refugee studies at the University of San Francisco since 2004. He has devoted his life to a variety of social justice issues as a teacher, humanitarian and community leader. He has made several humanitarian trips to East Africa including five trips to Darfur, Chad, and South Sudan where he visited refugee and IDP camps. He has also made numerous trips to Kenya, Haiti and Ethiopia where he helped to address a variety of humanitarian issues related to poverty and disease.

He earned a Doctor of Theology degree from the Claremont School of Theology and a Master of Theology degree and rabbinic ordination from the Hebrew Union College, where he served as dean from 1982 to 1997. Lee serves on the State Council in honor of his granddaughter, Ayala who has Down syndrome.

Nick Lutton was the Program Manager at Family Voices of California from 2022 to 2024. He was an Educational Resource Specialist at EPU Children’s Center from 2019 to 2022. Lutton is a member of the Editorial Board at the American Association of Pediatrics and Fresno County In-Home Services Advisory Committee.

Fujita has been Human Resources Director for the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks since 2000. He was Director of Human Resources for the City of Los Angeles Information Technology Agency from 1996 to 2000. He was the Chair of the SCDD Los Angeles Regional Advisory Committee.

Julie Gaona was an Advocate at the Community Access Center from 2001 to 2010. She is a member of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Los Angeles Regional Office Regional Advisory Committee; the Statewide Self-Advocacy Network; the University of Southern California Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Community Advisory Committee; and Communities Actively Living Independent and Free. Gaona is Secretary of the Self-Advocacy Board of Los Angeles.

One of Julio Garnica’s favorite activities is walking his dog. Julio loves “The Godfather” the movie and is interested in college theater, culinary, and politics.

Sonia Jones was a Janitor with Solano Diversified Services from 1995 to 2003. She has participated in volunteering and educational opportunities through Tailored Day Service at The Arc-Solano since 2015. Jones previously served on the Self-Determination Advisory Committee for the North Bay Regional Center.

Liu has been Training Coordinator for the Chinese Parents Association for the Disabled since 1990. She is a member of KEEN LA.

Joyce McNair was first appointed to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD) in 2019 by Governor Gavin Newsom and reappointed in 2022. A strong advocate for person-centered services reform and affordable housing—she served on SCDD’s Sacramento–Regional Advisory Committee for three years and six years on the Self-Determination Advisory Committee for the Alta California Regional Center.

Councilmember McNair earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.P.A. from the University of San Francisco. Her work history and advocacy include several areas in which she still has great interest: youth services, affordable housing, and neighborhood improvement policy. She has also spent several years in local, state, and national public affairs.

Ms. McNair has three adult children. Her youngest receives regional center services and thrives in the Self-Determination Program.

Nestor Nieves (Pico Rivera) has been Community Outreach Coordinator at Integrated Community Collaborative since 2020. Nieves has also been Operations Staff at Northwestern Mutual since 2016. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Child and Adolescent Development from California State University, Northridge.

Kara Ponton served on the Department of Developmental Services Consumer Advisory Committee from 2013 to 2019. She is the vice chairperson of the Redwood Coast Regional Center Self-Determination Local Advisory Committee and is a former member of the SCDD North Coast Regional Advisory Committee.

Kara loves reading about U.S. history and her family history. She also enjoys listening to music including songs from her favorite band, The Fray and hanging out with her parakeets and her sisters. Both the first and second Angry Birds movies are her favorite movies, and her special talent is that she can name every United States president!

Reyes has been a Campus Supervisor for the Fremont Unified School District since 2015. He has been Owner of DJ Alex Reyes Entertainment since 2001.

Lupe Rodriguez has been Associate Director of Career Technical Education at Elite Academic Academy since 2023, and a Career Technical Education 101 Teacher Preparation Instructor for the Orange County Department of Education since 2021. She was a Health Science and Medical Technology Industry Sector Mentor for the Colton-Redlands-Yucaipa Regional Occupational Program from 2023 to 2024. She held several positions at the North Orange County Regional Occupational Program from 2003 to 2023, including Patient Care Pathway Instructor, Instructional Programs Manager, Teacher on Special Assignment and Patient Care Pathway Instructor.

Rosanna “Rosie” Ryan was a peer instructor at the We Care A Lot Foundation from 2010 to 2016. Rosie like to keep in touch with family and friends on the Internet. Rosie enjoys watching movies during her free time, and she loves cats especially her cat, Queen Meeka.

Irene Valdez has been an Educational Consultant at the Consortium on Reading Excellence since 2022. She was an Instructional Coach and Teacher at Stockton Unified School District from 2012 to 2021. Valdez earned a Master of Education degree from Benedictine University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Design from University of California, Davis.

Ybarra was a Contracted Surveyor for the State Council on Developmental Disabilities in 2021. He has been an active member of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities Regional Advisory Committee.

Pete Cervinka has been Acting Director at the Department of Developmental Services since 2024, where he has been Chief Deputy Director of Data Analytics and Strategy since 2021. He held several roles at the Department of Social Services from 2009 to 2020, including Chief Operating Officer, Chief Deputy Director for Benefits and Services and Program Deputy Director for Benefits and Services. Cervinka held multiple roles at the California Health and Human Services Agency from 2007 to 2009, including Assistant Secretary in the Office of Program and Fiscal Affairs and Assistant Associate Secretary in the Office of Legislation. He held multiple roles at the California Department of Finance from 1998 to 2000 and 2002 to 2007, including Assistant Program Budget Manager, Principal Program Budget Manager and Finance Budget Analyst. Cervinka was a Staff Services Manager at the State Water Resources Control Board from 2000 to 2002. He earned a Master of Science degree in agricultural and resource economics from the University of California, Davis.

DeMarois was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to serve as Director of the California Department of Aging effective November 1, 2021. As Director, Ms. DeMarois is committed to stakeholder engagement; equity and inclusion; and system transformation to prepare our state for the year 2030 when one in four Californians will be aged 60 or older.

Prior to joining CDA, Director DeMarois led public policy and advocacy for the national Alzheimer’s Association in California, serving as the nonprofit organization’s registered lobbyist in Sacramento where she advocated for legislative, budget, and regulatory changes at the state capitol. The organization led the effort to enact the first dementia early detection initiative in the nation focused on the Medicaid population: SB 48 (Limón) signed into law by Governor Newsom.

Ms. DeMarois served as an appointee to Governor Newsom’s Alzheimer’s Prevention and Preparedness Task Force, chaired by former First Lady Maria Shriver, in addition to the Master Plan for Aging Stakeholder Advisory Committee, a workgroup established by Executive Order. In addition, she represented the Alzheimer’s Association on the CalHHS Agency Secretary’s Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Advisory Committee.

Before working for the Alzheimer’s Association, Ms. DeMarois led government and community relations for the UC Davis Health System where she gained deep health policy and clinical workforce experience. Early in her career, she worked for LeadingAge California, the professional trade association representing not-for-profit housing, residential care and skilled nursing providers.

A graduate of CSU Chico, Director DeMarois started her career working for the U.S. Congress a nd California State Assembly. She is a proud mom to two adult daughters, and draws inspiration for her work from her own mom’s experience with dementia.

Dr. Mark Ghaly, of South Pasadena, has served as director of health and social impact for Los Angeles County since 2018. As both a physician and an expert in public health, Ghaly brings a deep knowledge and understanding of how individual and community health outcomes intersect with policy and law on issues like whole-person care, mental health and stage of life care.

Mark earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Harvard Medical School and a Master of Public Health degree in health policy from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Andy Imparato became executive director of Disability Rights California in February 2020. He brings decades of policy and advocacy experience from Washington D.C. to the Golden State.

Prior to starting his current role, Andy shared his expertise with national organizations such as the Association of University Centers on Disabilities and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). He was the Senior Counsel and Disability Policy Director for Chairman Tom Harkin on the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. In addition, he served as President and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities, as General Counsel and Director of Policy for the National Council on Disability, and as an attorney at the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Andy is a native Californian who grew up in Los Angeles and is married with two children. He graduated with distinction from Stanford Law School in 1990 and was a summa cum laude graduate of Yale College.

Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and is a licensed clinical psychologist. Dr. Laugeson is the Founder and Director of the UCLA PEERS Clinic, which is an outpatient program providing evidence-based social skills training for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities and other social challenges across the lifespan. Dr. Laugeson is also the Interim Director for the UCLA Tarjan Center, which is a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Program Director for the Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Internship Program at UCLA, and Program Director for Dissemination, Outreach, and Education at the prestigious UCLA Autism Center of Excellence. Dedicated to supporting those with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families, she has also held positions as Founding Director of The Help Group – UCLA Autism Research Alliance (2007 – 2017), Training Director for the UCLA Tarjan Center (2014 – 2021), Director of the UCLA Early Childhood Clubhouse Program (2007 – 2010), and Associate Director for the UCLA Parenting and Children’s Friendship Training Program (2007 – 2010).

Dr. Laugeson received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University and completed her pre-doctoral psychology internship in developmental disabilities at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute. She was a two-time recipient of the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health in 2004 and 2006, the recipient of the Semel Scholar Award for Junior Faculty Career Development in 2008 and received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Pepperdine University in 2010. Dr. Laugeson has been a principal investigator and collaborator on a number of nationally funded studies investigating social skills training for youth with social difficulties from preschool to early adulthood and has authored four books related to social skills including the critically acclaimed, The Science of Making Friends.

As the developer of PEERS, Dr. Laugeson has trained tens of thousands of mental health professionals, educators, and families worldwide, and is dedicated to developing, testing, and disseminating evidence-based treatments to improve social skills for those with neurodevelopmental disabilities across the lifespan and across the globe. As one of the only empirically supported and internationally recognized social skills programs for autistic youth, her programs are currently used in over 125 countries and have been translated into over a dozen languages. Her work has been featured is numerous media outlets, including People Magazine, USA Today, the Washington Post, LA Times, New York Times, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, and the Netflix series, Love on the Spectrum.

Julie Neward is a tenacious advocate for her eldest sister, Natalie, who has an undiagnosed intellectual/developmental disability. Together they are the eldest of four siblings, and include a brother and a younger sister. She is also co-founder and vice-president of the nonprofit, the California Sibling Leadership Network. 

She is a retail real estate professional in Southern California and earned an International Master of Business Administration from the University of San Diego and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Saint Mary’s College of California. When she is not working or advocating, she is spending time with her supportive husband and two young energetic daughters at the beaches in San Diego, California.

Dr. Aubyn Stahmer is the Director of the Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at the UC Davis MIND Institute and a clinical psychologist and professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She studies ways to help community schools and organizations use research informed interventions for children with autism and other developmental disabilities and their families.

Before coming to Sacramento, she worked at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego where she established an inclusive toddler and preschool program.

Aubyn grew up in Ohio and San Diego.  She loves riding her bike, hiking and skiing, especially in Lake Tahoe.

Superintendent Tony Thurmond is an educator, social worker, and public school parent, who has served the people of California for more than ten years in elected office.

Tony’s family relied on public assistance programs and great public schools to get out of poverty. He attended Temple University, where he became study body president. He went on to earn dual master’s degrees in Law and Social Policy and Social Work (MSW) from Bryn Mawr College and began a career dedicated to service.

Tony now lives in Richmond with his two daughters who attend local public schools. They are his inspiration and a constant reminder about the promise of our neighborhood schools and the strong future that every child deserves.

Joe Xavier came to this country as a seven-year-old child, and he is one of eight. He grew up on dairy farms working with his family. In his sophomore year of high school, the Department of Rehabilitation reached out to him, and Joe went through in-depth services in 1982. He became self-employed for 14 years as a result of that. He has spent more than two decades as a civil servant including four years of being one of the first blind Auditors in the State of California.

Dr. Larry Yin is a clinician practicing both Developmental-Behavioral and General Pediatrics. Currently, he is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. He also holds the academic position of Associate Professor of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at USC. He is the Medical Director of the Boone Fetter Clinic at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (an Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network site) and the Director of the USC University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.

For over 15 years, Larry has been the Medical Consultant to the San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center, and he has over 20 years providing care for children with neurodevelopmental disorders and special health care needs.