Community Advisory Council Members

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The Institute on Community Integration’s Community Advisory Council (CAC) is a diverse group of community leaders in disability that advises on broad programmatic decisions, evaluates the impact of the Institute’s work within the state and region, and helps guide the Institute's involvement in community engagement activities. CAC members bring policy and advocacy skills, provider and practitioner perspectives, and lived experiences. Over half of the CAC members are persons with IDD or family members. CAC members offer advice and counsel on broader cross-system and related priorities as a group and individually. They also provide feedback on ICI projects and products and ensure we are on target to meet our goals. CAC members meet quarterly.

Members of the Institute's Community Advisory Council include the following individuals:

Carolyn Allshouse

Family Voices of Minnesota

An older man with light skin tone and short white hair is smiling. He is wearing a light blue polo shirt. The background is softly blurred, featuring greenery and a neutral tone.

Lester Bauer

Parent Advocate

A man with light skin tone, gray hair, and a mustache is smiling. He is wearing glasses, a blue suit jacket, a checkered shirt, and a colorful tie with vehicle illustrations. The background is plain white.

Kenneth Bence

ARRM, Inc.

Curtis Buhman

MN Department of Health

A woman with light skin and short, layered brown hair is smiling. She is wearing a patterned shirt with floral designs in brown and blue, paired with a knitted cardigan featuring geometric patterns in gray and orange. The background is softly blurred, with hints of blue visible.

Alison Campbell

Inclusion Factor

A woman with light skin and curly dark hair is smiling. She is wearing glasses with purple frames and a colorful top featuring a floral and abstract pattern in shades of pink, orange, and purple. The background is softly blurred, suggesting an indoor setting.

Shelly Christensen

Inclusion Innovations

A professionally dressed individual with a warm smile. They have a bald head and a neatly groomed beard. Their skin tone is light brown. They are wearing a black suit jacket, a white dress shirt, and a dark blue tie with a subtle pattern. A pocket square with a blue and white design is visible in the jacket's breast pocket. The background is softly blurred, with tones of blue and white, suggesting an indoor setting.

Naveh Eldar

Arc Minnesota CEO

A woman with light skin and blonde hair is wearing glasses, a light gray blazer, and a light pink top. She is smiling, and the background features blurred colorful elements that resemble artwork or decorations.

Aisha Elmquist

Olmsted Implementation Office

Jo Erbes

MN Statewide Independent Living Council

A woman with medium skin tone and wavy dark hair is looking at the camera with a slight smile. She is wearing a black high-neck top and hoop earrings. The background is softly blurred, featuring neutral tones and a hint of blue.

Ruth Evangelista

La Red Latina de Educación Temprana Minnesota Childcare

Antonietta Giovanni

Parent Advocate

A man wearing a navy blue suit, a light checkered shirt, and glasses is seated and smiling at the camera. The background is softly blurred, showing an indoor space with natural light filtering in.

David Hancox

Accra - Family Member

Mary Harding

Parent Advocate

A woman with medium skin tone and short dark hair is wearing glasses and a light gray speckled sweater over a black top. They are looking at the camera with a neutral expression. The background is softly blurred, featuring neutral and muted colors.

Cindy Hillyer

Minneapolis Public Schools

A woman with light skin and blonde wavy hair is smiling. She is wearing a high-neck top with a black-and-white herringbone pattern. The background is softly blurred, featuring neutral tones and a hint of blue.

Marissa Lang

Proof Alliance

A woman with medium skin tone and long dark hair is smiling. She is wearing a pearl necklace, a black top, and a textured dark blazer. The background is softly blurred, featuring curved architectural elements in beige and blue.

Sumbal Mahmud

Minnesota Disability Law Center

A woman with medium skin tone and short pink hair is looking at the camera with a slight smile. She is wearing a beige blazer with gold buttons, a pink top, and long silver earrings. The background is softly blurred, featuring colorful artwork.

Dana Page

Minnesota Department of Education

A woman with light skin tone and shoulder-length brown hair, partially graying, is smiling. She is wearing glasses, a beige cardigan, and a patterned black-and-white top. The background is softly blurred, featuring outdoor greenery.

Pat Pulice

Fraser

A woman with light skin tone and long light brown hair is smiling. She is wearing a black sweater with a white and beige patterned design and a high-neck black top underneath. The background is softly blurred, featuring neutral and blue tones.

Julia Sawyer

Parent Advocate

A man with light skin tone and short gray hair is smiling. He is wearing glasses, a navy blue zip-up sweater, and a white collared shirt underneath. The background is softly blurred, featuring a light wall and a hint of blue artwork.

Lee Shervheim

Minnesota Governors Council on Developmental Disabilities (MN GCDD)

A person with light skin tone and short, light brown hair with highlights is smiling. They are wearing glasses, a denim jacket, and a beige sweater. The background is softly blurred, featuring neutral and blue tones.

Anne Strootman

Wilderness Inquiry

Petronellah Thomas-Shanobi

Kesma Flame Lily Therapies

Jesús Villaseñor

PACER - Parent Advocate

A woman with light skin tone and curly, short gray and light brown hair is looking at the camera with a slight smile. She is wearing sunglasses on their head, a black top with white stripes, and a multicolored scarf in shades of pink, purple, and green. The background is softly blurred, featuring indoor elements with neutral and blue tones.

Jennifer Walton

Advocating Change Together

A man with medium-dark skin tone and a short beard is smiling. He is wearing a black zip-up vest over a light gray shirt. The background is softly blurred, featuring colorful artwork on a light wall.

Mahdi Warsama

Somali Parent Autism Network

A woman with light skin tone and long blonde hair is smiling. She is wearing a black blazer over a white top and a statement necklace with silver accents. The background features an outdoor setting with metal railings and blurred architectural elements.

Ellie Wilson

Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM)

Yasmin Yassin

Minnesota Department of Health

A woman with light skin tone and long, wavy blonde hair is smiling. She is wearing a black top, a dark denim jacket, and a necklace with turquoise and orange circular pendants. The background is softly blurred, featuring greenery.

Andrea Zuber

Skifte