Community Advisory Council Members

The Community Advisory Council serves as an external advisory board to review and recommend broad programmatic directions, to evaluate the impact of the Institute within the state and region, to serve as liaison and advocate for the Institute's involvement in community-based activities, and to advise on critical areas of need that the Institute should address in future planning efforts.

Members of the Institute's Community Advisory Council include the following individuals, as of March 2018 –

• Marian Ahmed - Somali Parents Autism Network - Parent
• Alexandra Bartolic - Minnesota Department of Human Services
• Lester Bauer - Parent
• Jesse Bethke-Gomez - Metropolitan Center for Independent Living - Sibling
• Shelly Christensen - Inclusion Innovations - Parent
• Antonietta Giovanni - Parent
• Brenda Goral - Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota
• David Hancox - AccraCare - Family member
• Mary Harding - Parent
• Lance Hegland - Self-advocate
• Kim Keprios - The Arc Minnesota, Inc. - Sibling
• Darren Kermes - Southwest Metro Intermediate District 792
• Julie Manworren - Living Well Disability Services
• Robert Niemiec - Minnesota Employment Training and Technical Assistance Support Center, Griffin Hammis Associates LLC
• Kate Onyeneho - Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities - Parent
• Ruth Richardson - Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum (MOFAS) - Sibling
• Barnett ("Bud") Rosenfield - Minnesota Disability Law Center - Sibling
• David Sherwood-Gabrielson - Parent
• Katrina Simons - Self-advocate
• Jolene Thibedeau-Boyd - Community Involvement Programs
• Jesus Villasenor - PACER Center - Parent
• Allana Walsh - Minneapolis Public Schools - Sibling
• Andrea Zuber - Dakota County Social Services, Child and Family Services

If you would like to learn more about the Community Advisory Council, please contact Beth Fondell at 612-624-6830 or by e-mail at fond0030@umn.edu.