Washington, DC — The Arc elected a slate of new and returning members of the board of directors to lead its work for the next two years at its recent annual business meeting.  This distinguished group includes professionals in the intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD) field and affiliated services, parents, and self-advocates representing a cross section of leaders in this movement dedicated to promoting and protecting the human rights of people with I/DD and supporting their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes.

The Arc’s new board president, Nancy Webster of Indian Head Park, Illinois, said upon her appointment: “I’m honored to be a part of this organization’s leadership at this critical juncture in our movement.  We have come so far – closing institutions and moving people into communities across the country, expanding services so that people with disabilities are included in society, and educating the public about what people with I/DD can achieve – but we have a lot of work ahead of us.  New challenges emerge every day that threaten the progress we have made, and The Arc is uniquely poised to lead the charge to ensure the rights of people with disabilities are protected across the nation.”

Peter V. Berns, CEO of The Arc, said:  “Under Nancy’s leadership and with the strong backing of the incredibly diverse and talented individuals appointed to our board, The Arc has powerful momentum going into 2013.  I thank all of our new board members and outgoing appointees for their commitment to people with I/DD and their dedication to the long term success of The Arc.”

The Arc’s Board Development Committee completed the process of preparing the slate of officers and directors for election in July.  The Committee identified and selected a group of candidates that, collectively, has the knowledge, skills and expertise to meet The Arc’s leadership needs.  The process by which the Committee worked to select the candidates unfolded over the course of a year, and included reviewing the board roles and responsibilities, developing a nominating process work plan, reviewing and updating the criteria relevant to board composition, conducting a board composition analysis, and completing candidate interviews.    The slate was then presented at the 2012 annual business meeting.

National Board Members of The Arc

Officers

President: Nancy Webster, Indian Head Park, IL – Nancy has served as a member of the board of directors since 2002.  Previously, she served as the Chair of the Committee on the Future of The Arc.  Prior to joining the board of directors for The Arc, Nancy was active in The Arc of Illinois.  Her first and most important advocacy role has been as a sibling to her sister, Martha, who has an intellectual disability.

Vice President: Ron Brown, Dallas, TX – Ron has served as a member of the board of directors since 2006.  He has over 36 years of experience in the volunteer arena as an advocate for the disability community.  He has served on the local, state, and national board of directors of The Arc.

Treasurer: M.J. Bartelmay, Hermitage, PA – M.J. has served The Arc at every level – national, state, and local since 1992.  He is a Past-President of both The Arc of Pennsylvania and a local chapter.  In addition to his work with The Arc, he has also held numerous positions as an advocate and leader for people with I/DD.  M.J. has a son with an intellectual disability.

Secretary: Elise McMillan, Nashville, TN – Elise has served as a member of the board of directors since 2005.  She also serves as a Co-Chair of the Policy and Positions Committee, which is responsible for updating The Arc’s position statements.  She is a Past-President of The Arc of Davidson County and The Arc of Tennessee and she remains actively involved with both chapters.  In addition to her work for The Arc, Elise is Co-Director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities; Director of Community Outreach; and Senior Associate in the Department of Psychiatry. Elise and her husband have three adult children, including a son with Down syndrome.

Immediate Past President: Mohan Mehra, Cortlandt Manor, NY – Mohan has served in leadership positions with The Arc at the national, state and local levels. He has 25 years of experience in business strategy, marketing, sales, and business development at General Foods Corporation and Kraft Foods and as a consultant for major consumer packaged goods companies. Mohan and his wife are parents of Brian, a young man with Down syndrome.

Returning Board Members

Tony Anderson, Sacramento, CA – Tony is the Chair of the National Conference of Executives (NCE), and Executive Director of The Arc of California.

Barbara Coppens, Cherry Hill, NJ – Barbara is a self-advocate and currently works as an Advocate Assistant with Disability Rights New Jersey.  She also serves on the board of directors for The Arc of New Jersey and is a member of the governmental affairs committee. Over the years she has also been involved with Partners in Policy Making.

Hugh M. Evans, Baltimore, MD – Hugh is a Vice President of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.  He is the parent of a young daughter with Trisomy 21.

Gary Horner, Pittsburgh, PA –Gary is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of ACHIEVA/The Arc of Greater Pittsburgh.

Thomas A. Judd, Esq. Minneapolis, MN – Thomas is an active member of The Arc of Greater Twin Cities in St. Paul, MN, where he served as president of the board of directors.  He is personally connected to The Arc’s mission as a family member of several people with disabilities.

Michael Mack, Silver Spring, MD – Michael has been on the board of directors since 2004.  He serves as Co-Chair of the Policy and Positions Committee that is responsible for updating The Arc’s position statements.  Michael is the parent of a young man with an intellectual disability.

Joseph Meadours, Sacramento, CA – Joe is a self-advocate and author of three books, one of which focuses on policymaking from the viewpoint of a self-advocate.

Pat Napoliello, San Francisco, CA – Pat is a parent of Joseph, who has Angelman Syndrome, and has been the inspiration for her years of advocacy.

Randy Patrick, Aurora, CO – Randy is also on the board of The Arc of Colorado, and is an Account Manager with Rexell USA.

Kurt Rutzen, Minneapolis, MN –Kurt is a self-advocate and program specialist for the University of Minnesota Institute on Community Integration’s Research and Training Center on Community Living.

New Board Members

Fred Misilo, Northborough, MA - Fred is the Immediate Past-President of The Arc of Massachusetts and a longstanding board member of that chapter.  He has devoted 35 years of service to The Arc both locally and nationally.  Fred is an Officer and Chair of the Trust and Estate Department and Chair of the Elder Law and Special Needs Practice Group at the law firm of Fletcher Tilton PC.

Michele Poole, Lake Worth, FL – Michele has served for many years on the state and local level as the President of The Arc of Palm Beach and as board member.  She is the current President of The Arc of Florida.  On the national level, Michele was co-founder and Past President of the Shaken Baby Coalition.  She has a daughter with a developmental disability. She is also CFO-Secretary-Treasurer at North Ridge Electric, Inc. in Pompano Beach, FL.

Philip Richards, Birmingham, AL – Phillip is the Past-President of The Arc of Walker County, Past-President of The Arc of Jefferson County, and currently sits on the board of The Arc of Alabama.  On the national level, he has served on the Marketing and Resource Development Committee when The Arc began its work to develop a new visual identity and brand.  Philip is a Manager of External Affairs at Energen, a diversified energy company.

Margaret-Lee Thompson, Redmond, WA – Margaret-Lee has worked in public policy for 40 years.  She became a member of The Arc of Washington when her son was born in 1968, and has remained an active advocate with The Arc ever since.  She is the founder of the King County Parent Coalition for Developmental Disabilities, a grassroots organization involved in advocacy and parent education.

Carol Wheeler, Washington, DC – Carol is a member of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities.  Her professional experience includes leadership roles in a wide range of non-profit organizations and positions in the White House, on Capitol Hill and as Vice President of Government Affairs for the National Association of Broadcasters.  She is the mother of a transition age son with Williams Syndrome.

On December 20, 2012 Gary Bass, Doug Church, and Kelly Piacenti are expected to be elected as Board Elected Directors:

Gary Bass, Washington, DC – Gary is the Executive Director of the Bauman Foundation, a Washington, DC based grant making foundation.  In 1983, he founded OMB Watch, a national research, educational, and advocacy organization that he directed or 28 years.  He has deep expertise in public policy and fundraising.

Doug Church, Oak Hill, VA – Doug is the Founding Chairman and Director of Virginia Heritage Bank, and the father of an adult son with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  He also serves as the Chairman of the Arc of Northern Virginia’s Foundation

Kelly Piacenti, Chester, NJ – Kelly is the Special Needs National Director, The MetLife Center for Special Needs, and the mother of a young son with developmental disabilities.

The Arc also thanks our outgoing Board members: Joyce Lipman (Maryland), Susan Bassett (Indiana), Sam Givhan (Mississippi), and Mary Jordan (Tennessee).