Alliance for Full Participation

The Alliance for Full Participation (AFP) today announced the election of four At-Large Self Advocate members to its Board of Directors:  William Krebs, Julie Petty, Liz Weintraub and Betsy Valnes.

"We are very excited to welcome Bill, Julie, Liz and Betsy to our Board of Directors," said James F. Gardner, President and CEO of CQL| The Council on Quality and Leadership and chairman of AFP’s nominating committee. "The Alliance for Full Participation is centered on self advocates—our mission is to make the promise of inclusion, integration, productivity, independence and quality of life a reality in policy and practice.  We depend on our Board to determine our direction and it is critical to have the voice of Self Advocates clearly represented in this process.  These new Board members bring expertise, experience and good judgment in critical areas and are a great benefit to the Alliance.”   With their diverse networks, these four Board members will also significantly increase the Alliance’s outreach into the self advocate community.

Bill Krebs is very involved with self advocacy organizations in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  He has been an active member of Go Team New Jersey, Speaking for Ourselves, Self Advocates United as One, and is currently the District 7 Representative of Self Advocates Becoming Empowered.  A well-respected leader in the self advocacy movement, Bill is known for his effectiveness in representing the view of self advocates.  He consistently fights for the cause of people with disabilities, and takes responsibility for both representing self advocates’ views on the many committees and Boards he works on, and informing self advocacy groups about the work of the Boards.

Julie Petty has been a self advocate all of her life, but became officially involved in the self advocacy movement in 1998.  She is the co-founder and state coordinator of Arkansas People First and former president of Self Advocates Becoming Empowered.  A frequent speaker, skilled trainer and facilitator, Julie represented self advocates across the country including the Reinventing Quality Conference, as a member of the National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities at the University of Delaware, numerous state-wide Self Advocacy Conferences and at the White House.  Currently employed by the Partners for Inclusive Communities UCEDD, Julie has worked as a policy analyst for Human Services Research Institute, and was editor of The Riot! Newsletter.  Julie has a degree in journalism from the University of Arkansas.   As SABE’s representative on the AFP Board, Julie served as co-president of the Alliance for Full Participation.

Betsy Valnes:  Is the Founding Executive Director of National Youth Leadership Network/National Youth Information Center.  She has promoted leadership development of young adults with disabilities across the United States and its territories.  She is an outstanding presenter and communicator and as founder of New Voice/New Vision, Betsy has been a keynote speaker, trainer, facilitator and developer of professional skills for people with disabilities and those that serve them.   Betsy has worked for the National Council on Disability, the Transition Services Liaison Project in Black Hills, SD, and has conducted research, comparatively assessed education, employment and community involvement options of high school and post-secondary students with and without disabilities.  While on the Board, Betsy will  focus on the inclusion of youth/young and young adults and individuals representing other marginalized communities (people of diverse cultural identities, living in rural communities, etc), in AFP’s goals.

Lliz Weintraub is co-chair of People on the Go and Past Chair of the Developmental Disabilities Council in Maryland, active in STAND Together and a former vice president of Self Advocates Becoming Empowered.  Well known throughout the self advocacy community, Liz’s work includes helping organize the Massachusetts self advocacy organization and working with AUCD to organize self advocacy Summits sponsored by the Administration for Developmental Disabilities across the country.  Liz currently works for CQL| The Council on Quality and Leadership, and the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.  On the Board, Liz will work to strengthen relationships and effective working partnerships between self advocates and professionals.

The Alliance for Full Participation received over a dozen extremely well-qualified nominations for the four At Large Board positions.  Active participation by self advocates is critical to AFP’s goals, and all self advocates are encouraged to become active in their state teams and in the national organization to ensure that the Alliance’s goal of doubling integrated employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by the year 2015 becomes a reality.