Jamie Axelrod, M.S. is the Director of Disability Resources at Northern Arizona University and a past-president of the Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD). Jamie is a sought after speaker on topics related to disability access and higher education, having expertise in disability law and policy, communication and information technology (ICT) access, and the reasonable accommodation process. Jamie is a respected contributor to professional listservs, having received the Fink-Ryan Award for the quality of his guidance, and a go-to consultant for complex issues. He has worked for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s athletic department, as a mental health therapist, and for Protection and Advocacy Systems, Inc., a disability rights advocacy law firm where he served as an advocate for individuals with disabilities who were claiming that their civil rights had been violated. Jamie has served as co-chair of Northern Arizona University’s Commission on Disability Access and Design, AHEAD’s Board of Directors and the Board of Directors of the Coalition for Disability Access in Heath Science Education. He is a contributing author to the recently published Two Key Analytic Tools for Addressing Postsecondary Disability Law Questions (AHEAD 2023).

Christina Fabrey, M.Ed. is the Director of the Student Success Center at Virginia Tech, having previously served as the Associate Dean for Advising and Academic Achievement at Prescott College. With a passion for promoting college student success and organizational excellence, Christina has been a higher education administrator and disability provider for over 15 years.  Christina earned a Master’s in Education from the University of Vermont, Professional Credentialed Coach (PCC) certification from the International Coach Federation, Board Coach Certification (BCC) through the Center for Credentialing Education Global, and Appreciative Inquiry Facilitator Certification through Champlain College.  As a Coach Trainer and Mentor, Christina has trained hundreds of higher educational professionals in coaching skills for over the last decade.  Having developed coaching programs at several institutions, she is grounded in coaching all students, including students with disabilities and students working towards academic recovery. Christina is active in the Association for Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) by co-chairing their Coaching Knowledge and Practice Community and their Coaching Evaluation Community of Practice. Christina is a contributing author of Becoming Self-Determined: Creating Thoughtful Learners in a Standards-Driven, Admissions-Frenzied Culture and Becoming Self-Determined:  Practical Strategies for a Changing World, Field & Parker (editors). Her recent works focus on embedding holistic student care into faculty development and include “Careers, Advising, Teaching: A Holistic Approach to Student and Faculty Development.” in Re-imagining Teaching to Maximize Student Learning: Case Studies of Faculty Development Centers (Neisler, Looker, and Newman eds.) and “Resilient and Flexible Teaching (RAFT): Integrating a Whole Person Experience into Online Teaching” in Resilient Pedagogy (Thurston, Lundstrom, and Gonzalez, eds.). Her edited anthology, Coaching in Disability Resources:  From Transactional to Transformational, was published in the spring of 2023 and co-edited with Master Certified Coach, Jodi Sleeper-Triplett.

Bree Callahan is the ADA Coordinator at the University of Washington and provides leadership, coordination, and oversight to advance the University’s strategic priorities relating to access and accessibility. She has over 20 years’ experience in higher education, determining accommodations and providing consultation on ADA compliance matters of digital, physical, and program access. Bree has presented at local, state, and national conferences on a variety of topics relating to disability and access, transition of students with disabilities to postsecondary education, and systemic change toward more inclusive campuses.

Paul Grossman, J.D. is the Executive Counsel of AHEAD with over 40 years of service at OCR in Washington and San Francisco, most of them as a Chief Regional Attorney. Paul also taught disability law for over 20 years at University of California, College of Law. Paul remains a frequent guest lecturer for AHEAD, CAPED, UC College of Law, UC Berkeley, the California Community College System and the National Association of ADA Coordinators. Paul served multiple terms on AHEAD’s Board of Directors and remains a member of the AHEAD Public Policy Committee as well as the Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) Expert Advisory Board. Through investigation, decision writing, and negotiations, Paul has addressed every form of discrimination in education including race, national origin, sex and disability, often developing new approaches for protecting the civil rights of students. Paul is the author of AHEAD’s publication, The Law of Disability Discrimination for Higher Education Professionals. Paul joins Jamie Axelrod, M.S. and Mary Lee Vance, Ph.D. in two book chapters on analytical tools and procedures for DSS officers when they face their most complex and challenging questions, recently published by AHEAD.

Richard "RJ" Kilgore is the Director of Academic Success and Accessibility Services at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, NC. Credentialed as a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, RJ has a wealth of experience that has been instrumental in his dedicated advocacy for inclusion across diverse domains. RJ’s comprehensive background includes serving as a Counselor in community agencies, private sector, and secondary education settings. This ultimately led to his professional journey as a practitioner in higher education disability services at three institutions, including the Universities of North Carolina Wilmington and Charlotte. RJ's commitment to advancing inclusive practices is underscored by his active participation as a presenter at numerous conferences on local, state, and national platforms. RJ’s session topics include promoting inclusion through cross-campus outreach and collaboration, transition strategies for students with disabilities entering higher education, implementing provisions from the workforce innovations and opportunity act to create employment access for individuals with disabilities, and men of color in rehabilitation. RJ has also contributed as faculty for the AHEAD Start Academy, sits on the Board of Directors for North Carolina AHEAD, and chairs AHEAD’s Credentialing Committee.

Ann Knettler, Ed.D. is the Vice President of Consulting for GrackleDocs, a world leader in digital accessibility.  An accessibility strategist with over 16 years of experience as an ADA and 504 Compliance Officer and Director of Disability Resources offices at both HBCUs and PWIs, Ann is a sought-after speaker, educator, and consultant.  She is also an active faculty member in the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Master of Public Administration Programs at Delaware State University.  Ann is a past conference Program Chair, and represents the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) as a member of the Council of Representatives for the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) where she has co-authored and updated policy and standards for the entire field of higher education and currently sits on their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.  A published researcher, she regularly presents and consults globally on topics such as the depth and breadth of digital accessibility, disability rights, assessment and the use of data as an advocacy tool, disability policy and policy reform, strategic planning for organization-wide access, creating and using policy and accessibility standards, program review, ableism, and the social justice model of disability.

Rachel Kruzel, ATP, is the Higher Education Specialist for Texthelp where she supports higher education institutions across the United States and Canada as they explore, adopt, and implement technology based literacy, STEM, and accessibility based solutions to help create more inclusive, equitable, and accessible campuses and learning spaces for all students and campus members. She is a RESNA Certified Assistive Technology Professional and spent over ten years working as an Assistive Technology and Accommodations Specialist in Disability Resource Offices prior to coming to Texthelp. During her time in higher ed, she built and developed assistive technology programs at both schools she worked at, as well as coordinated the provision of accommodations. Rachel is a national expert in the areas of assistive technology, digital accessibility, accessible course materials, and accommodation provision around testing and notetaking. Rachel presents both regionally and nationally on these topics and others and is a member of AHEAD and MNAHEAD.

Katherine MacDonald, Ed.D, has worked in higher education disability services for over a decade and currently serves as the Director of Disability Services and Adjunct Professor of Education at Randolph-Macon College. A former middle school special education and English teacher in west Philadelphia, Kate began her career in higher education disability services at Salisbury University. She is passionate about diversity, access, and equity in education and working with students to develop the skills, competencies, and confidence they need to meet their personal and academic goals. Outside of her role at Randolph-Macon College, Kate serves on the Board of Directors for Delta Alpha Pi (international disability honors society) and the Executive Board for Virginia AHEAD. She also enjoys serving as an executive functioning coach for local middle, high school, and college students. Kate earned her Ed.D in Contemporary Curriculum Theory and Instruction: Literacy from Salisbury University and her research focuses on the intersection of literacy and disability identities and experiences of college students with reading disabilities. She has also completed the ADA Certification Training Program at the University of Missouri. 

Jon McGough, M.Ed. has more than 15 years of experience coordinating ADA accommodations in higher education and private business. He served on the Board of the Coalition for Disability Access in Health Science and Medical Education and is a past President of the Washington Association on Postsecondary Education and Disability.  He is an advocate for improving opportunity for disabled clinicians in training, and contributed to two chapters in The Guide to Assisting Students With Disabilities: Equal Access in Health Science and Professional Education. His list of clients and past employers includes Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, the University of Washington, Portland State University, and Amazon, among others. He is currently the Student Disability Specialist at University of California, San Francisco, and a frequent presenter for AHEAD.

Adam Meyer is the Director of the Student Accessibility Services at the University of Central Florida. He has past experiences at Eastern Michigan University and at Saint Louis University while serving in this field since 2004. Adam was previously part of a national U.S. Department of Education grant that explored ways in which concepts of social justice could be more regularly and routinely incorporated into the operations of the disability services office. Adam has presented at numerous conferences and multiple other AHEAD and AHEAD affiliate venues on rethinking documentation, social model of disability and office implementation, effective initial student interviews and interactive process facilitation, disability language and various leadership and influence strategies for disability office personnel. Adam served on the Association for Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) Board of Directors, now serves on the AHEAD external review team for campus program evaluations, and also does consulting and presentations with other disability offices and their campuses.

Jennifer Murchison is the Executive Director of Universal Access and Inclusion and ADA Coordinator in the Office for Disability Justice at California State University, Sacramento (Sac State). Jennifer's work is grounded in the principles of social justice and civil rights as integral foundations of administration and institutional work. In her 23+ years as a professional in higher education and disability services, Jennifer has forged friendships and mentorships up and down the ladder. Jennifer is leading efforts at Sac State to be more intentional with inclusionary practices on campus, with employment searches, during events, and in general. She is working with colleagues to ensure disability is seen as a valued aspect of diversity, addressing ableism across identities, and highlighting that ableism is systemic - something we all should acknowledge, address, and correct.

Maria Schiano, MSW, is the Director of Accessibility Services at County College of Morris in New Jersey. She was appointed to AHEAD’s Board of Directors to serve as a Director-At-Large as the Community College representative. She also holds the role of the AHEAD Affiliates liaison, which helps connect affiliate groups across the country. Maria is also the immediate past-president of New Jersey AHEAD.  She has over 20 years of higher education experience, specializing in disability services and access, LGBTQ + services and promoting equity and inclusion through a social justice lens.

Jill Sieben-Schneider, Ed.D. holds a dual role at Northwestern University as the Associate Dean of Students and the Director of AccessibleNU (ANU). She is responsible for implementing the mission of ANU through leadership, education, and outreach and serves in a leadership capacity for the Division of Student Affairs through crisis response and cross-campus initiatives. She is also a consultant and serves in various capacities for different institutional types with a focus on organization design, operations, assessment, strategic planning, and program reviews. Jill is a reviewer on the editorial board for the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, has published on best practices and disability research, and co-authored the new 2023 Disability Resources and Services Standards for the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS). Representing the Association for Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), she has held two Officer positions on the AHEAD Board where she currently serves as Treasurer, serves as a CAS Council Member, is a former AHEAD conference Program Chair, and is a past president for the Colorado Wyoming AHEAD affiliate.

Jodi Sleeper-Triplett, BA, MCC, BCC, is a Master Certified Coach, trainer, mentor, and speaker. She is the author of Empowering Youth with ADHD, a contributing author of Becoming Self-Determined: Creating Thoughtful Learners in a Standards-Driven, Admissions-Frenzied Culture (2016) and Becoming Self-Determined: Practical Strategies for a Changing World (2021), and co-editor of From Transactional to Transformational: Coaching in Disability Resources (2023). Her company, JST Coaching & Training, provides research-based student and neurodiversity coach training programs to individuals and educational institutions. Jodi is the recipient of the 2016 CHADD Hall of Fame Award & 2017 ADHD Coaches Organization Founders Award. She is considered the foremost authority on student and neurodiversity coaching. During her two-year term as president of the Association of Coach Training Organizations, Jodi's platform focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion in coach training, and she continues to forward social justice initiatives.

Chris Stone, Ed.D. is Director of Disability Resources at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Stone leads Disability Resources in its efforts to assist disabled students in meeting their academic and personal development goals and supports the University in the broader mission of inclusivity and equitable opportunity for disabled students. In addition to this role, he engages as an external consultant, supporting institutions and individuals in addressing organizational planning, leadership, and policies and practices. Chris previously served as Director-at-Large on the board of AHEAD and held positions of Treasurer and President within the North Carolina affiliate of AHEAD (NCAHEAD), and currently is the President of Missouri AHEAD. Along with having the privilege to support AHEAD’s efforts by facilitating sessions during the Master Class, AHEAD Start, and during the PreConference, Chris has been granted numerous opportunities to engage professionals nationally and internationally, most recently keynoting the NCAHEAD Fall Conference in October 2024.

Mary Lee Vance is the Director of the Disability Access Center, Testing Center, Disability Cultural Center, and Assistive Technology Lab at California State University Sacramento, where she has also served as interim Director for the Office of Equal Opportunity, Title IX and Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation (DHR), under the Inclusive Excellence Division. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses including disability studies, successfully written federal grants, serves as a reviewer for the AHEAD and NACADA refereed journals and for over 16 years has taught and continues to teach disability law classes and seminars with Grossman, Axelrod and Vance Consulting with specific focus on the intersection between racism and ableism, ADA and Title IX, and other intersections, as well as additional subject areas. Among other honors, Mary Lee was presented AHEAD’s Professional Recognition Award in 2012, the AHEAD Duraese Hall Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award in 2020, and the AHEAD Blosser Award in 2023. She has published in referred journals, books, and periodicals, and lead-edited 5 books published by NASPA, NACADA and AHEAD. The books include DISABLED Faculty and Staff in a Disabling Society: Multiple Perspectives in Higher Education; Beyond the Americans with Disabilities Act: Proactively Planning for Accessible Post-Secondary Educational Offerings Now and into the Future; Advising Students with Disabilities: Developing Universal Success; Laws, Policies and Procedures: Tools for Postsecondary Student Accommodation; and the newly released DISABLED Faculty and Staff: Intersecting Identities in Higher Education, Volume 2.

Charnessa Warren, Ed.D. holds a Master of Science degree in Disability and Human Development, with a concentration in Rehabilitative Technology. Charnessa earned a doctorate from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership, with a concentration in Diversity & Equity in Education. Charnessa is also a Gateway Equity Institute certified DEI FaciliTrainer. Charnessa currently works with the University of Chicago as the Director of Student Disability Services.  She is also a Board Member of the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD), and currently leads the Ivy Plus Disability Services Group for higher education disability service providers. With 25 years of experience as a disability accommodation specialist and assistive technology subject matter expert, she has grown into a well-respected disability inclusion advocate, speaker, leader, and thought partner in establishing innovative ways to incorporate disability as a part of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Katy Washington, J.D., Ph.D., is the inaugural Chief Accessibility Officer at Virginia Commonwealth University in the Office of Institutional Equity, Effectiveness, and Success and serves as the ADA/Section 504 Coordinator. She currently serves as President of the Board of Directors for AHEAD. She has spent over eighteen years working with faculty and staff to facilitate an inclusive campus environment for disabled students. In her current role, Katy uses an innovative approach to proactively remove physical and digital barriers to equal access by collaborating with workgroups and partners across the university; administering the employment-related accommodation process; and ensuring university compliance with relevant state and federal laws which directly impact equal access and inclusion of disabled employees, students, and visitors. Katy received a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology from the University of Central Arkansas. She also holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Arkansas.