Catherine Anders

Cathy is a business professional with 35 years of experience in product marketing for consumer and healthcare products companies, business development in the healthcare products industry, and general management. She has held management and marketing positions with several companies including Clorox, Caltech Industries and Clairol; her skills include strategic planning, marketing research, and organizational development. Cathy is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (B.A.) and the Columbia University Graduate School of Business, New York (M.B.A.). She recently served on The Arc’s national Policy and Positions Committee and is a Past President of the Board of her local chapter of The Arc in Midland, MI. As an adoptive parent, along with her husband Peter, of a young man with an intellectual disability, Cathy has first-hand experience with the challenges faced by those with intellectual disability and welcomes the opportunity to assist with establishing the new Foundation.

Suniti Sarah Bal

Suniti Sarah Bal is a Vice President at GMMB, one of the most respected full-service communications agencies in the nation. GMMB is a firm on a mission to help non-profits, associations, and foundations raise their profiles, advance issues, shift attitudes, and change lives. Suniti brings over 15 years of nonprofit and political communications experience to GMMB.

Currently, her portfolio includes work on health equity, climate change, and education. Working closely with nonprofits of all sizes, Suniti provides strategic communications counsel to support day-to-day communications needs, expert crisis communications support, and overall partnership to help organizations reach their goals. In addition to her client work, she sits on GMMB’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council and serves as a co-lead of the Earned Media Strategy Group.

Most recently, Suniti worked at the American Heart Association (AHA), where she served as Director of Federal Media Advocacy. In this role, she implemented strategic direction on all communication and outreach to the national media in support of AHA’s federal advocacy agenda. She also led communications and media strategy for multiple grassroots policy campaigns, including AHA’s successful campaign to end the practice of surprise medical billing.

Prior to her work with AHA, Suniti served as Director of Public Relations for The Arc of the United States, the nation’s oldest and largest disability rights organization. During her tenure with The Arc, she tripled The Arc’s earned media coverage and created lasting partnerships to further the organization’s mission of inclusion. Disability rights remain a passion for her.

Early in her career, Suniti served on Senator Mazie Hirono’s (then Congresswoman Hirono) staff. Currently, she also serves on the board of directors for the Praxis Project, a national nonprofit dedicated to health equity and social justice.

Thomas J. Collamore

Tom is Senior Advisor to the George and Barbara Bush Foundation and founder of Collamore Consulting Group, an advisory firm serving foundations, corporate executives, and trade associations. He was Executive Vice President and Counselor to the President, and chief communications officer, at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce from 2007 to 2018. Earlier, Tom was Vice President of Corporate Public Affairs at Altria Group. His extensive government experience includes serving as Special Assistant to Secretary of Commerce Malcom Baldrige, senior staff to Vice President Bush, and Chief of Staff and Assistant Secretary of Commerce in the George H.W. Bush Administration. As a volunteer, he has served in leadership roles with Benedictine School for Exceptional Children (MD), George Bush Presidential Library (TX), Citymeals on Wheels (NY), MedStar National Rehab Hospital (DC), Kingswood Oxford School (CT) and Drew University (NJ). Tom and his wife, Jacqueline, live in Chevy Chase, MD with their four children.

John R. Greed

John R. Greed is Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Mutual of America Financial Group. Previously, Mr. Greed was Mutual of America’s Chief Financial Officer, a position he held until April 2015. Prior to joining Mutual of America in 1996, Mr. Greed was a partner with Arthur Andersen. He has served on the Board and Executive Committee of the Greater New York Councils of the Boy Scouts of America as well as the Board of Trustees of La Salle University. He currently serves on the Board of the Police Athletic League, the Citizens Budget Commission, Thirteen WNET NY, and The Arc of the United States Foundation.

Mr. Greed is also a member of the Archdiocese of New York Finance Council.

Sari Hornstein

Sari was born and raised in Montreal and lived in London and the Netherlands for five years before moving to the U.S. in 1983 where she has been ever since. Over the course of her career, she has taught college history, edited and written books, served as an Executive Director of an inclusive theatre, written extensively on issues related to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), advocated on their behalf, and has served on boards of developmental disability nonprofits. Sari has a son with IDD. A deeply passionate and committed community leader, she currently serves on the boards of ArtStream, an inclusive theatre company (Washington, D.C.); the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts; Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (Washington, D.C.); and on the Advisory Board of the Institute for After School Development, an affiliate of the All Stars Project (NYC), that focuses on after school and youth development. Sari is a graduate of McGill University (B.A. 1978), the London School of Economics (M.Sc.1980), and Leiden University (Ph.D. 1985).

Stacy Kray

Stacy is an attorney with 20+ years of transactional and litigation experience who co-leads the ESG, environmental and climate change practice groups at Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe.  She served as the pro bono coordinator for Skadden Arps’ Bay Area offices for more than fifteen years and has personally been involved in class action and other litigation to enforce the civil rights of those with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and other laws. As an innovator in change to law firm pro bono, Stacy co-founded a community impact project to educate teens about their legal rights and responsibilities relating to social media use, including modules on hate crimes, legal consent, and bullying with companies including Cisco and Hewlett Packard.  She also serves on the Board of The Arc of the United States and does volunteer work for the Helix School, a ground-breaking school for neurodiverse children and teenagers in Marin County.  She is a songwriter and former board member of the San Francisco Chapter of The Recording Academy (which runs the Grammy Awards) and the mother of two amazing teenagers, one of whom has special needs.  She is passionate about ensuring that the neurodiverse are valued and celebrated in our communities.

Lloyd Lewis

Lloyd Lewis is the CEO of Arc Thrift Stores of Colorado, one of the state’s largest employers, nonprofits, and one of the largest employers of persons with IDD. Under his tenure, Arc Thrift has provided over $250 million to nonprofit causes and charities. Prior to joining Arc Thrift, Mr. Lewis was a municipal investment banker with Smith Barney, a Senior Financial Analyst with IBM, a Director of Finance for a publicly traded medical equipment company, and CFO for a high-tech start-up company. Mr. Lewis is a nationally recognized expert and speaker in IDD employment and has been recognized in the Congressional Record. He is the recipient of a NewsEd Civil Rights Award and a World Citizenship Award from the International Civitans, whose prior winners include Eunice Shriver, founder of Special Olympics. Mr. Lewis received an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago and lives in Colorado with his wife Claire and has four older and two younger children, including a 19-year-old son with Down syndrome.

Katy Neas, Chief Executive Officer

Katherine (Katy) Neas is the CEO of The Arc of the United States, the largest national community-based organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families. She leads The Arc’s Washington, DC-based national office and network of nearly 600 state and local chapters, which provide direct support and advocacy to more than a million people with IDD across the United States.

Katy has a deep commitment to advancing the rights and opportunities of people with disabilities, exemplified by her 35-year career spanning government, nonprofit, and association sectors. She is well known as an ally and thought leader by government officials and legislators, nonprofit providers, self-advocates, parents, and executive staff across the country. She began her career as Legislative Assistant to Senator Tom Harkin and the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy, where she worked on the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). She then served as the Associate Director of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, where she promoted research, education, and service initiatives to improve the lives of people with IDD and their families.

Katy spent 23 years at Easterseals, a national nonprofit that provides direct services to children and adults with disabilities and their families. She held various leadership roles, including Senior Vice President of Government Relations, where she advocated for federal and state policies and programs that benefit people with disabilities and managed the Easterseals Office of Public Affairs. She has extensive policy experience in early education, special education, employment and systems transformation for children and youth with disabilities and their families.

Prior to joining The Arc, Katy was appointed by President Joe Biden to serve as the Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the U.S. Department of Education. She advised U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on matters related to the education of children and adults with disabilities and led efforts to support community living, improve education and employment outcomes, and break barriers and stigmas for all people with disabilities. She also managed the Department’s extensive work in addressing the mental health crisis affecting all our nation’s youth.

Katy also has extensive experience in the association sector, having served as the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the 100,000 member American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). She oversaw APTA’s federal and state government public policy activities, federal regulatory affairs, grassroots and political action efforts, and public relations.

Katy, a graduate of Georgetown University and native of Des Moines, Iowa, is widely regarded for her bipartisan and collaborative work, earning her roles including Past Chair of the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD). She is honored to lead The Arc into the future, working with its dedicated staff, board, chapters, self-advocates, families, and partners to build a world where people with IDD are valued members of society who have the power to choose how they live, learn, work, and play.

Jeanne W. Ruesch

Jeanne chairs the Ruesch Family Foundation which focuses on medical research, education, and the arts. The Foundation funded the Ruesch Center for the Cure of GI Cancers at Georgetown/Medstar Hospital in honor of her late husband, Otto Ruesch. Ms. Ruesch is the previous chair of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and the National Symphony Orchestra. She has served on the boards of Georgetown University, Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, Gonzaga College High School, Washington Performing Arts, Washington Jesuit Academy and Catholic Charities. She is a member of the Committee of 200, a worldwide organization for entrepreneurial businesswomen. Prior to establishing the family foundation, Ms. Ruesch and her husband founded an international financial services company.

Rick Stamberger

Rick is Senior Vice President of B2B media and an Executive Team member of Future Plc, a UK-based global media company. He was President & CEO of SmartBrief, Inc., a leading digital media provider serving professional audiences which he co-founded in 1999. Future Plc acquired SmartBrief in 2019. Rick serves as an independent trustee of VanEck Funds and VanEck ETF Trust. Earlier, he was a founder of Quest Partners LLC, a Boston-based consultancy, and executive vice president and a director of a DC-based technology firm. Rick was a White House Fellow, Office of the Vice President (1984 – 85), and served President-elect Obama’s Transition as agency lead for the Executive Office of the President (2008 – 09). He serves on the board of Food & Friends, a D.C.-based nonprofit. He was executive producer of “John Gardner, Uncommon American,” a 2001 public TV documentary. He is a graduate of Williams College and Harvard Business School.

Scott Steindorff

Scott is an international television and film producer and writer who specializes in adapting literary bestsellers into premium movies and television. His most recent project is the post-apocalyptic saga “Station Eleven,” released on HBO Max. In the business since 1998, his other projects include Netflix’s docuseries “Firechasers,” NBC’s 5-season, hit series “Las Vegas,” John Favreau’s “Chef,” “The Lincoln Lawyer,” “Love in the Time of Cholera,” and the critically acclaimed HBO miniseries, “Empire Falls,” which won a Golden Globe for Best Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television. Scott is also a Professor of Practice at Arizona State University, where he teaches a course on emotions and how to utilize them to influence art, and he also creates immersive digital art as a digital entrepreneur. As a neurodiversity advocate, he regularly speaks with high schools and colleges across the country on the importance of emotions and feelings, as well as facing substance abuse.

Dawn Sweeney

A transformational business leader with decades of experience, Dawn has built a reputation for operational excellence, innovative strategic thinking, integrity, and a passionate commitment to all she undertakes. The longest-serving and first woman President & CEO of the National Restaurant Association, advancing and protecting the nation’s one million restaurants and its 15 million employees, she retired in 2019. Previously, she was President of AARP Services, the taxable business subsidiary serving AARP’s 40 million members. Currently, Dawn serves as an Executive-In-Residence at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, is a Principal at New England Consulting Group, and an independent board member of SITE Centers Corp. She is actively involved with MedStar National Rehab Hospital, The Economic Club of DC, the International Women’s Forum, and the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). She is also an NACD Certified Director.

Tanya Taiwo

A social justice activist, researcher, and midwife with over 20 years of experience, Tanya is dedicated to eliminating the disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes. As Senior Program Officer for Skyline Foundation’s Birth Justice portfolio, Tanya supports and deepens the program’s strategy and activities, including working with the Skyline Foundation board and team to ensure a strong focus on equity. Within her role, she continuously surveys the landscape to identify emerging innovations, policy opportunities, and trends in maternal health to further partnerships. Tanya is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM). She holds a Master of Public Health from San Jose State University and a PhD in Epidemiology from UC Davis. Concurrently with her role at Skyline, she is an Assistant Professor of Midwifery at Bastyr University. She co-leads Project TENDR, a program of The Arc and a collaboration of advocates, clinicians and scientists working to reduce exposure of neurotoxic environmental chemicals in pregnant women and children. 

Nancy Webster

Nancy is the proud sister of Martha, who has intellectual and developmental disabilities. She is a life-long advocate and leader in supporting and promoting the rights of people with IDD. She is retired as senior manager of an environmental engineering company. Active with The Arc of the United States since 2001, she served on the Board of Directors from 2002 – 2016, including as President (2012 – 2014). In her many leadership roles, she was instrumental in developing the Strategic Framework for the Future of The Arc, 2010 – 2019, the rebranding of The Arc, improving national-state-local chapter relations, creating The Arc’s first Diversity Strategic Action Plan, and founding The Arc Alumni Council, which she chairs. Previously, Nancy served on the board of a local chapter (1981 – 1991, President for three years) and The Arc of Illinois (1991 – 2001, President for four years). She served as President on the Board of Clear Lake Township Land Conservancy in NE Indiana from 2015 – 2019.

Carol Wheeler, Board President

Before becoming President of The Arc of the United States Foundation, Carol served on The Arc’s National Board and executive committee and during the Obama Administration, was appointed to the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. Carol’s other volunteer work has included founding and chairing the board of the Washington Ireland Program for Service and Leadership, co-chairing the Advisory Board for N Street Village, founding and chairing the Friends of J.O. Wilson Elementary School, coordinating the D.C. program for Project Children, chairing the board of the South Africa-Washington Program and co-chairing the Washington Interfaith Network. In addition to working on Capitol Hill and in a Cabinet agency, she has served as White House Liaison for Women’s Organizations, Executive Director of the Women’s Campaign Fund, Vice President for Government Affairs at the National Association of Broadcasters, and as a consultant/lobbyist for America’s Public Television Stations.