Board of Directors

Judy Mark has an adult son with autism, which led her to become co-founder and President of Disability Voices United. Judy leads DVU’s advocacy and programmatic efforts. Judy was instrumental in the passage of the Self-Determination Law and has been active in itsimplementation. Judy has written and edited two books on the Self-Determination Program and has spoken extensively throughout California and trained thousands of individuals and families. Judy also leads DVU’s legislative and advocacy efforts and has frequently testified before California’s legislature. Judy has appeared frequently in the media advocating for people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and on other major issues such as police violence, access to voting, and the problems with conservatorship.

Judy also serves as a faculty member at UCLA, teaching undergraduate courses on autism in the Disability Studies Program. She led the Autism Media Lab, which produced seven short documentaries on the inclusion of people with non-speaking autism. Her past professional experience includes over 30 years leading communication and development efforts for national policy organizations, most extensively focusing on immigrant and refugee rights.

Judy has a BA from UCLA in Communications Studies and a Masters in Politics and Public Policy from the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University with coursework at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. Judy lives in Los Angeles with her husband, attorney Allen Erenbaum, and son, Joshua, and she visits her daughter, Emma, often wherever she may be across the globe.

Mr. Gomez is an industry expert on multicultural marketing with an emphasis on niche markets and has held senior positions with top corporations including Televisa (Univision Holdings), Microsoft (MSNLatino), and France Telecomm (Starmedia).

He is also a passionate advocate for individuals with special needs, including his son with Down syndrome. He was appointed by Governor Brown to the Interagency Coordinating Council on Early Intervention and was involved in several boards including the Board of Directors (past Chairman) for Westside Regional Center, and past President, Board of Directors of ARCA (Association of Regional Center Agencies). In addition, he is a Co-Founder of Integrated Community Collaborative (ICC).

He also served on the Board of Directors for the Special Olympics of Southern California (SOSC) and Latino Entertainment Media Institute. He is a past member of the state workgroup on self-determination as well as the State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) and current member of the DDS Task Force Service Access & Equity Workgroup. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Elizabeth, and sons, Oscar Antonio, and Diego.

Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed. has been an elementary educator for over 30 years, and co-teaches a disability studies course at San Diego State University. She is a consultant and educator on diversity as it relates to disability and is the author of several articles and books including Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity Work in K-12 Schools & Communities, and children’s book, Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights. Her disability awareness work has earned her statewide PTA recognitions in the areas of advocacy and outreach, as well as her school’s designation of Teacher of the Year. Aside from her TEDxTalk, Diana has been featured in several articles and podcasts. She served two terms on the Board of Directors of Disability Rights California, and currently serves as a board member of Disability Voices United. Diana credits her passion for this work to her brother, Joaquin, who endured years of segregated schooling and subsequent institutionalization. She takes the most pride in knowing that after many years of fighting for his release, Joaquin now lives a life of self-determination, inclusion and quality, in the community, as her next-door neighbor.

Stephen Hinkle is a disability rights advocate and international speaker. He has spoken across 24 states and in Australia on topics such as autism, inclusion, and disability advocacy. Stephen is currently working on his PhD in disability policy at Chapman University.  He has his Bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University in Computer Science and Masters degree from Northern Arizona University in Disability Policy Studies. Stephen is also a former special education student who is on the autism spectrum.

Valerio is the father of two children with a diagnosis of Autism, who are clients of
Redwood Coast Regional Center. Since Valerio learned about the diagnosis for his first son, he started navigating the Regional Center system trying to get his son the services needed for him to start having a better life. Valerio faced many challenges to obtain needed services for his children. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he was able to connect with advocacy and community groups, including Disability Voices United and the Integrated Community Collaborative, where he received valuable training and support. Valerio is motivated and empowered to help improve the I/DD system so that regional center clients and their families do not face barriers in navigating and accessing much needed services.

Kathy Finn is President of UFCW, Local 770. Before she even stepped out of law school, Kathy Finn began fighting for the rights of working people. Since 1990, she’s brought that grit and dedication to UFCW 770 workers. With a passion for protecting the health and pension benefits of our members, she currently serves as a trustee on the Southern California UFCW Health & Welfare Fund and the Pension Fund. Kathy also sits at the bargaining table during contract negotiations to ensure our members get the benefits we deserve.

Marta Green is the mother of two wonderful children, one of which is a funny, creative, big-hearted boy with a rare chromosomal disorder that changed the way he developed and how he interacts with the world around him.  When she’s not momming, she is the owner of Marta Green Consulting, a firm that advises national and state policymakers, health care entities, and non-profit organizations how to design and implement programs and projects aimed at improving health care access, equity, quality, and affordability. Prior to opening her firm, Marta served more than 20 years as an executive leader in California state government specializing in health care delivery system reform, public policy, and public affairs. She also serves as a guest lecturer on governmental studies and public policy at California State University, Sacramento and the University of San Francisco.

A speech pathologist, Connie Lapin has been a lecturer and family advocate for children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental disabilities for over 50 years. When her son Shawn was diagnosed at age two, in 1970, there was a dearth of information and no services available. Her youngest son, Erik, is a Judge Advocate in the United States Army. He has served in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Her older son, Brad, is an exceptional & sensitive professional in Autism.

Connie has testified before government bodies, lectured at universities and conferences, and made appearances on television and radio. Connie’s accolades include “Woman of the Year” in Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield’s district, and a Lifetime Achievement and Meritorious Service for Autism from Senate Pro Tem Darryl Steinberg. Connie and her husband, Harvey, recently received a commendation from the California State Senate for their contribution to advancing the rights of people with developmental disabilities.

As former co-chair of the Government Relations Committee for the Autism Society of Los Angeles, she helped lead the successful effort in California to enact Self-Determination legislation that was signed in October 2013 by Governor Brown.

Alison Morantz moved to California in 2004 to join the faculty of Stanford Law School, where she directs the Stanford Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Law and Policy Project (SIDDLAPP), and teaches contracts, employment law, and mental health law.  Her son, who has autism and serious mental illness, lives in the community after spending years receiving treatment away from home. Despite the complexity of his condition, he enjoys considerable day-to-day autonomy, has free access to the outdoors, and sees his family frequently.

Alison and her husband were founding members of the Parent Advisory Board of the Stanford Autism Center.  They continue to advocate for their son and other individuals with developmental disabilities, especially those with co-occurring mental illness.

Sherry Novick recently retired from Kaiser Permanente where she served for three years on the national team developing the organization’s social health practice, focused on addressing patients’ social needs that undermine health, and seven years as Managing Director of Community Benefit Programs for Kaiser Permanente’s northern California region. In that position, she oversaw charitable investments in programs and services to benefit communities across a 13-county service area.

Previously Sherry served for 10 years as Executive Director of the First 5 Association of California, representing California’s 58 First 5 County Children and Families Commissions. She assumed that position after 15 years working in the California Legislature where she served as Chief Consultant to the Assembly Human Services Committee. During her years with the State Assembly, Sherry specialized in issues related to child and family services, early care and education, income support programs, health care for low income individuals, disability, and long term care. She was the chief Assembly staff negotiator for CalWORKs, California’s version of the federally-mandated welfare to work program, and for the reorganization of the statewide In-Home Supportive Services program. Throughout her career, Sherry has advocated for the rights and well-being of underserved and disenfranchised populations.

Sherry holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Carolyn Tellalian is a mom to three adult children: Ryan, Marisa, and Vana. Shortly after Marisa’s birth, Carolyn became involved in organizing community resources surrounding the Down syndrome and disability community in Tulare and Fresno County. Carolyn collaborated with another mom to design, fund and launch the post-secondary education Wayfinders Program at Fresno State.

She is a licensed clinical social worker at Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera and lives in Fresno. Carolyn has become involved in legislative advocacy. She serves on the board of Disability Voices United and is Co-Chair of Central Valley Regional Center’s Local Advisory Committee.

Marisa has lived in her own home with two close friends since 2015 and has been part of the Self-Determination Program since August 2020. The 3 roommates enjoy a full and self-determined life in their home and community.

Antonio Milane is a disability advocate and computer engineer. He has focused on removing barriers from education for the disabled. These efforts have been widely publicized on Insider Higher Ed and Metro News. Beyond the scope of disability advocacy, he is a Stanford student pursuing an undergraduate degree in computer science. As a student, he has done policy research within the realm of California regional centers under SIDDLAPP.

Prior to higher education, Antonio Milane was a special needs student who fought for many policy changes within his high school. He continues to promote a more accessible world while proving the importance of having an inter-able world.