Ms. Capitani joined the Board of Directors of The Arc of Pennsylvania already experienced in advocacy and serving people and their families with intellectual disabilities. She is the former co-chair of the Family Advisory Council at the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital, member of the Family Faculty at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Miracle Mom for Children’s Miracle Network, and contributing author to the book “Gifts: Mothers Reflect on How Children with Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives”. Ms. Capitani participated in numerous speaking engagements with topics ranging from Early Intervention to How to Communicate with Parents. She has also led training seminars teaching other parents how to share their stories with professionals.

Lucille Piggott-Prawl is a Special Education/ Disability Rights Advocate. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science/Urban Studies from Rutgers University. Presently she is working on completing her Masters in Community Economic Development at Penn State. Lucille has certification from Temple University in the fields of Grant Writing and Nonprofit Fundraising.

Her professional experience includes Mental Health/Intellectual Disabilities, State and Federal Government, Education, Intensive Case Management, and Housing. Lucille serves on the boards and committees of the Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel (SEAP), Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania, Monroe County’s Women’s Commission, Pennsylvania Right to Education Task Force, Local Right to Education Taskforce IU 20 and 21 – Past Co Chair, Co-Founder Pleasant Valley School District Diversity Task Force, and the United Way of Monroe County PA – Funds Distribution Committee Member.

Lucille Piggott-Prawl resides in Kunkletown with her family.

Julie Gerhart-Rothholz is a pharmacist, Medical Affairs professional, diversity and inclusion professional, The Arc of Pennsylvania board member, and Arc Alliance Foundation Board Vice President. Her most important role is mom to 7-year-old Evan, who has Down syndrome. After receiving Evan’s post-birth diagnosis, which focused on symptoms and expected medical problems rather than on possibilities, Julie became an advocate for people with Down syndrome and other disabilities. Julie has engaged in “hill days” with her US representatives and senators and has visited her state representative and senator to educate them on the needs of individuals with disabilities. She also worked to connect US and state senators and representatives’ staff with her school district. Julie led the global Merck capABILITIES Network, one of 10 employee business resource groups that focuses on diversity and inclusion. Julie also leads social media engagement for the Pennsylvania Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition.

In her spare time, Julie enjoys watching Evan’s soccer games, running her Buddy Walk Auction/Raffle, and reading.

Mr. Broderick joined the board of The Arc of PA in June 2018 as a presidential appointee. He recently retired from The Arc of North Eastern PA after serving that chapter for 46 years, 40 as Executive Director. Don holds degrees in Psychology and Rehab Counseling, both from the University of Scranton. He has been a respected and tireless advocate for the rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities at home, in Harrisburg, in Washington D.C., and across the nation.

Don and his wife, Rosemary, live in the Clarks Summit area of North Eastern PA. She is President and CEO of Summit Peak Associates, a consulting firm. They have two children, Stephen, 29, Washington D.C., and Sara, 26, London, U.K.

As one of the larger provider Arc chapter, The Arc of Cumberland & Perry Counties (CPARC) serves over 1700 people annually. Anne has been Executive Director of CPARC since 2017. Prior to becoming Executive Director, Anne was CPARC’s Director of Development.

Mother to adult children with intellectual disabilities, Anne brings to life our mission of empowering, inspiring & educating people with intellectual disabilities, their families and the community. Under her leadership, stakeholders developed a strong strategic plan that focuses on finding innovative ways to take on the challenges facing the intellectual disability field, with a focus on Workforce Development, Board engagement, Advocacy and Development.

Anne currently serves as Vice President on the Cumberland-Perry Housing Initiative. This organization works with the Cumberland Perry Redevelopment Authority and is focused on providing housing for people experiencing mental health, intellectual disabilities and/or physical disabilities. She is also an active member of the Intellectual and Developmental Disability Task Force of Cumberland and Perry Counties. CPARC is also a member of the Pennsylvania Advocacy and Resources for Autism and Intellectual Disability where Anne is active on a variety of committees.

Anne holds a BS. in Business Administration from Shippensburg University with a concentration in Entrepreneurial Studies. When not at work Anne enjoys spending time with her family, genealogy research, traveling, cooking, gardening, and perusing antique shops.

Ms. Holland has been involved in family support and leadership efforts at both the local and statewide levels. She is a past chair of the State Interagency Coordinating Council for Early Intervention Services and her local Arc Chapter in Lancaster. Ms. Holland has been employed by Parent to Parent of PA, The Special Kids Network, and has worked as an independent consultant. Currently, she is a Special Assistant with the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning, focusing on Family Engagement.

First and foremost, Deb Brubaker is a parent. For the past 30 years, she has strongly advocated for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and is proud of the work being accomplished by The Arc. She feels that having a daughter with Autism gives her a perspective on life that she might have otherwise missed out on.

Currently, Deb is the President of The Arc of Susquehanna Valley, which serves five counties (Northumberland, Snyder, Union, Montour, and Columbia).

For the past 20 years, Deb has worked with her daughter to: bring WNEP TV 16’s Trail of Treats to the Susquehanna Valley; raise over $165,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network through “Ashley’s Auction;” author by then PA State Representative Russell Fairchild “Ashley’s Law,” requiring school districts to set a policy allowing students with disabilities to be able to participate in high school commencement ceremonies; and co-found (along with the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit) “Celebrate Community Day” (a day created especially for children with speech impairments).

Ms. Dias is currently the Executive Director of The Arc of Greene County. She has also served on the Greene County Special Olympic Committee and has been an advocate for individuals with disabilities for over 35 years. She is presently a member of the Pennsylvania Conference of Executives of The Arc, a member of The Arc of Pennsylvania as well as The Arc of the United States. In 2011, Ms. Dias was awarded the EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR AWARD, from The Arc of Pennsylvania.

Ms. Dias is a graduate of California University. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Special Education as well as a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood. She is a member of Sigma Pi Epsilon Delta Honor Society for Special Education. She is also a member of Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society for Education.

Jeanne Downey is a speech-language pathologist and provides early intervention speech therapy in the Erie area. She received her master’s degree in speech pathology from Clarion University. She has been an advocate for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Jeanne has completed two terms as President of The Arc of Pennsylvania and begins a new term on The Arc Board. Her youngest daughter has Down syndrome and this has been a driving force for Jeanne’s focus on families and people with disabilities. Jeanne especially loves spending time with her two young granddaughters who live in Erie.

Mr. Goryl has a long history of working in the world of disabilities. While spending 15 years in the Pennsylvania Senate, he was involved in many pieces of legislation involving people with disabilities. While working with the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA), he worked closely with the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council, The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to design programs to help provide homeownership opportunities for people with disabilities. Through Mr. Goryl’s participation, loan programs designed to retrofit homes for persons with a disability resulted in them being able to remain in their own home.

Mr. Goryl retired from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency in 2013 but continues to work with them on a part-time basis. As an attorney, he has worked in private practice as well as with the Pennsylvania Senate. He received his Juris Doctorate from Dickinson School of Law and his Bachelor of Science degree from Pennsylvania State University.

Catherine Siris has been advocating for children with disabilities and supporting families throughout Pennsylvania for the past 8 years. She has served as the parent co-chair for Early Intervention Connections (the Local Interagency Coordinating Council for Cumberland, Perry, and Dauphin Counties), started the Special Education Parent Advisory Council in Derry Township, and has participated in numerous speaking engagements for promoting family engagement. Her passion for disability rights stems from her experiences with her own child with Down Syndrome. Catherine holds an MBA from the George Washington University and a BA from the University of Virginia.  In her free time, she enjoys reading and playing with her husband and 3 children.

Board member Vicki Wertman leads by example. She lives independently, has worked at Knoebels Amusement resort for five years in catering, and has been a part of The Arc Susquehanna Valley’s Self-Advocacy Group for over 8 years. Vicki brings lived experience to The Arc of Pennsylvania’s Board of Directors. Vicki enjoys being with people, so The Arc is a great fit. Vicki is very proud to serve! She loves the entertainer Tony Orlando, she’s attending her 10th Tony Orlando concert this winter. (Vicki is featured in the photo attending a Halloween dance).