Board of Directors
Robert Dinerstein, Chair/President
Professor of Law, American University, Washington College
of Law
Mr. Dinerstein is professor of law at American University, Washington College of Law, where he has taught since 1983. He is President and an original member of the Board of Directors of Quality Trust. Prior to coming to the Washington College of Law, he was an attorney for five years at the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Special Litigation Section, where he litigated cases concerning conditions in state mental retardation, mental illness, and juvenile institutions. From 1988-1996, Professor Dinerstein was director of the law school’s nationally recognized clinical law program and from 1997-2004, he was associate dean for academic affairs at the law school.
Rebecca Salon, Ph.D., Treasurer
Disability Consultant and Advisor, Project ACTION!
Dr. Salon is a consultant, working locally on disability-related quality enhancement and advocacy projects in DC and Maryland. Dr. Salon was previously the Director of the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute, where she worked for 20 years in positions that spanned all of their programs and projects. Dr. Salon has over 35 years of experience working with people with developmental disabilities of all ages and their families. She has a Masters and Doctorate from Syracuse University in Special Education. Dr. Salon has worked in schools, preschools, community living and employment programs in several states.
Barbara Stewart, Secretary
Family Member
Ms. Stewart a native Washingtonian, has been an advocate for children and adults with developmental disabilities and special needs for over 40 years. Her professional career includes over thirty-six years of service at local and national government housing authorities including, the DC Housing Authority, HUD certified Housing Program for Section 8 programs and St. Elizabeth's Certificate/Vouchers and Certificate Voucher Program for the Homeless of DC. For many years she has been an active volunteer within the DC Public School System and Human Rights Committee for DC Community Services. Ms. Stewart is married and the proud mother of an adult daughter and son with developmental disabilities.
Annie Acosta
Director of Communications and Grassroots Advocacy, Disability Policy Collaboration
Ms. Acosta has over 20 years experience in the public health field working for non-profit organizations, the federal government, and private consulting firms. She joined the Disability Policy Collaboration of The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy as the Director of Communications and Grassroots Advocacy in 2007. Prior to that, she served as the Program Director for the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, where she directed a health disparities grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to integrate alcohol screening and intervention in community health centers. Ms. Acosta also served as a Government Project Officer with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), working primarily on program development, distance education, and evaluation. Ms. Acosta received her Master's degree in social work with a concentration in social policy from Catholic University in 1992.
Bernard Crawford
Self-Advocate, Project ACTION!
Mr. Crawford is an advocate and member of Project ACTION!, a local self-advocacy coalition of people with developmental disabilities. Mr. Crawford lived at Forest Haven until 1989 when he moved to a group home in the community. He now lives in his own apartment with a roommate in the District of Columbia. He has held a variety of jobs, but his favorite role is working with other people who have developmental disabilities. Mr. Crawford currently works as a transportation aide assisting people going to and from different appointments and activities. He is dedicated to ensuring people with developmental disabilities get opportunities to be involved in their community and joined the Board of Quality Trust in January 2010.
Karen Davis
Adjunct Instructor of Anthropology, Temple University
Ms. Davis is a consultant in fund-raising and communications and a project evaluator for colleges and universities and nonprofit organizations. She has been Director of Sponsored Projects and Director of Development and Community Affairs at the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute, a regional disability services provider, and she has provided Washington representation, including lobbying, for the undergraduate liberal arts colleges that are members of the Great Lakes Colleges Association and the Associated Colleges of the Midwest.
Janene Jackson
Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy, DC Chamber of Commerce
As the senior lobbyist of DC's Chamber of Commerce, she is responsible for crafting and sharing the legislative and policy objectives of the Chamber to the executive and legislative branches of government within the District of Columbia. Prior to joining the Chamber, Janene served as the Committee Clerk for the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary at the Council of the District of Columbia. She was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Committee's work, which included its staff, legislation, and constituent related concerns. Her policy work includes serving as the Executive Director of the State Compliant Office of the DCPS which investigated claims that local education agencies committed alleged violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Robyn King
Electrical Engineer, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Mr. King has been a Board member for the Quality Trust since the organization began. Mr. King is a native of Washington, DC and fills the “family member” position on the Board of Directors of Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities. Mr. King served briefly on the Board of Directors of the DC ARC. His interest in the rights of persons with disabilities stems primarily from his life long advocacy of his younger sister Janice King.
Afroze Mohammed
Independent Management Consultant
Ms. Mohammed's career experience includes working as a Research Associate at Harvard Business School, senior marketing roles at Lucent Technologies, Blackboard Inc. and devising public policy solutions in the energy and environmental fields at ICF International, a global professional services firm. Ms. Mohammed has an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a BA in Economics from Georgetown University. Her strong interest in improving services for individuals with disabilities stems from being an advocate for many years for her sister, Mini.
Vanessa Monroe
Self-Advocate, Project ACTION!
Ms. Monroe is a passionate self-advocate for her peers with developmental disabilities. She is a member of Project ACTION! and attends local and national conferences where she presents with others on her role as a self-advocate. She testifies before the District’s City Council on topics of interest to her and her peers including People First language. She is an inspiring artist and an artist in residence at ArtEnables in the District. Ms. Monroe enjoys the theatre, going to movies, and being active and involved in her community.
Matthew Trammel
Self-Advocate, Project ACTION!
Mr. Trammel is an advocate and member of Project ACTION!, a local self-advocacy coalition of people with developmental disabilities. Mr. Trammel lived at Forest Haven and now lives in his own apartment with a roommate in the District of Columbia. He has held different jobs, and really enjoys working with autos and travelling. He joined the Board of Quality Trust in January 2010.
Karen Wolf Branigin
Director of Training and Technical Assistance, Easter Seals Transportation Initiatives
Ms. Wolf Branigin is currently working on directing training and technical assistance programs that focus on improving accessible transportation services and successful implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. She began her career in direct service and learned her greatest lessons about oppression and injustice while working at an institution for people with intellectual disabilities. Ms. Wolf Branigin has a Masters in Social Work, Social Welfare Policy and Planning from The University of Michigan. She came to Washington, DC as a Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Public Policy Fellow and worked for Senator John D. Rockefeller, IV of West Virginia.
Sharman Word Dennis
CEO, Global Enrichment Solutions
Ms. Dennis has worked tirelessly on behalf of children and families. While much of her work focuses on the developmental needs of children at risk and those with special needs, she focuses on the needs of all children. She advocates that teachers and parents must look at the abilities of a child, the strengths, before looking at what the child cannot do. Her focus is on how children learn and that they should be taught to their learning styles. She is also a strong supporter of utilizing a multidisciplinary approach toward working with children for optimal learning to occur. Her company, Global Enrichment Solutions utilizes psychologists, speech and occupational therapists, general and special educators to implement the multidisciplinary approach when working with students. She has served as an adjunct professor at Howard University, The George Washington University and the University of the District of Columbia.
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