Leslie Ford is a policy researcher with more than a decade of experience including leadership roles as a domestic policy advisor to the President at the White House and a legislative advisor to Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) on Capitol Hill. Ford is focused on transforming U.S safety-net policies to empower vulnerable citizens. She is now the president of Ford Policy …
Sara Hart Weir
Sara is a national nonprofit executive, disability policy expert and a proud Kansan. She is the former President & C.E.O. of the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), where during her tenure at NDSS, she led the passage of the landmark, bipartisan Stephen Beck Jr., Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act in 2014 (P.L.113-295). The legislation garnered the support of …
Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz
Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, served as the first Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and as the Administrator for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration from 2017-2021. She obtained her Ph.D. from Yale University with a specialty in Infectious Disease Epidemiology and is a graduate of the University …
Mark P. Mostert, Ph.D.
Mark P. Mostert, Ph.D., is senior researcher at Able Americans, the National Center’s project to support Americans living with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities. Mark received his undergraduate degree from the Johannesburg College of Education (South Africa), an M.Ed. in special education from the University of South Alabama and a Ph.D. in special education research from the University of Virginia. Mark …
David A. Ridenour
David A. Ridenour is president of The National Center for Public Policy Research. For twenty-five years before that, he served as vice president (1986-2011), through which he directed numerous public policy programs, particularly on environmental and regulatory issues and foreign affairs; managed policy staff; and served as The National Center’s development director and chief financial officer, responsible for institutional growth. …
Rachel K. Barkley
Rachel K. Barkley, director of the National Center’s Able Americans program, has a decade of experience connecting Members of Congress, state and national think tank leaders, corporate stakeholders, state legislators, governors, advocacy professionals, and media influencers around shared goals. She has overseen the strategy for multi-state issue campaigns, executed many communication plans, managed the development of policy agendas, and advanced federal legislation …
Daniel D. Faoro
Dan Faoro serves the National Center for Public Policy Research as the organization’s Chief Executive Officer and Acting Director of Communications. In this position, he oversees the overall marketing and communications strategy to ensure brand and messaging consistency across all programs and platforms. Dan’s background includes roles leading marketing and communications efforts for trade associations as well positions in state …