Laura Waterland, director of the Disabilities Law Program

CDS’s Community Advisory Council, which brings together leaders in the disability community to help it identify goals and objectives, implement programs and make connections between public and private organizations, welcomed four new members in 2017:

• Elisha Jenkins, the director of the Delaware Division for the Visually Impaired, which helps people who are blind or visually impaired find and sustain employment, independence and self-sufficiency. Jenkins recently succeeded Dan Madrid as director of the Division.
• John McNeal, the director of the State Council for Persons with Disabilities, which seeks to unite disability advocates and state policymakers to ensure people with disabilities are empowered to integrate fully into their communities. McNeal succeeded Kyle Hodges as director of the Council. He is also the state ADA coordinator, ensuring all state agencies and activities are accessible to people with disabilities.
• Laura Waterland, the director of the Disabilities Law Program, a project of the Delaware Community Legal Aid Society. It is Delaware’s federally mandated Protection and Advocacy agency, charged with providing legal representation and other advocacy services to people with disabilities. Waterland succeeded Brian Hartman as director of the Law Program.
• Despina Wilson, the executive director of Independent Resources, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides services enabling people with disabilities to live in their communities of choice. Wilson succeeded Larry Henderson as executive director of Independent Resources. Henderson passed away in December 2016.