The Board of Directors for CQL | The Council on Quality and Leadership has appointed new officers to lead, support, and advance the organization’s strategic objectives. The new officers include Trina Sieling (Immediate Past Chair), Laura Vegas (Chair), Desiree Loucks Baer (Vice Chair), Celia S. Feinstein (Treasurer), and Courtney T. Kelly (Secretary).
“Our new officers will bring so much insight to our board and our organization,” says Mary Kay Rizzolo, President and Chief Executive Officer of CQL | The Council on Quality and Leadership. “They come with varied perspectives from provider, state, and national levels. With that more holistic view of how CQL can positively impact the quality of services and the quality of people’s lives, we’ll be even better equipped to carry out our mission and vision.”
Meet CQL’s New Board Officers
The new officers of CQL’s Board of Directors will serve a two-year term. They include recognized experts and respected leaders in human services, with backgrounds involving quality measures and quality enhancement of supports and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and psychiatric disabilities.
Trina Sieling: Immediate Past Chair
Trina Sieling is the Director of Staff Development at Trinity Services, Inc. and is responsible for writing, coordinating, and implementing direct support, management, and leadership training. She is also a founding member of the National Association of QDDPs (NAQ).
Laura Vegas: Chair
Laura Vegas is the Director of National Core Indicators for the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS). Laura has more than 27 years of experience working in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).
Desiree Loucks Baer: Vice Chair
Desiree Loucks Baer serves as the Chief Operating Officer for the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) and the Supported Decision-Making Coordinator for the New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation.
Celia S. Feinstein: Treasurer
Celia Feinstein, FAAIDD, is currently working throughout the country as an independent consultant in the areas of quality assessment and improvement. She is the Emerita Executive Director of the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, Pennsylvania’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Training, Service and Advocacy.
Courtney T. Kelly: Secretary
Courtney T. Kelly is the Assistant Commissioner of Accreditation and Person-Centered Practices at the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (TN DIDD). Kelly has worked in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) for many years, starting her career as a DSP.
CQL Board of Directors
CQL is governed by a 15-person Board of Directors, which include national leaders in the human services sector. The board members have diverse expertise in a variety of areas including policy, research, service provision, employment, advocacy, and more.
- Christopher Banks, Autism Society
- Jennifer Becher
- Peter V. Berns, The Arc of the United States
- John Butterworth, Institute for Community Inclusion, University of Massachusetts Boston (ICI)
- Celia S. Feinstein, Independent Consultant
- Chester Finn, NY State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD)
- Courtney T. Kelly, Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (TN DIDD)
- Desiree Loucks Baer, National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP)
- Barbara Merrill, American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR)
- Tia Nelis, SABE
- Patricia Nobbie, Anthem Inc.
- Margaret A. Nygren, American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD)
- Trina Seiling, Trinity Services, Inc.
- Linda Timmons, Mosaic
- Laura Vegas, NASDDDS
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About CQL | The Council on Quality and Leadership
Since 1969, CQL | The Council on Quality and Leadership has been a leader in working with human service organizations and systems to continuously define, measure, and improve quality of life and quality of services for youth, adults, and older adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and psychiatric disabilities. CQL offers accreditation, training, certification, research, and consultation services to agencies that share our vision of dignity, opportunity, and community for all people.
CQL’s Board Of Directors Appoint New Officers In 2022