AAIDD Region II

BOARD MEMBERS
Robin Williams, M.Ed AAIDD Chair	Robin Williams, M.Ed. Robin Williams graduated from the University of Maryland in Frostburg, Maryland with a BA in Music and Education, and from the University of Maryland at College Park with a M.Ed. in Education and Human Growth and Development. She has worked in various capacities in the field of Intellectual Disabilities since 1982, including as a direct support staff, a mental health counselor, a QMRP, and with the U.S. Department of Education in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. Currently she is employed at Sierra Regional Center just outside of Reno, Nevada, administering a new program designed to assist individuals with intellectual disabilities, mental healht issues, and behavior needs live in and access the community. Robin has given numerous talks and workshops at conferences, including the Association for Behavior Analysis, NADD, TASH, and has published in professional journals regarding the treatment of individuals with significant behavior disorders.

Olivia Balcao AAIDD Immediate Past Chair	Olivia Balcao Olivia Balcao is currently the Director of community Services at Alta California Regional Center which provides services to the developmentally disabled in 10 counties surrounding and including Sacramento, CA. She has undergraduate degrees in Corrections and Social Work and a graduate degree in Social Work. For approximately 15 years she was the primary liaison to criminal justice agencies to assist with individuals who have a developmental disability and were alleged offenders or victims of crime. In her current position the Forensic Unit remains a part of her department. She has had over 19 years of experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities, 7 years working in mental health settings with children and adults, as well as 6 years in an agency serving homeless, elderly and those with substance abuse problems. She has served as a subject matter expert on state and local committees and task forces with Adult Protective Services, Crime Victims with Disabilities Project, Mental Health and the Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Commission. Olivia has also had the opportunity to participate in the development and presentation of training DVDs and curriculum on offenders and victims with special needs.

Richard Jacobs, MPA AAIDD Secretary	Richard Jacobs, M.P.A. Richard W. Jacobs has been Executive Director of Valley Mountain Regional Center, Inc. headquartered in Stockton, CA since 1986. Prior to that he was Executive Director of the Area VI Developmental Disabilities Board in Modesto, CA. Dick has been a member of AAIDD for approximately 7 years and has held office at the regional and national level. He has a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of Maine.

Kevin Simpson, MPA AAIDD Treasurer	Kevin Simpson Kevin currently works for Alta California Regional Center in Sacramento, CA as a case management supervisor. In this position, Kevin works with 12 service coordinators to provide case management services to people with developmental disabilities living in group homes and skill nursing facilities. Prior this current position, he has served for 10 years in regional centers as a service coordinator in the Regional Center of Orange County, a case manager and placement coordinator with Regional Center on the East Bay, and a specialist in a forensic services unit at Alta California Regional Center. Kevin started as a job coach and manager for a supported employment program in southern California. Kevin graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a BA in government and Golden Gate University in San Francisco with a Master of Public Administration degree. He is in his second year on the AAIDD Region II Board and first year as Treasurer.

Dawn Marie Lemonds AAIDD Assembly Person	Dawn Marie Lemonds Dawn Marie Lemonds is a native Californian and lives in Tustin. Dawn holds a Masters of Science Degree in Special Education and has worked for the Department of Developmental Services for the State of California for the past 37 years in a multitude of capacities. For the past 18 years Dawn Marie has enjoyed the challenge of directing South Coast Regional Project at Fairview Developmental Center and working with multiple agencies in Southern California to find community homes for people who are currently living in a state developmental center. Professionally Dawn Marie serves as Assemblyperson for American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Region II. In Dawn’s personal life she is very involved the international service organization, Soroptimist International and currently serves as the International Programme Director. Dawn Marie has provided workshops throughout the state, in many areas of America and several countries around the world on issues related to Developmental Disabilities as well as for Soroptimist International in areas of, women and human trafficking, issues for women and girls, women survivors of war to name a few. Dawn Marie loves to sing, garden, play with family and friends, travel and develop her faith.

Bonnie Kraemer, Ph.D. AAIDD California State Chapter Chair	Bonnie Kraemer, Ph.D. Bonnie R. Kraemer has worked in the disability field for over 15 years. She received her Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of California, Riverside in 1999. Dr. Kraemer worked as an Assistant Professor of Special Education at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque for 3 years and has been employed as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at San Diego State University for the past 5 years. Presently she is coordinator of the program in moderate/severe disabilities at SDSU. Her areas of interest and research lie in the field of severe intellectual disabilities, with a specific focus on families, transition, quality of life, and positive behavior supports. Dr. Kraemer has published many papers and presented at numerous national and international conferences in these areas of interest.

Joan Cooper, Ph.D. AAIDD Nevada State Chapter Chair	Joan Cooper, Ph.D. Dr. Joan Cooper (Ph.D. University of Illinois at Chicago, 1979) is a licensed clinical psychologist with specialty interests in treatment, training, ethno-cultural isses, and research for persons with mental illness, developmental disabilities, HIV infection and other chronic illnesses. She has been a professional member of AAIDD (formerly AAMR) since 1979 and is an inaugural member of the National Assocation on Dual Diagnosis (NADD). She served two terms as AAIDD Region II Chairperson (2002-2004) and is the current Nevada State Chapter Chair. She is certified as an Association of Black Psychologists' AIDS Technical Assistance Consultant and is an American Psychological Association, Office of AIDS, HOPE Trainer and Behavioral Social Science Volunteer. Dr. Cooper is past Executive Director of the Bobby E. Wright CCMHC and Development Corporation in Chicago. She also served as Interim Academic Chairperson of the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science, King/Drew Medical Center (1993-1996), Los Angeles County Dept. of Health Services. She continues as an adjunct faculty member of the Department of Psychiatry at Drew and UCLA, following her retirement as Director of Developmental Disabilities Services in 2002. She now resides in Henderson Nevada and is the founder of AFRI-PSYCH Consultants, a multidisciplinary group of independent consultants.

Jose Rios , M.S., BCBA News II Editor	Jose Rios, Ph.D. Jose D. Rios is a behavior analyst who works as a consultant for a variety of programs including children and adult residential and day programs and NPAs. He is an adjunct faculty at the California State University-Los Angeles and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in behavior analysis. Jose served as president of the California Association for Behavior Analysis (Cal-ABA) and is currently on the board of directors of the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA). He received his MS in Behavior Modification from Southern Illinois University in 1981 and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in 2000. He also was owner/licensee of several Level 4 residential programs for sixteen years. Jose has been involved in working with children and adults with developmental disabilities for 35 years and has been a member of AAIDD for approximately 20 years. Jose frequently presents and lectures on areas of professional interest that include the development and design of accurate behavior intervention plans, ethics in treatment provision as well as treatment integrity issues. Recently, Jose teamed up with several other behavior analysts and is forming a company, BehaviorLogix, Inc. that will provide behavioral consultative services in Southern California.

AAIDD Region II Member's at Large Elaine Brown Krysti DeZonia Scott Harrington Deborah Langenbacher Jose Rios