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LEADERSHIP TEAM
Darla Wilkerson BIO
Darla is Chief Executive Officer since 2019 and drives the vision, direction and overall success of the organization. She presents the mission of CDI and message of disability inclusion in the workplace through focused consultation and training with business partners and other organizations. She has over 36 years of expertise consulting with business and people with disabilities to enhance disability inclusion. Darla has addressed national and international audiences and delivered training to thousands of corporate, government, and non-profit organizations. She also identifies as a person with a disability since acquiring a brain injury in 2006 and she understands the challenges that many face when obtaining and maintaining employment. She holds a master’s degree in public administration with a non-profit emphasis from University of Missouri-Kansas City and has served on many national and statewide boards focusing on increased employment for people with disabilities. Partnering with businesses to assist in elevating inclusion in the workplace is her passion. |
Andy Traub Bio
Andy is Director of Corporate Disability Inclusion since 2022. He provides customized consultation that aligns business goals with best practices in disability inclusion for business partners pursuing the CDI Seal of Accomplishment for Leader in Disability Inclusion. He is also President of Traub & Associates Consulting and co-host of Winning Workplaces podcast. He most recently served as VP of Human Resources and created/ led Allied InclusionWorks at Allied One Source. He's an internationally recognized leader in disability and diversity employment with 25+ years of experience. Andy has developed and implemented talent acquisition strategies for numerous entities including Google, Best Buy, Walgreens, Office Depot, Amazon, Starbucks, Sodexo, Kroger and several European-based companies, and consulted with government entities in Russia, Scotland, and Germany. As lead consultant on the Workplace Initiative Team for Poses Family Foundation he developed disability inclusion strategies for national employers receiving foundation funding. At AMC, Andy led strategic recruitment initiatives as Dir. of Recruitment and created “AMC F.O.C.U.S.”, an award-winning ground-breaking program in hiring and retaining large numbers of individuals with disabilities. At National Organization on Disability he was Managing Director and created innovative programs including the Disability Employment Tracker. Andy has been invited by two different administrations to present at the White House on best practices in disability employment. Invited by the US Embassy, he presented multiple keynotes at an international disability employment conference in Moscow. Andy recently co-authored curriculum on global best practices in disability employment for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Foundation, with public access in May 2022. |
brenda perkins BIO
Brenda is Director of Business Relations since 2019 and responsible for overall partner acquisition, engagement and retention, including CDI marketing and communications. She spent her career as a small business owner in the employee benefits and communications arena working with business and HR leaders to improve employee understanding, appreciation, engagement and retention. Brenda was co-founder and senior communications consultant of Joshua Communications and holds the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) designation. She has extensive volunteer leadership experience with SHRM-KC and Missouri SHRM, serving as President and State Director respectively. She then served on the SHRM national Membership Advisory Council, reporting to the SHRM CEO. Brenda understands the challenges of disability inclusion and talent acquisition through her extensive work with human resources leaders. Having two nephews with a developmental disability was the catalyst for her role as a founding board member and past president of the Greater Kansas City Business Leadership Network, later changed to Disability:IN GKC and now the Center for Disability Inclusion. |
Meaghan walls bio
Meaghan is Director of Business Relations | Nebraska since 2021 and responsible for partner acquisition and communications for the Nebraska region. Additionally, she provides consultation and training around accessibility in her work with CDI partners. She is also the President/CEO of Assistology, LLC, in Omaha, Nebraska which provides Assistive Technology (AT), Rehab Engineering, Accessibility and Universal Design consultation that enable an individual to have increased participation in activities that improve functional abilities for daily living, as well as overall quality of life, as well as help businesses increase their ability to create inclusive spaces, services, products and practices. Previously, Meaghan served as Director of Rehabilitation Services at Children’s Respite Care Center in Omaha. Her career also includes positions as a Biomedical Sales Engineer at ADInstruments in Boston, and as an Assistive Technology Specialist, Assistive Technology Regional Center Coordinator, project leader and researcher for Easter Seals Massachusetts. Most recently, Walls was elected to serve as a member of the Board of Directors for the Omaha Children’s Museum. She was an award recipient of the Midland’s Business Journal 2019 40 Under 40. In 2019 Walls was appointed to the Mayor’s Advisory Commission for Citizens with Disabilities and in 2020 was elected as the Vice Chair of the Commission. She is also the elected Board President of Angel Guardians, Inc. Meaghan is a certified Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) who holds a Master of Science in Bioengineering with an emphasis on Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology from the University of Illinois-Chicago under a 2 year Rehab Technology Fellowship. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with a minor in Chemistry from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana. |
Jessica Lopez
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jessica lopez BIO
Jessica Lopez is Corporate Training Consultant, joining CDI in 2023, and responsible for providing training and consultation to business partners. She is also a disability advocate and full-time student triple-majoring in Business, Economics, and Communications at Coastline College. Born without hands and feet, Jessica's lived experience as a disabled student informs her advocacy for more inclusive and accessible education and workforces. As President of Coastline Associated Student Government, Jessica has partnered with multiple student body organizations across the state to increase institutional support for students with disabilities. Additionally, Jessica formerly served as the Treasurer of Region VIII of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges (SSCCC), where she advocated for marginalized students in the education system and independently led student efforts to campaign for disability rights. She has also taken her advocacy to the California state capitol to meet with legislators to advocate for more accessible education. Alongside her academic and advocacy work, Jessica is active in the corporate world, developing training modules on disability inclusion and consulting on accessibility and disability-inclusive DEI strategy. With experiences spanning social enterprises, B2B tech, nonprofits, and public institutions, Jessica works to interrupt the narratives we are often led to believe about people with disabilities in order to make the world more equitable. |
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139 South 44th St PO Box 23 Boystown, NE 68010 mwalls@centerfordisabilityinclusion.org Platinum Transparency Seal 2022 from Candid
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