Del Rae Conley is Office Manager for the Mid-Atlantic ADA Center. Before coming to TransCen Del Rae worked as Office Manager for the Ripken Leadership Center, a subsidiary of the Ripken Baseball organization. During her tenure with Ripken Leadership, Del Rae provided curriculum development and design support, human capital practices research, and coordination of facility arrangements for training programs. Before her tenure with Ripken Leadership, Del Rae held the position of Office Manager and Partner at Workforce Innovations. Workforce is a full service Human Resources Consulting firm with clientele in the Fortune 500. Her duties there also encompassed support for curriculum development and design, human capital practices research, as well as library maintenance of training programs.

Del Rae is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and is presently studying for her PHR certification. She is also a certified yoga instructor and enjoys teaching on weekends.

Dr. Crane is a Senior Research Associate currently assigned to the Youth Transition Demonstration (YTD) Project. She has been involved in creating and expanding school-to-work systems for youth with disabilities for the past seven years. Her area of expertise includes research, outreach, and the design of activities to improve programs and services for youth with disabilities. Before joining TransCen’s staff, Dr. Crane worked for the National School-to-Work Office of the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor, where she collaborated with a variety of federal and state government entities to ensure the inclusion of youth with disabilities in various policy initiatives. She also represented the National School to Work Office on the Presidential Task Force on the Employment of Adults with Disabilities.

Dr. Crane has worked to assist states in strategic planning to improve the secondary education and transition policies and systems that serve youth with disabilities. In addition, she has conducted research and developed several major training and technical assistance strategies for both education and workforce-related programs including community resource mapping, employer engagement, career majors, and self-determination for youth with disabilities. She has been affiliated with the Center on Education and Work at the University of Wisconsin where she worked on developing curriculum that integrates contextual learning experiences. In addition, she has held a variety of leadership positions in professional associations representing vocational special needs and transition. Currently, she is the co-editor for the Journal of Vocational Special Needs.

Dr. Deschamps is a Senior Research Associate assigned to provide technical assistance to Maryland counties for the Maryland Seamless Transition Collaborative (MSTC). Through MSTC, Maryland youth with disabilities have the opportunity to participate in enhanced career assessments, paid job experiences, support services, and leadership activities ultimately leading to postsecondary education and/or employment in a chosen career. Dr. Deschamps also collaborates with other TransCen team members to design relevant online training opportunities for transition practitioners.

Dr. Deschamps previously served as Director of Training and Evaluation for TransCen’s ADA Information Center for the Mid-Atlantic Region before becoming a Transition Specialist with the Fairfax County Public School system in Northern Virginia for nine years. There she provided consultation, training, and technical support to students receiving special education services and personnel in Career and Transition Services, part of the Office of Special Education. She also served as a consultant to the Johnson Scholarship Foundation in Florida where she advised the Board of Directors on disability programming specifically related to transition from school to life after school and career development for college students with disabilities. She received her doctorate in Special Education from The George Washington University specializing in disability policy and transition from school to work for students with disabilities. Dr. Deschamps has also taught children with learning and emotional disabilities.

Ms. Dwyre a Senior Associate, is the Project Coordinator on the Post-Secondary Education Research Center project funded by OSEP to set up technical assistance centers and collect data on college-based transition programs for students with intellectual disabilities (ID). In addition, Ms. Dwyre is working on the Center for Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities, funded by NIDRR and in partnership with the Institute on Community Inclusion at UMASS-Boston. The Center will conduct research and disseminate information on promising practices that support individuals with ID so that they can gain access to and be successful in an inclusive postsecondary education. Ms. Dwyre also manages employment and benefits phone counselors for SSA’s Accelerated Benefits Plus research project for recent SSDI recipients across the country.

Formerly, she coordinated the Baltimore Transition Connection, a 5-year federally funded transition project for students with ID on 2 and 4-year colleges and universities in Baltimore, integrating the local school system, adult service providers, the colleges and universities, and the community. Ms. Dwyre is a national trainer for TransCen in the areas of transition, marketing and job development, special education, community classroom models, and self-determination. She has a Masters in Rehabilitation Counseling with a focus on Transition and Supported Employment from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Ms. Easterbrook is an Employment Specialist for WorkLink in its Competitive Employment Program serving people who want professional and semi-professional positions.  With over 20 years spent in the high-tech industry as a marketing professional, Ms. Easterbrook assists job seekers to identify and market their unique combination of skills, talents and experiences, and to target employers who will value what they have to offer.

Ms. Easterbrook is the Program Manager for AimHIRE, an employment facilitation service for individuals with developmental disabilities.  She works with individuals and their families to address pre-employment barriers develop person-centered plans for customized employment and coordinate with service providers for community-based placements. Ms. Easterbrook, a parent of a young adult with disabilities, presents “Imagine the Possibilities”  AimHIRE workshops on customized employment for families.

Prior to her marketing career, Ms. Easterbrook worked with people with disabilities as a physical therapist. She has a B.S. in Physical Therapy from Indiana University and an M.B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Mr. Edwards is the Program Manager of Supported Employment for WorkLink. His prime function on the WorkLink team is overseeing all the workings of the Supported Employment program: Training new employees, contacting and liaising with employers, job coaching; generally facilitating the integration and success of the new employee. Mr. Edwards works closely with San Francisco Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) and Golden Gate Regional Center (GGRC); case-managers and counselors as well as billing officers.

Prior to coming on board, he had eight years of experience in Human Resources, during which time he piloted HR departments in the Printing and Retail sectors. In addition, Mr. Edwards has seven years of experience in non-profit administration and teaching, as a founder of an inner-city arts organization in his native England. Mr. Edwards has a B.A. in English Literature from Birmingham University, England, and a Master's in Public Health from BAVC in California.

Ms. Farrington is the Director of Human Resources for TransCen. She manages several key activities associated with various TranCen projects and management functions. In this capacity, she is responsible for staff recruitment, retention and counseling as well as the administration of all benefit plans, including the organization’s retirement plan, insurance plans and personnel policies. She also oversees the administration and negotiation of all office leases, liability policies and service contracts with vendors.

Ms. Farrington has been on the staff of TransCen since 1992. Prior to joining TransCen she was the Disability Issues Coordinator for Bell Atlantic Corporation (now known as Verizon Communications), a leading international telecommunications and information systems corporation with over 75,000 employees. In this position, she was responsible for the development and implementation of corporate policy on the hiring, training and advancement of individuals with disabilities. Her tenure with Bell Atlantic also included the management of a large call service center and other executive assignments. She received her B.S. degree in Mathematics from the College of William and Mary.

Ms. Goss is the Assistant Director of the Mid-Atlantic ADA Center. She is responsible for the coordination of the Center’s outreach efforts as well as conducting trainings on the ADA and disability awareness. Additionally, she is responsible for the newsletter, bi-weekly e-bulletin, program evaluation, and other reporting obligations.

Ms. Goss holds an undergraduate degree in business management from UMUC. She has over 30 years of work experience focusing on business management and human resources management. Her business background includes non-profit organizations, manufacturing, construction, biotech, recruitment, health care, government contracting, and the IT industry. In addition to her broad experience supporting the business community, she has worked extensively with state and local government agencies, has worked closely with the Department of Economic Development, as well as with Maryland’s Lead Disability Program Navigator.

Ms. Goss has conducted a variety of ADA training programs, particularly related to employment topics, for employers, businesses, professional organizations, state and local government entities, disability organizations, and people with disabilities. She has received intensive ADA training from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Mr. Guillen is a Technical Assistance Specialist for the DBTAC: Mid-Atlantic ADA Center. He provides technical assistance in both English and Spanish on overall disability inquiries and all aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Prior to working for TransCen, Mr. Guillen was the Assistive Technology Specialist for the one-stop employment center in the City of Alexandria. There he provided employment services, training and information on reasonable accommodations to clients, service providers and employers. Mr. Guillen completed the Assistive Technology Applications Certificate Program through the University of California in 2004 and is currently completing a B.S. in Engineering.

Ms. Johnson is the Director of Accounting for TransCen. She is responsible for all financial aspects of the organization, including accounts receivables, billings, accounts payables, multi-state payrolls, cash flow, financial statements and budget preparation and analysis. She is also responsible for government grant reporting requirements, indirect rate applications, performance of the annual audit and assists with grant writing.

Ms. Johnson oversees the financial activities of all TransCen offices including the headquarters in Rockville, MD, the ADA & IT Information Technology Center in Rockville, MD and the WorkLink office in San Francisco, CA.

Prior to joining TransCen in December 1994, Ms. Johnson was a Senior Staff Accountant at a Certified Public Accounting firm in Baltimore, MD. During her tenure at the firm, Ms. Johnson obtained extensive knowledge and experience in auditing and tax accounting. Ms. Johnson’s goal is to continually direct a productive and responsive accounting department to aid all staff at TransCen and provide support for all its program and management services.

Scott Lieberman is the Program Manager of WorkLink's Integrated Work program. One of Scott's main functions is to prepare his clients for paid employment by helping them cultivate marketable job skills. This is achieved by working closely with various non-profit organizations and sites across San Francisco, where clients volunteer and learn these skill sets. Scott also works closely with families and caregivers in order to ensure his clients have a rich a fulfilling life.

Prior to joining the WorkLink staff, Scott worked for Hope Services in Santa Cruz, CA as a job coach at their flagship site. He graduated with a B.A. in Film & Digital Media from University of California, Santa Cruz in 2002 and is currently enjoying life in Northern California.

Dr. Debra Martin Luecking is presently a Senior Research Associate with TransCen, Inc in Rockville, MD.   She has served as Principal Investigator, director, or evaluator to numerous federal and state demonstration, systems change, capacity building, and continuing education projects that focus on transition school to career and disability employment that promote innovation, best practice, and change in disability employment policy and practice at the state and local level. She was co-founder and Director (retired) of the Center on Disability and Employment at the University of Tennessee.  She serves as Research Faculty with the Department of Special Education, Higher Education, and Counseling at the University of Maryland.  Through her 35 years of experience, Debra has contributed to the disability employment literature through publications and presentations on various topics as employer perceptions, supported employment, customized employment, organizational change to integrated employment practice, self-determination, leadership development, and individualized career planning and development.  She thrives in work related to collaboration and change across multiple systems that include workforce investment, education, vocational rehabilitation, and partners to include employers, jobseekers with significant disabilities, and community service providers.

Dr. Martin Luecking received her M.A. in Educational Leadership from California State University, Northridge and her Ed.D. in Vocational Education-Special Needs from the University of Tennessee.

Dr. Luecking is President of TransCen, a position he has held since 1987 when he was charged by the Board of Directors as the organization’s first employee to create improved linkages between schools, service providing agencies, government, business, and families so that youth with disabilities experience improved post-school employment outcomes. During his tenure with the organization he has designed and directed multiple research and demonstration projects that address school to work transition and employment services for people with disabilities. He was an original consultant in the development of the Bridges…from school to work program of the Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities, which has since been replicated and established in several national locations with the help of TransCen.

Dr. Luecking maintains active participation in numerous local, state, national, and international initiatives, including serving on local and state workforce investment boards, on the Boards of the National Organization on Disability and the APSE Foundation, and as an advisor to several national research studies on transition and employment. He is currently a Fulbright Specialist collaborating on an international exchange program with the State University of Rio de Janeiro to train education and rehabilitation professionals in Brazil. He has also served as a policy advisor in the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor under special appointments.

Dr. Luecking is the author of numerous trade and academic publications on topics related to employment of people with disabilities, business partnerships, school-to-work transition, and career development, including his latest book, The way to work: How to facilitate work experiences for youth in transition.

Mrs. Masiello is a Senior Associate of the Technology, Design and Administration department at TransCen. In this capacity, she provides design and administrative support to company operations and a number of projects. Her other duties include coordinating and managing TransCen training events, operating the LEAP awards program, assisting with grant submissions, and conference/event planning. Her previous projects include providing technical support to the Youth Transition Demonstration (YTD) funded by the Social Security Administration and the Maryland Seamless Transition Collaborative (MSTC).

Prior to joining TransCen, Mrs. Masiello was a Resource Specialist for the State of Maryland at the Montgomery County One-Stop working in the Core Services department assisting job seekers get job ready. She specialized in orientating customers to the One-Stop as well as counseling them on their job search in areas such as: career planning, résumé writing, and interview readiness. She has maintained outstanding relations with clients, partners, and county agencies. Mrs. Masiello has developed several successful projects and resources of job seekers, partner agencies, and staff. Mrs. Masiello is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer (CPRW) and is the 2007 recipient of the Workforce Development Achievement Award in Montgomery County through the Maryland Association of Workforce Development Professionals. She is a graduate of University of Maryland, Baltimore County with a B.A. in Political Science.

Sara Murphy works for TransCen, Inc. as the director of WorkLink, a San Francisco-based employment program for job seekers with disabilities.  For more than 25 years, Sara has been involved in system change and program development.  She has helped to established transition programs, community-based services and integrated employment programs throughout the country. In addition to program development and direct service, Sara also a key contributor to TransCen’s training team where she provides training and technical assistance to employers, school districts, parent groups and service providers. She provides field support for many of TransCen’s federal and state initiatives, such as SSA’s Youth Transition Demonstration Projects and ODEP’s Customized Employment projects. Ms. Murphy is also a consultant for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital’s Project SEARCH program where she is assists to replicate the program- and is a trainer for their Training Institute.

Ms. Parker is the Program Manager and County Liaison for the Montgomery County Customized Employment Public Intern Project (CPIP), in partnership with the local One Stop Career Center and Montgomery County (MD) Government. As the County Liaison for CPIP, Ms. Parker identifies and creates part-time positions in County government offices based on a department's need. She then recruits qualified individuals with significant disabilities for the position, based on their interests, skills and competencies, ensuring that any necessary supports are in place. Ms. Parker also oversees the efforts for a local Workforce Investment Act (WIA) In-School Youth with Disabilities Initiative. Through this initiative, she provides the framework and supervision for the charge to assist transitioning youth to establish employment opportunities, based on their interests, skills and abilities.

Ms. Parker was a key staff member in the implementation of the Maryland Customized Employment Partnership, a project recognized nationally for its leading edge approach to creating customized employment opportunities for individuals with significant disabilities through collaboration with a number of employment service entities. Ms. Parker excels in making business contacts for the purpose of developing job opportunities on behalf of job seekers; assisting job seekers learn and perform necessary job tasks; facilitating workplace accommodation, support, and integration at the workplace. She is known for establishing, maintaining and promoting excellent working relationships among jobseekers, disability employment service providers, and employers. Her expertise includes working with people who have mental illness, intellectual and physical disabilities, as well as other significant barriers to employment. Ms. Parker also facilitates workshops and training sessions for disability employment service practitioners who assist job seekers with disabilities. She is a graduate of Hampton University and the Arizona School of Professional Psychology, with Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's degree in Sport-Exercise Psychology with an emphasis on counseling.

Natalie Rosser assists the Accounting Director by inputting vendor payments and journal entries. Ms. Rosser was placed with TransCen through their Veterans Workforce Investment Program, a service offered for military veterans with disabilities seeking to return to the civilian workforce. TransCen is providing Ms. Rosser with on the job training in the accounting department to supplement basic finance skills she learned before her military service.

By working with TransCen she is reintegrating into a non-military lifestyle and regaining additional professional experience that she can apply in the future. Ms. Rosser plans to continue her university studies part-time to complete her B.S. degree in digital gaming.

Dr. Simonsen is a Senior Research Associate with TransCen, Inc. whose primary research focus areas include integrated employment outcomes for transitioning youth and job developer characteristics and strategies.  Currently, Dr. Simonsen provides technical assistance for a statewide Vocational Rehabilitation initiative designed to facilitate a seamless transition from school to employment or post-secondary education for students with disabilities (Maryland Seamless Transition Collaborative- MSTC).  In this capacity, Dr. Simonsen works closely with two rural communities in Maryland by conducting needs assessments, using the findings to help the communities develop action plans, and helping to coordinate appropriate technical assistance and training activities.  Dr. Simonsen is also directing a series of advocacy workshops for families through a grant from the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council. Dr. Simonsen is currently participating in research related job developers and job development strategies through the National Center for Transition to Employment. 

Dr. Simonsen has also been actively involved in the development and implementation of research and evaluation activities in various local, state, and national projects.  She has experience in conducting focus groups, survey research, and program evaluation. 

Prior to joining TransCen, Inc., Dr. Simonsen worked as a secondary special educator and transition specialist in Maryland, coordinated a post-secondary program for 18-21 year olds with intellectual disabilities, and completed her doctorate at the University of Maryland.  Dr. Simonsen has authored numerous publications including journal articles, book chapters, and research/practice briefs and serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland and Kansas University.

Dr. Stuart is a Research Associate, currently assigned to the Maryland Seamless Transition Collaborative (MSTC).  For MSTC she is the Technical Assistance Coordinator. In this assignment, she coordinates all technical assistance activities for eleven participating school districts in Maryland. This involves the collaboration of school systems, Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) and adult service providers to provide seamless transition for students with disabilities, who upon exiting school will require services from an adult provider for integrated employment and community inclusion. In addition, Dr. Stuart is co-directing a series of advocacy workshops for youth and their families through a grant from the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council.

Dr. Stuart has over 18 years of experience in the fields of special education, school-to-work transition and employment and training of persons with disabilities, especially those with significant disabilities. She has several journal publications and has assisted in several statewide trainings related to her professional interests. She has presented papers at numerous national professional conferences and published in the area of severe disabilities, transition planning, and benefits planning with federal cash assistance programs. She has used her years of experience assisting secondary transition-age students with disabilities and their families to coordinate and acquire services and supports as they transition from school to post-school environments in various school districts in Maryland, New York, and Florida. In addition, her experiences and successes with the full participation and accommodations for youth with significant disabilities have led to several positive employment and community outcomes for them.

Ms. Van Dyke is the Training Coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic ADA Center. In this capacity, she schedules, plans, and manages training events for the Center, including its annual Mid-Atlantic ADA Update Conference. Under her direction, the ADA Update Conference has expanded from a one day event with 6 breakout session and under 100 participants to 2 full days with 20 breakout sessions and 250 participants.

Wearing many hats for the ADA Center, she initiated and manages the Center's social media presence, which has become an important conduit for information dissemination by the Center.  Her duties also include developing and managing information resources and tools for the ADA Center and its associates.

Previously at TransCen, she worked with the Postsecondary Education Research Center (PERC) and Disability Rehabilitation Research (DRRP) projects as a research assistant.

In addition to her work at TransCen, Ms. Van Dyke helps manage her family business, an independent mortgage brokerage. She has served in many capacities as a volunteer with the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park with a B.S. in Business Management.

Mr. Verstegen is a Senior Research Associate and is assigned to a range of research, training and technical assistance projects related to transition and employment services in various parts of the country. Mr. Verstegen provides consultation and training in the areas of program development, performance management, marketing, job development and case management. He is also an Adjunct Instructor for the University of Maryland.

Dale has over 25 years experience providing consultation and project management on various organizational, economic and business development projects. From 1999 to 2007, he was the Assistant Director at the University of Tennessee’s Center on Disability and Employment where he managed statewide organizational development projects throughout the southeast region. From 1986 to 1999, Mr. Verstegen was Program Manager in the Bureau of Minority Business Development in the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. He established and managed various business development programs which have provided business planning and financing for AFDC recipients, persons with disabilities and Not-For-Profit Organizations. These statewide initiatives fostered systems change and employment for persons with a disability.