COMMUNITY VISION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Program Operations Manager, Ext. 127
Alex monitors and reviews the state-required documentation for the Supported Living and Employment Connections programs. He completes all program licensing requirements and ensures that programs follow current rules and have effective and compliant digital documentation procedures. He assists with a database that measures and tracks program outcomes in order to improve their impact. He participates in strategic planning for Oregon's Office of Developmental Disability Services licensed programs. In addition, Alex provides financial support and representative payee duties for 20 supported individuals. He also provides information technology (IT) support and oversees building security.
Alex first joined the Community Vision team in 2007 and has held various roles in the organization, including Direct Support Professional, Supported Living Coordinator, Lead Coordinator, Training Manager, and Quality Assurance Manager. Alex has worked as a child welfare case manager. He has also worked in restaurant management. He has a degree in social sciences with a social work emphasis.
"Community Vision's creativity and passion for truly individualized support is what has driven me and kept me dedicated to this agency's mission during my long tenure," Alex says. "I have witnessed the profound positive impact Community Vision can have many times."
Job Titles:
- Housing Access Director, Ext. 159
Taking a person-center approach, Allen's team supports people with disabilities to find appropriate housing in the community. The team provides education and resources to sustainably maintain housing independence. Allen also guides Community Vision's advocacy work and initiatives focused on creating more affordable housing and on incorporating Universal Design principles in the development of new units.
Allen joined Community Vision in 2018 with nearly a decade of experience in direct service and public policy. In response to our community's affordable-housing crisis, Allen launched the Real Choice Initiative in 2017, spotlighting the lack of affordable, accessible housing. He has worked as a community organizer, which brought him into contact with various culturally specific organizations and deepened his advocacy work within the disability community. Early in his career, Allen worked with young people with disabilities as an editor of an advocacy and media project.
Allen emphasizes that when a person's housing needs are met, they are better able to direct their own lives and make progress toward their life goals.
"Our approach is imaginative, collaborative, and oriented to supporting people with disabilities to lead dynamic and fulfilling lives," Allen says.
Job Titles:
- Finance Director
- Director of Finance, Ext. 110
Anne Ndunda is Community Vision's Finance Director. She oversees the daily operation of the finance office; monthly financial reporting; budgeting and forecasting; risk management; tax preparations and planning; management of annual audits; and maintenance and implementation of financial policies. She also contributes to our organizational strategic leadership.
Anne began working at Community Vision in 2022. Before joining our team, she worked as the finance director for a nonprofit agency in Massachusetts for 14 years. She supervised and ran the daily operations for the finance and business office units, which included accounts receivable, accounts payable, entitlements, staff accounting, utilities, fleet, and contracts. She has a Master of Science degree in management specializing in finance from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
"I enjoy working at Community Vision because the work I do ensures that individuals live as independently as possible," Anne says. "This, I do by ensuring that all and any funding has been received and reconciled in a timely manner, expenses are monitored and controlled, and financial reports are produced on time for programs to be able to budget and strategize accordingly."
Job Titles:
- Assistive Technology Lab Director, Ext. 152
Carrie guides the work of Community Vision's education and resource center, focusing on assistive technology, accessibility, and inclusion. She leads the AT Lab team as they provide high quality consultation, training, and community support.
Carrie joined Community Vision in 2017 and has over 20 years of experience working in the disability field. She is a certified Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) and specializes in communication access, seating and mobility, and sensory integration.
Before co-creating the AT Lab with Director of Programs and Services Kim Elliott, Carrie served children and adults through her private practice at Assistive Technology NW and consulted at the Providence Neurodevelopmental Center for Children and The Child Center. She worked for ten years at the Children's Hospital at Legacy Emanuel (now Randall) and was part of multiple interdisciplinary clinic teams. Carrie graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina in 2001 with a master's degree in occupational therapy.
The AT Lab is open to the public for hands-on exploration, direct service, and community collaboration, and offers a free call and email center. Carrie encourages people to visit the AT Lab: "We want more people to learn about, explore, and feel comfortable with AT to increase accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities."
Dawn leads Community Vision's program to create opportunities and provide support for people with disabilities who want to work in our community. Dawn and her team assist job seekers with finding and keeping meaningful work. The Employment Connections team also initiates and develops partnerships with local employers to help open doors for our job seekers.
Dawn cultivated a wide range of experience and expertise before joining Community Vision in 2017. She worked in marketing and also in the public school system. "I have always been drawn to social justice and the disability field," she says. "I finally feel as though I have found what it is I am supposed to be doing with my life."
Dawn wants to spread the word about supported employment and its many benefits: "We are always looking for new businesses to partner with, not just for filling job vacancies, but also for informational interviews, assessment sites, or job shadows for the people we support."
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, Ext. 102
Jennifer oversees all aspects of the organization. She provides the vision and management to ensure Community Vision has qualified staff, impactful program design and evaluation, clear administrative procedures, adequate funding sources, and critical partners. She brings our mission to life by upholding a deeply held commitment to individualized support, one person at a time.
Jennifer joined our team in 2016, serving in a variety of leadership roles before becoming Executive Director in 2021. Prior to moving to Oregon, Jennifer served as founder and Executive Director of Community Choices, a cooperative in Illinois offering innovative services to help people with disabilities live in the community, find employment, and develop community connections. During her time in Illinois, she also worked with self-advocates to bring together fragmented groups and form the Illinois Self-Advocacy Alliance; consulted with the Center for Independent Futures on housing options; and helped to create the Campaign for Real Choice in Illinois, which brought people with disabilities together to shift support from institutions to community services.
Job Titles:
- Director of Strategic Partnerships
- Schinn / Director of Strategic Partnerships, Ext. 121 / Jill@Cvision.Org
Jill oversees fundraising, communications, and donor engagement. She also takes an active role in affordable housing advocacy by building relationships with housing developers and consulting on Universal Design. She participates in strategizing and collaborating around Community Vision's goals to create long-term impact and more opportunities for independence for people with disabilities.
Jill came to Community Vision in 2017. She has a background in fine-dining and event management, running restaurants in New York City and wineries in the Willamette Valley. For Jill, this work is also personal. "I have a little brother with autism," she says. "I wanted to add value in a way that mattered to him, to my family, and to the rest of the disability world."
Jill highlights the community building aspect of her work at Community Vision: "I get to make connections with people and connect people to each other. I provide donors and partners the opportunity to truly make a meaningful impact in someone's life."
Job Titles:
- Director of Programs and Services
- Director of Programs and Services, Ext. 152
- Speech Language Pathologist
Kim provides leadership, management, and vision for Community Vision's work to create and sustain innovative, person-centered support for individuals with disabilities. She ensures our programs have qualified leaders, impactful design, and effective evaluation methods. She makes sure our strategic initiatives move forward in alignment with our core values.
Kim is a Speech Language Pathologist and Certified Assistive Technology Professional. She became our Director of Programs and Services in 2022.
She joined Community Vision in 2017, co-creating our Assistive Technology (AT) Lab with current AT Lab Director Carrie Luse. Before coming to Community Vision, Kim developed a private practice, Assistive Technology NW, where she focused on developing communication systems for children and adults with communication disabilities. Kim has worked with Augmented and Alternative Communication (AAC) at Randall Children's Hospital and at Oregon Health and Sciences University. She completed her graduate degree in Speech Language Pathology at Portland State University and her undergraduate degree in Fine Arts (Dance) at York University in Toronto.
"Community Vision strives to create a gift-centered culture for both the people we support and our staff," Kim says. "It fosters creativity spurred on by care for one another. Through this work I hope to help the gifts and creativity of our community take root and grow."
Job Titles:
- Supported Living Director
- Supporter Living Director, Ext. 117
As Community Vision's Supported Living Director, Kristy works closely with our coordinator team to ensure everyone in the program receives the individualized support they need to thrive in their home and community. She works with the Leadership Team to implement guidelines and procedures with the purpose of maintaining compliance and regulations while prioritizing a compassionate and innovative culture.
Kristy began working in this field as a certified nursing assistant supervisor over 20 years ago on the central coast of California. She held various positions within the healthcare and social services fields before joining Community Vision in 2018.
Kristy believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to make connections that will lead to learning and growth. "I am constantly inspired by the creative and collaborative nature of our team," she says.
Job Titles:
- Director of Human Resources
- Director of Human Resources, Ext. 133
Leah Gagliano serves as Community Vision's Director of Human Resources. Leah prioritizes creating good employee relations. She supports our managers and directors and keeps employee policies up to date. She guides the recruiting and hiring of direct support staff. She also contributes to our strategic leadership and organizational development.
Leah joined Community Vision in 2019, bringing with her nearly two decades of experience in the disability field. She is a SHRM Certified Professional. Leah's background in the disability field includes extensive experience in direct support roles, service coordination, and the management of teams. Before her role at Community Vision, Leah was the Executive Director of a Portland-based organization dedicated to fostering genuine inclusion for adults with developmental disabilities.