Draft Agenda for te 14th Annuaul CP Group Conference. October 14 and 15
Robert Watson
FOURTEENTH-ANNUAL CPGROUP CONFERENCE
October 13th – 15th, 2017
Doubletree DC- Crystal City
300 Army Navy Drive
Arlington Virginia 12202
Register Now: www.thecpgroup.org
Friday, October 13th
3:00pm- 6:00pm Registration and Free Massages
6:30pm- 9:00pm Opening reception, Located at the main lobby bar.
Saturday October 14th Lincoln Room
“Maintaining Who We Are!”
9:00am- 9:15am: Robert and Eileen - Kick off the Conference
9:30am – 10:45am George Failla – The Chutes and Ladders of Life.
10:45am- 11:00am BREAK
11:00am- 12:15am Disability and Culture on Film.
James Michaels and Gregg Donaldson
A discussion of Cerebral Palsy as it is shown in mainstream films and how that has progressed from earlier pictures (Gaby: A True Story and the like) to more realistic films (My Left Foot) to actors with CP taking on three dimensional roles (Fabien Heraud in the Finishers)
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12:15pm- 1:30pm LUNCH AND BREAK
1:30 – 2:30pm Advocacy “A Way of Life.” Judy Hoit
2:30 -3:30 pm “Joy in all circumstances.” Angela West
3:30 – 4:30pm Accessible Sports – Shawn FultZ
6:00- 7:00pm Pizza Time
7:00pm- 11:30pm Las Vegas Night. Fun, Gambling and Prizes
Lincoln Room– Cash bar and light snacks.
Sunday October 15th Lincoln Room
Daily Life with CP:
10:00am- 10:15am Robert Fun facts.
10:15am-10:45am Embracing our Cerebral Palsy: Robert S. Watson
A report on how the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Development Medicine and the CP Group will partner this year and the expected outcomes.
10:45am-12:15pm The Medical View: DR. Eric Levy from Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland. Presenting on “Dealing with Aging.”
12:15pm-2:00pm LUNCH AND BREAK
2:00pm-3:30pm Sip and paint – Connie Garner and Friends
A chance to express yourself on canvas
3:30pm- 5:00pm Gut Check session
This session discusses real life issues which associates are reluctant to discuss outside a safe environment.
8: 00pm-9:30pm The Finishers (A French film with subtitles)
Julien dreams of adventure. But when you live in a wheelchair, such dreams are difficult to fulfill. To do so, Julien challenges his father to compete with him in the "Ironman" triathlon in Nice. A whole family comes together and reconnects in an attempt to see this incredible exploit through.
Monday October 17th
Business Day:
10:00 am. Annual Board meeting. Van Buren Room
Eileen Scanlan, President. Albany, New York
Christine Crosby, Treasurer. Omaha Nebraska
James Michels, Secretary. Scarsdale New York
Robert Watson, CEO, Co Founder. Brandywine Maryland
Joe Amoroso, Board member, Bordentown New Jersey
Gregg Donaldson, Board member. Washington, DC
Beryl Neurman, Board member. Washington, DC
Jamie Protho, Board member. Pittsburg Pennsylvania
Peter Riddleberger, Board member.Washington DC
Board Member Biographies
Eileen Scanlan received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy from the University at Albany, SUNY in 1990 and her Master of Science degree in Taxation in 1991, also from UAlbany. As a student, she interned in the Accounting Office at the University and was offered a full-time position as an Assistant for University Financial Analysis, upon graduation. In April of 1999, Eileen was promoted to her current position, Assistant Director of State Accounting. Amongst her many responsibilities, Eileen serves as the Program Administrator of the University’s Citibank Visa Procurement and Travel Card Programs where she manages almost 1,600 cardholders spending $20 million annually. Under Eileen’s leadership, these card programs are viewed as a “best practice” in the State University of New York (SUNY) system.
Eileen was recently appointed to The Professional Development Group’s National Advisory Committee for Procurement Cards in Higher Education. Eileen maintains the campus chart of accounts and monitors campus spending. Eileen also serves as the Campus Security Administrator for the SUNY accounting system, the SUNY financial database (SMRT), the SUNY Employee Portal, and the State-wide Financial System (SFS).
In addition to these and other duties, Eileen has served the University in a variety of capacities as the Secretary of the State University Business Officers Association (SUBOA) Accounting Officers Committee, Treasurer of the Employee Social Committee, and was appointed by the University President to represent Management Confidential employees on the Employees Assistance Program (EAP) Committee. Eileen is also a board member of Consumer Directed Choices (CDC), a not-for Profit Corporation, dedicated to advocacy and self-direction in home based care for people with disabilities.
Christine Crosby lives in Omaha, Nebraska. She has an Associate’s in Human Services. Christine has worked at the “Y” for 13 years. She has worked on several grants promoting inclusion and heathy lifestyles for people with disabilities. Christine has been an active member of Nebraska’s Developmental Disabilities Council for over 10 years. She is also co-chairmen of NebrasCAN (Community Advocate Network.) She has been a CP Group member for 7 years. Christine would like to welcome new and returning members to the group.
James Michels was born on March 24, 1971, 11 weeks premature. I have tri paretic Cerebral Palsy with a mosaic tone, some athetoid movements and some spastic movements. I received a B.A. in History from Yale University in 1993. I attended, but did not graduate from, UCLA law School between 1993 and 1995. I received a master’s in Public Service with a concentration in Health Services Administration from NYU's Robert F Wagner Graduate School of Public Service in 1999. In place of a thesis, I received a certificate in Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities of children (LEND) from the Westchester Institute of Human Development at Westchester Medical Center, administered by New York Medical College.. From 1997-2007 I was on the Scarsdale village council on People with disabilities, the last 8 of those years as its chairperson. I have been employed at Jacobi Medical Center from 1999 to the present day, the last 11 of those years as a Systems Project Leader in the Information Technology Department. For the past year, I have been the Secretary to the Board of the CP Group and a dues paying member continuously since 2007.
Robert Watson holds a bachelor’s degree in Social work from Salisbury University in Salisbury, Maryland and a master’s degree in Non Profit Administration from University of Maryland in Baltimore. He is the Executive Director of DateAble Inc., a non-profit dating service for people with and without disabilities. He has been with DateAble for 20 years. He is also President of Independence Now an Independent Living Center in Maryland and advises many other disability advocacy organizations. Robert is married to his wife of 20 years, Lynn, whom he met through DateAble before he became the Executive Director. He is also an avid Washington Redskins fan and enjoys spending time with his family in the southern Maryland area where he was born, raised, and still resides. He is the Vice Chair Person for New Life Wesleyan Church in La Plata, Maryland. Through his exposure with DateAble and as the Co-Founder of The Cerebral Palsy Group, Robert has delivered many presentations all over the United States, Canada, Cuba, Australia and the Philippines on a variety of topics including disability awareness, advocacy, sexual intimacy issues, and dating with a personal care attendant present.
Joseph Amoroso is currently the Director of the New Jersey Division of Disability Services. In that capacity, he is responsible for the day to day operation of the programs, staff and resources of the Division.
Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Amoroso served as the inaugural Administrator of Information and Assistance Services at the Division This office was created in October 1997 to serve as a single point of entry for information and Referral services for individuals with disabilities.
From October of 1994 through June 1997, Mr. Amoroso was the inaugural Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities at Montclair State University, overseeing the provision of academic accommodations to students with disabilities.
From 1996 through 1999, Mr. Amoroso served as President of the Board of Directors of DIAL, Inc., a non-profit Center for Independent Living, serving people with disabilities in Passaic and Essex Counties. (NJ).
Mr. Amoroso has been an associate of The Cerebral Palsy Group since 2007 and President of the Group 2011 and 2012.
Mr.
Amoroso holds a Master of Arts degree in Counseling, Human Services and
Guidance and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration/Economics,
both from Montclair State University. Joe is also a Certified Information
and Referral Specialist (CIRS).
Peter Riddleberger Born in Washington D.C. January 1939 with hemiplegia; right side. Treated for 20 years by Winthrop Phelps in Baltimore, MD. As son of a career U.S. diplomat, travelled extensively in Europe. He went to public schools in Germany, France, and Washington, D.C. No special needs educational services. B.A. University of Nebraska, 1961. Tutored football players and blind students. Graduate work, American University. Congressional staff aide, 1964-1970. World Bank, 1971-1997. In retirement: Board member of Cerebral Palsy Kinectic Connections at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. Also member on Advisory Board of a private clinic in St. Petersburg, Russia where children with cerebral palsy are treated. This has involved annual visits to Russia since 1997. Father of two children, and grandfather of four.
Gregg J. Donaldson is a freelance writer/editor based in Washington, D.C., who has written for several disability publications and e-zines and has written several articles and blogs on entertainment as well. He is always in search of the “next great story.” He is also a published poet.
He is most proud of his diversity and analytical skills in his 25+ career as a Writer/Editor. His other accomplishments include doing Public Relations for The CP Group, Inc., which he is currently an Associate and Board Member at Large. He is also an accomplished researcher, in helping people find what they want and need for both individuals and organizations.
He was an actor, for the Paradigm Players in the late 1990’s, in a production of the play, Our Town where he played Howie Newsome, the Milkman. In Gregg’s spare time, he is a self-proclaimed movie critic and fantasy football owner. He was honored to be a Judge for the Ms. Maryland Wheelchair Pageant for the third time in November 2014. He received his BA in Interdisciplinary Studies, with emphasis in English and Journalism in 1987 from the University of South Carolina, Proud Home of the Fighting Gamecocks!