Our Staff and Board

Our Staff Team

Kimberly Meck is a middle aged, white female with shoulder-length wavy hair. She is wearing silver hoop earrings and smiling into the camera.

Kimberly Meck, MRC, CRC, CDMS - Executive Director

Kimberly (she/her) has been at the helm of the organization since 2014, bringing more than 25 years of experience in social services. She has a master’s in rehabilitation counseling and an undergrad degree in social work. Kimberly sits on the board of the Washington State Independent Living Council.

Cassidy Thorne is a young white woman with shoulder-length straight brown hair and brown eyes

Cassidy Thorne - Programs Director

Born and raised in Seattle, Cassidy (she/her) is thrilled to be working alongside the disability community in her hometown. As a person with disabilities herself, she knows how important it is to ensure that people are aware of their choices and have the knowledge to make the decisions that are best for them and that align with their goals. She has a background in education and has worked at other Centers for Independent Living in Washington state and South Carolina.

Philip Bradford is a middle-aged white man with wavy brown and gray hair

Philip Bradford - Independent Living Specialist

Philip (he/him) focuses on addressing an individual’s unmet needs and specializes in helping other older adults. He shares a self-directed neurodivergent perspective living and working with a disability. For more than 20 years he has helped people with job searching and living independently.

Maria Peterson is a middle-aged Hispanic female with very dark brown shoulder-length curly hair. She is wearing eyeglasses, dark lipstick and black-and-white patterned blouse.

Maria Peterson - Independent Living Specialist

Maria (she/her) has more than 25 years of experience working in the social services industry and is currently working on her master’s in social work. Maria has worked in a variety of settings and with diverse populations. She has a passion for advocacy and is committed to serving the needs of individuals in the community with a personalized approach. She enjoys traveling, camping and spending time with loved ones.

Brian Tacovelli is a white middle-aged man with short brown hair and brown eyes

Brian Tacovelli - Independent Living Specialist

Brian (he/him) has 12 years of experience working in peer support, harm reduction and health education. He held previous positions with Seattle Counseling Services, Seattle-area support groups and the Washington state Department of Health. He enjoys volunteering and advocating for human and animal rights.

Mandy Wes is a middle-aged, white female with a short, brown pixie-style haircut. She is wearing dangly earrings and is smiling into the camera.

Mandy Wes - Independent Living Specialist

Mandy (she/her), who lives with cerebral palsy, epilepsy and anxiety, received her master's from Antioch University in 2006. She has 16 years working in the social services field as a case manager, counselor and volunteer community peer. Mandy attributes her emotional healing and wellness to the communities in which she is a part. She is passionate about walking with others on their healing journey, as well as modeling recovery and wellness.

Terry Jones is a black middle-aged man with brown eyes and a goatee. He's wearing a brimmed hat.

Terry Jones - Independent Living Specialist

Terry, (he/him) has a long history of community service involving support and assistance for persons facing challenges of everyday life. As a Peer Support Specialist for Seattle Counseling Service, he linked unhoused persons with HIV or at risk for HIV with resources for medical and housing support. He has faced his own challenges with drug abuse and depression and credits organizations like Disability Empowerment Center for his own recovery. He offers an empathetic and compassionate approach to helping community members live their most productive and fulfilling lives.

Leanna Namovic has short-cropped brown hair, brown eyes and is wearing a sweater and dangly earrings
Headshot of Lucy Bert, a young white woman with shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes

Leanna Namovic - Programs Coordinator

Leanna (she/her) is passionate about enabling individuals with disabilities to make informed decisions about their lives and futures. She has a doctorate in occupational therapy and appreciates the opportunity to work alongside her fellow disabled community within the independent living model. She enjoys introducing newly disabled individuals to the independent living model and the idea of Disability as a culture, not a simply something to "overcome."

Lucy Bert - Executive Assistant

With a background in classical theatre, storytelling and the visual arts, Lucy (she/her) seeks to make the arts accessible, sustainable and humane. Mental health and the arts often go hand-in-hand, and she hopes to destigmatize neurodivergence and help build a healthier, more inclusive arts and learning community in Seattle and beyond—particularly for young people and teens with disabilities.

Our Board of Directors

Steve Lewis has white wavy hair, a white beard and mustache and thin-framed glasses.

Steve Lewis, Ph.D

Steve (he/him) is a past board chair and longtime supporter of the organization. He is married and has two grown daughters and one cat. Steve says his experience on the board has been positive and fulfilling—and has given him a chance to meet, work with and help a number of people with different abilities and disabilities.

Ather Sharif has black hair, a bit of black facial hair and round black glasses

Ather Sharif 

Ather (he/him) is a PhD student at the University of Washington, focusing on human-computer interaction and the intersection of accessibility, visualization and personalization. He is also a software engineer at Comcast and the founder of EvoXLabs, an initiative dedicated to bridging the gap between technology and people with disabilities. He is a member of the Accessibility User Advisory Group for the Office of the ADA Coordinator at the University of Washington. 

Grace Swanson has long, blond wavy hair. She is wearing a yellow jacket and is standing in front of a lake.

Grace Swanson

Grace (she/her) is a senior content designer at Expedia Group and a master's student in the Human Centered Design and Engineering department at the University of Washington. Previously, she worked in the journalism industry where she primarily covered education and student homelessness. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, running and hiking in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Doris Jeong has long brown hair with blond highlights and brown eyes

Doris Jeong

Doris (she/her) is a corporate paralegal at Expedia Group. Previously, she worked at the Department of the Navy in labor/employment law. For fun, she enjoys traveling, cooking and fashion designing.

Robert Blumenfeld has short gray hair, gray facial hair and wears wire-rimmed glasses
Scott Brown has short light brown hair and facial hair
Kunal Mehta has short, black hair and wears black-rimmed glasses
Skyler Sinclair has pink hair covering their forehead and brown eyes.

Robert Blumenfeld

Robert (he/him) was a staff member with Disability Empowerment Center for 25 years, during which he also served as Interim Director twice. He held roles as a job developer, office manager, program manager and Associate Director. Prior to Disability Empowerment Center, Robert worked in supported employment for a nonprofit whose focus was clients with intellectual and development disabilities.

Scott Brown

Scott, MSW, PMP, (he/him) has dedicated his career to the inclusion and empowerment of people with disabilities—with an emphasis on supporting people with developmental disabilities and their family members. He has worked in the social work field and most recently served as the Director of Information and Family Support at The Arc of King County. Scott enjoys yoga, keeping up with new music and spending time with his friends and family. 

Kunal Mehta

Kunal Mehta (he/him) is a master's student in Human Centered Design and Engineering at the University of Washington. He also serves as a research assistant in UW's computer science department. With diverse experience in financial services, utilities and nonprofits in India, Kunal's most recent full-time position was at an emerging art museum, where he led accessibility and inclusion initiatives. Outside of work, Kunal enjoys exploring various coffee blends, reading non-fiction and keeping up with sports.

Skyler Sinclair

Skyler Sinclair (they/them) is the director of engineering at ReFED, a nonprofit that fights climate change by reducing food waste. They’ve worked previously in voting rights promoting access to absentee ballots and in COVID activism fighting misinformation, and they see all of these issues as intersectional and related to disability advocacy. In their free time, Skyler loves to learn about their neighborhood, take their dog to the dog park, and (body depending) play saxophone in a brass band.

Vera Vetterli

Vera Vetterli (she/her) is a master’s student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Antioch University. She plans to become a therapist and to work with other transgender and queer individuals. Vera is passionate about advocating for change and helping people navigate a world which doesn’t support their needs. In her free time she enjoys reading, board games and spending time with her friends.