As a veteran board member, parent and organizational leader, Mary Ann Dawedeit has been immersed in life skills programming for adults with disabilities. Mother to 30 year old Eli, Mary Ann has worked to implement and manage programs such as the award-winning "Positively Speaking" workshops, successful fundraisers with partners like the Germantown Chamber of Commerce, and community events including the Annual Dance. Mary Ann has been centrally involved in planning the Step Up Walk for the last three years as Committee Chair of the walk. Mary Ann brings value from her 35 years of professional experience in administrative management across business and nonprofits to furthering the network.

Keight is passionate about supporting mission-driven organizations through her work as a search consultant and knows the importance of strong leadership in strengthening civil society.

Professionally, Keight is a partner at executive search firm Isaacson, Miller which partners with nonprofits organizations and educational institutions in their recruitment of transformational leaders. Prior to her work as a search consultant, Keight worked in fundraising and as a strategy and organization development consultant for nonprofit and federal government clients. Keight holds a BA in chemistry from Emory University, a MA in philanthropic studies from Indiana University’s Lilly School of Philanthropy, and an EdD in human and organizational learning from The George Washington University.

In her personal life, Keight is a wife and mother. She and her husband Kenrick are the proud parents of their 2-year old daughter Korinne. Korinne was diagnosed with Down syndrome at birth. Keight is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, which provides opportunities to give back to her community in meaningful ways. Additionally, she serves on the board of the Down Syndrome Network of Montgomery County.

Alissa and her family joined DSNMC in 2013. She served for a number of years as DSNMC's new family co-coordinator, and also served on DSNMC's executive committee, leading a strategic planning retreat and the hiring process for current staff. She and her husband are the proud parents of a son with Down syndrome. The DSNMC community has made a profound and joyful difference in her family's life.

Professionally, Alissa has two decades experience in large-scale coalition building and an extensive global network in the social enterprise, local economies and environmental management fields. She currently serves as vice president of a national non-profit advocacy organization. As a trainer and technical assistance provider, she has assisted hundreds of businesses, non-profits, agencies and coalitions with policy advocacy, network and organizational development, public outreach and education, and program development and implementation. A frequent commentator, she has been featured in media outlets including CNBC, NBC News, PBS, The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, WAMU and WTOP, among others, and has delivered more than 250 talks, workshops and webinars in the United States and abroad. She is functionally fluent in Spanish and holds degrees from Brown University in Environmental Studies and Development Studies.

My name is Thelma Salmeron Viana. I am 33 years old and I am originally from El Salvador. I am the eldest of a large family with 3 brothers and 3 sisters. Looking for a better future for me and my family, I moved to the United States at 18 years old.

In my country, I was studied Civil Engineering for 3 years before I immigrated here. I have worked at “Irene’s Pupusas” (one of the Step Up Walk sponsors) since 2005 as a cashier and waitress. I've also taken ESLA classes at Montgomery College (English as a Second Language Assessment).

I am married (my husband Oscar Salmeron) and I have two daughters and Melissa, 11 years old, has Down syndrome. We have been connected with the DSNMC since she was born and got involved in the organization. My second daughter Madison is 16 months old.

I love helping people, advocating and trying to make everyone aware that people with disabilities are like any other person and that they can do whatever they set out to do.
In my free time, I go to the park with the girls, to the cinema or meet with my family and cook. I love cooking.

Scott Gerson has been working in the disability community in Montgomery County for over 15 years. He has been involved in both the teen and adult self-advocate virtual hangouts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scott also served as a co-MC (alongside Hari Kannan) for the virtual Step Up Walk. Outside of the DSNMC, Scott works at the Special Olympics international headquarters specializing in Global Youth Engagement.

Hari Kannan is a 19-year old from North Potomac, Montgomery county. Hari
was born with Down syndrome. He was included all through high school and
just finished his high school year at Wootton in the Spring 2020. He is
attending the MCPS transition program (CCC) now and also takes classes
at Montgomery College. Before covid-19 struck, Hari was working as a
junior volunteer intern at Shady Grove Hospital, traveling on a bus
independently to work and back. Hari is also an ambassador for Best
Buddies Maryland. Hari wants to become an advocate for inclusion of
people with disabilities in our schools and community.

Nancy Forsythe, MA., EdS., is a subject matter expert in disability inclusion at work and speaks widely to national audiences on this topic. Much of her expertise in the field of disability comes from parenting a dynamic and successfully employed young adult with Down syndrome. Nancy currently works as a Faculty Specialist in Disability Inclusion at the University of Maryland University Career Center. There, she supports students in the career preparation, job search, and on-boarding processes and works closely with employers to improve their capacity to hire and retain people with disabilities. She has a background in social science research and vocational rehabilitation. Nancy enthusiastically participates on the DSNMC Board to advance their exceptional work in serving our community across the lifespan, and she hopes to use her expertise in employment issues to make a difference for the community. If you would like to learn more about how your workplace could reap the advantages of employing individuals with Down syndrome, please be in touch.

Asha Pinkney Gillus serves as the Director of Human Resources at Martha’s Table. She is responsible for all internal operations and people functions of the organization. In this role, she aligns all infrastructure divisions to ensure they are integrated, efficient, sustainable, and compliant with all relevant regulations. Under her leadership, processes have been automated and streamlined, pipelines of talent have increased, and costs have reduced significantly.

Ms. Pinkney Gillus has over 20 years of experience in human resources in a variety of industries. Her career has been built on providing organizations with the best talent available while positioning them as an employer of choice.

Ms. Pinkney Gillus hold a M.P.S in Human Resources Management from Georgetown University and a B.S. in Business Administration from Bennett College. She is the mother of two amazing children, Caleb and Channing. She and her family are proud sixth-generation Washingtonians.

Asha is the leader of the group Channing’s Champions. For the last two years, they have been a top fundraiser for Step Up and are very active in the Down Syndrome community. In her spare time, she enjoys resting on the beach with a good book, binge-watching the latest shows, and catching up on pop culture with Wendy Williams.