DSAIA Board & Staff

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Julie Torzewski
President
Down Syndrome of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky

Makini Aniwisye

Lauren is the Executive Director of the Down Syndrome Association of Delaware. She began working for this organization as their Program Director and has been with them for five years. Lauren also works for the National Down Syndrome Congress as a Policy Associate and the convention Kids' Camp Director. Lauren graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy with a minor in Disabilities Studies. Her Master’s degree is in Public Administration with a specialization in Nonprofit Management.    

Originally from England, Sophie moved to the States in 2006. She has a wealth of experience with business management, recruitment and works now in the Financial and Insurance services. She devotes much of her time helping families with special care needs, connecting them to the resources, and planning they need now and in the future. She has two sons Ethan and Joel and a puppy called Teddy who is training to be a therapy dog.

Heather has 20 years of experience helping nonprofit and for-profit organizations build strong, sustainable programs. Heather is the Executive Director for the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida, where she has helps manages a small staff of 2.5 FTE and a budget of approximately $550K annually. Prior to her work with the Down syndrome community, she spent 13 years working for Best Buddies, a nonprofit that serves the community of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Debbie is the Executive Director of the Down Syndrome Association of Jacksonville. As a native to Jacksonville, Florida, she is one of the founding members of DSAJ and has been actively involved since its establishment in 1989. Debbie has served on numerous boards and committees representing the Down syndrome community both locally and nationally. She is passionate and enthusiastic about serving individuals with Down syndrome.  Debbie has always received inspiration and hope from her family and her son Nick, who has Down syndrome. Debbie looks forward to the continued progress and achievements for all individuals with Down syndrome and to growing the acceptance and inclusion of these individuals within the community.

Jeanne is a mom to 3 daughters. Her oldest is 26 with DS/ASD and complex medical needs.  Currently, she works for Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress as a Family Support Specialist and leads a national nonprofit for the those with DS/ASD.  Jeanne serves as the current Board President of the Down Syndrome Autism Connection.  She lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and children.

McNeil Cronin is an anesthesiologist in Winston Salem, NC and on the Board President of the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Winston Salem.  He and his wife, Kelly, have three children, Quinn age 8, Janie age 6, and Case age 4.  After their oldest daughter, Quinn, was born with Down Syndrome, they became involved in the DSA of GWS, and have both served on the organization's board for the past 5 years.  He also serves on the boards of Piedmont Triad Anesthesia and the North Carolina Society of Anesthesiologists.  McNeil hopes to help bring best practices to more and more local DSA's, because he knows the amazing impact they can have in a community.  

Michelle is the Director of Family Programming for LuMind IDSC Foundation. She was the Executive Director of the International Down Syndrome Community (IDSC) before the organization merged with LuMind RDS in 2019.  Michelle lives in northern California with her husband and 2 sons. Her younger son, Cody, has Down syndrome and was her inspiration for her journey into the Down syndrome non-profit community. Her background is computer programming and software training. In addition to her role at LuMind IDSC Foundation, she is also a professional photographer specializing in photographing children with special needs.

Christina Reaves is a mother of a 10-year-old daughter with Down syndrome. She has been employed with the North Carolina Down Syndrome Alliance for 5 years and has been the Executive Director for the past 4 years.
As the leader of the North Carolina Down Syndrome Alliance (NCDSA) team, Christina brings her knowledge of Down syndrome, business management, fundraising and program development skills to the organization. She previously was the director of family programs for the Department of Defense. Her passion for working in the Down syndrome community shows in everything that she does. Christina and her husband Willie reside in Clayton, NC with their 3 children and 2 Great Danes. 

David Egan is an eager advocate for people with intellectual disabilities at the local, national and international levels focusing on civil and human rights. He has served on several boards to promote abilities. In 2015, he was selected as a Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Public Policy Fellow, first person with an intellectual disability in this position working on Capitol Hill with the Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee and with the National Down Syndrome Society on employment issues.  Special Olympics plays a big role in his life with sporting events and advocacy both as a Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger and an athlete.  He competes in various sports and is active in leadership activities. Egan is a much sought after inspirational speaker all over the United States and throughout the world promoting the values of inclusion, dignity and respect. David currently represents individuals with Down syndrome at the National Institutes of Health Down Syndrome Consortium and has been acknowledged by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development as a leader furthering research and participating in the INCLUDE project. He is featured in many articles, books, live media coverage and most recently is the author of : “More Alike Than Different: My Life with Down Syndrome.” 

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Sarah Soell is the Executive Director for the Down Syndrome Association of Central Oklahoma. She has been a member of DSACO since 2006 when her daughter, Kerstin was born. As a parent of a child with Down syndrome, she has volunteered with the organization in numerous activities, having served on the Festival and 5K Committee, serving as co-chaired for two years. Prior to accepting the role as executive director, she was president of the board for DSACO. Before joining DSACO as the new executive director, she worked for the University of Oklahoma as the associate vice president for Public Affairs for 17 years, where she coordinated numerous events and projects, advertising and various other media related activities. She and her husband, Preston, along with their three children, Adliene, Kerstin and Koen, reside in Norman, Oklahoma where they are members of the First Christian Church. 

Tony Wells

Laura joined the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas (DSACT) team in April 2017. Laura is a Licensed Master Social Worker and holds a bachelor's degree from Penn State University and a master's degree from The University of Texas at Austin. She previously coordinated grants, volunteers, and community relations with a children's mental health organization and was a case manager for children with special health care needs. Laura currently overseas DSACT's New Parent Program, medical and community outreach, and operations.   Laura has been the chair of DSAIA's Online Training committee since 2019 and was elected to the board in 2020.