Speaker: Rachel Derby, Patients Rising
Over the past 14 years, Rachel Derby has worked in Washington, D.C. for the U.S. Senate and for multiple trade associations. Over the course of her career, she has led numerous coalitions and achieved legislative success, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act and the Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act. In 2022 Rachel joined Patients Rising Now as the Executive Director of Policy and Advocacy.
Prior to her role at Patients Rising Now, Rachel worked for Riester Public Affairs as a leader for the policy and advocacy communications team. Providing a multidisciplinary approach to policy development and communications. Rachel spent five years as the Vice President of Government Affairs for the Portland Cement Association. In this position, she planned and directed PCA's legislative advocacy efforts. Including working with Members to formulate legislative policy and strategy; cultivates working relationships with members of Congress and their staffs; and developed and maintained functional relationships with Members, coalition partners, and industry allies regarding legislative matters. During her tenure she worked on infrastructure, climate, energy, environment and tax policies.
Mrs. Derby also served as the Senior Director of Federal Affairs at the Toy Industry Association. In that role she managed outreach with the White House, Congress, and other regulatory agencies and led the organization’s strategies on environmental sustainability, chemical regulations, and marketing to children. In addition to her work at TIA, Rachel was Director of Government Affairs with the National Association of Police Organizations where she worked on appropriations, criminal justice, labor and emergency spectrum issues. From 2007 to 2010 she served in the Washington, D.C. office of Senator George LeMieux and Senator Mel Martinez.
Rachel Derby is a native of Florida and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing from Florida State University and an MBA from American University.
Jennifer Bolander has been serving as a Special Education Specialist for PWSA (USA) since October of 2015. She is a graduate of John Carroll University and lives in Ohio with her husband Brad and daughters Kate (17), and Sophia (13) who was born with PWS.
Perry A. Zirkel has written more than 1,500 publications on various aspects of school law, with an emphasis on legal issues in special education. He writes a regular column for NAESP’s Principal magazine and NASP’s Communiqué newsletter, and he did so previously for Phi Delta Kappan and Teaching Exceptional Children.
Evan has worked with the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (USA) since 2007 primarily as a Crisis Intervention and Family Support Counselor. Evans works with parents and schools to foster strong collaborative relationships and appropriate educational environments for students with PWS.
Dr. Amy McTighe is the PWS Program Manager and Inpatient Teacher at the Center for Prader-Willi Syndrome at the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh. She graduated from Duquesne University receiving her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Education with a focus on elementary education, special education, and language arts.
Staci Zimmerman works for Prader-Willi Syndrome Association of Colorado as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) consultant. Staci collaborates with the PWS multi-disciplinary clinic at the Children’s Hospital in Denver supporting families and school districts around the United States with their child’s Individual Educational Plan.
Founded in 2001, SDLC is a non-profit legal services organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the legal rights of people with disabilities throughout the South. It partners with the Southern Poverty Law Center, Protection and Advocacy (P&A) programs, Legal Services Corporations (LSC) and disability organizations on major, systemic disability rights issues involving the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the federal Medicaid Act. Recently in November 2014, Jim retired.