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Upcoming Meeting Dates

Helpful Council Documents

About the Council

Updated 12.19.24

The purpose of the DD Council is to help people with developmental disabilities be self-determined, independent, productive, and integrated and included in all parts of community life.

Councils on Developmental Disabilities are in every State and most US Territories.

DD Council members serve as volunteers and are appointed by the governor to represent and advocate for people with developmental disabilities and their families.

History notes:

Before the first passage of the Developmental Disabilities Act in 1970,

families received almost no help, children could not attend schools,

and many people were sent to State institutions for life.

Over the past 50 years, DD Councils have helped to bring about changes.

The Maine Developmental Disabilities Council has 27 seats.

Membership consists of:

• 17 Governor-appointed members. Of these:
  • at least 1/3 must be adults with developmental disabilities (DD) (5 seats)
  • at least 1/3 must be parents of children with DD or family members of adults with DD who are unable to advocate for themselves (6 seats)
  • the 1/3 remaining seats can be any combination of the first two designations listed above (6 Seats)
• View

  Defining Developmental Disabilities

   for definations

   

• 2 represent non-governmental/local agencies that provide services for individuals with DD.
  • Speaking Up For Us
  • Volunteers of America Northern New England
• 6 members who represent State agencies administering federally-funded programs related to persons with disabilities. 
  • Maine Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS)
  • Maine Department of Education
  • Maine Department of Labor
  • Maine Child Development Services (Department of Education)
  • Maine Office of Child and Family Services (DHHS)
  • Maine Children with Special Health Care Needs (DHHS)
• 2 members represent the Council’s sister agencies,
  • Disability Rights Maine
  • Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies at the University of Maine, Orono.

 CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBERS

Abbott Philson (Co-Chair)
Self-Advocate

Andrea Dole
Family Member

Alan Cobo Lewis / Sue Russell
University of Maine, Center for Community Inclusion & Disability Studies (Sister Agency)

Cheryl Hathaway
Office of Child & Family Services, Department of Health & Human Services

Craig Patterson
Office of Aging and Disability Services Representative, Department of Health & Human Services

Courtnay Schadtle
Family Member

Leigh Larderi
Department of Education

Jon McGovern
Self-Advocate

Kile Pelletier (Co-Chair)
Self-Advocate

Maggie Hoffman
Family Member

Maria Cameron
Volunteers of America, Northern New England (Non-Governmental Agency)

Maryann Preble
Self-Advocate

Monique Stairs
Executive Director – SUFU (Non-Governmental Agency)

Nicole Achey
Family Member

Regina Bowie
Self-Advocate

Shaun Nixon
Department of Labor

Staci Converse
Disability Rights Maine (Sister Agency)

Stacey LaFlamme
Children with Special Health Care Needs, Department of Health & Human Services

Stacy Atter
Self-Advocate

Stacy Smart
Self-Advocate

Stephanie Vinson
Family member

Todd Marlowe
Family Member

Tracey Webb (Treasurer)
Family Member

 To Be Determined by commissioner 
Child Development Services / Department of Health and Human Services

Seats currently open:

1 seat for a parent/guardian of a child with intellectual/ developmental disabilities or family member/guardian of an adult with intellectual/ developmental disabilities

1 seat for a person with intellectual/developmental disabilities

1 seat for a person with intellectual/developmental disabilities or a parent/guardian of a child with intellectual/ developmental disabilities or family member/guardian of an adult with intellectual/ developmental disabilities

If you are interested in becoming a Council member, click here.

  HELPFUL COUNCIL DOCUMENTS

Click on the titles for links to these documents

Acronym Guide

MDDC Bylaws

Conflict of Interest Policy

Website Privacy Policy

COVID Office Policy

Stevens Amendment