STACY ENNIS

advocate | direct service professional | MOTHER

Upon earning her BFA from the University of Michigan followed by an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business, Stacy became a marketing professional for a fortune 500 company. As a mom of two boys, one having been diagnosed on the autistic spectrum at the age of five, she turned her attention to working to meet the educational, medical and emotional needs of her sons.

Intersecting her business management skills with her own family’s journey and experiences, Stacy created a vast online resource, pathtoinclusion.com. This serves as a tool to help empower the neuro-diverse autistic community by offering a strong network of professionals and parents  to assist others along their path to a more inclusive future.  In that regard, she recently also became a Direct Service Professional where she works with differently abled people with the objective of assisting them to become integrated into their communities.  

Actively volunteering for organizations which are close to her heart, such as serving as the Special Needs Chair for JCC MetroWest, volunteering at LifeTown and more, Stacy’s ultimate hope is that all special needs parents enjoy a straightforward path leading to positive, productive and successful lives for their children.

Desiree Kameka Galloway

Neuron-Inclusive Housing Solutions, LLC

Desiree is a recognized disability housing expert, Neuro-Inclusive Housing Solutions, LLC seeks to advance neuro-inclusive community development by providing subject matter expertise to industry professionals. As the Director of the Autism Housing Network for the Madison House Autism Foundation, she spent over a decade researching the barriers and identifying unique opportunities to increase residential options for adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities, has led national advocacy efforts on issues of autism in adulthood and has positively influenced policy development at national and state levels. Having visited over 120 residential opportunities and social enterprises across the USA, and led a network of over 250 organizations, Desiree uses this experience and network to help individuals and local leaders understand supportive housing options, service delivery models and strategies for neuro-inclusive community development.

Desiree is also the proud co-author and co-editor of the groundbreaking report, A Place in the World: Fueling Housing and Community Options for Adults with Autism and Other Neurodiversities. Her work in housing is included among international academics and professionals. She has been invited to speak on panels at the World Human Rights Cities Forum by UN-Habitat, the United Nations World Autism Awareness Day, Great Minds Coming Together on Autism International Conference, and at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) on Autism After 21 and was an invited member of the IACC Housing Taskforce. She is also a certified cohousing consultant.

Desiree’s vision is that every person with autism or other neurodiversity can access a home in their community that actively fosters relationships and meaningful inclusion. This vision drives Neuro-Inclusive Housing Solutions, LLC to conduct local market analysis, support advocacy efforts and coalition building, connect professionals and provide consulting services to housing developers for data-driven housing solutions across the country.

elizabeth shea

porzio, bromberg, & NEWMAN, PC

Elizabeth Shea is a healthcare advocate with extensive experience in human services, particularly in the area of developmental disabilities. Ms. Shea was the Assistant Commissioner New Jersey Department of Human Services’ Division of Developmental Disabilities and has extensive subject matter expertise in the areas of federal and state Medicaid, including 1915(c) and 1115(i) Medicaid waiver programs; service delivery across the lifespan of individuals with disabilities – including early intervention services, special education, adult services, affordable housing policies and programs; rate setting for state-funded programs; care management for unique populations; and how to safely transition individuals with complex needs from institutional settings to home and community-based settings.

DR. CHRISTOPHER J. MANENTE PHD, BCBA

PRACTITIONER | EDUCATOR | ADVOCATE

Christopher has been dedicated to creating opportunities for people on the spectrum to succeed within their homes and communities throughout the lifespan and across the contexts of school, work, leisure, and transportation for over 15 years. In addition to his work designing and supervising settings, services, and supports for people with autism, Christopher has over a decade of experience as a university professor creating/facilitating more than a dozen distinct courses from the undergraduate through doctoral level. He has authored articles in peer-reviewed journals, co-authored book chapters, and has presented at numerous
national and international conferences on a variety of topics related to the advancement of inclusive community-based educational, vocational, and residential opportunities for people with autism. Christopher is the owner of Condition One Behavioral Consulting, he is the Founding Executive Director of the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services, and is a combat veteran of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division.

George A. McGowan, III, Esq.

Ansell Grimm & Aaron, P.C.

George’s practice is concentrated in areas of corporate and commercial law (both public and private companies), technology, and transactional matters including Mergers and Acquisitions, Trusts and Estates, Financing and Real Estate. His client roster includes a major data center, a streaming media company, several international manufacturing companies, professional practices, and closely held businesses. Mr. McGowan brings both his private practice /not for profit expertise with Fortune 500 Company knowledge and experience.

He is a graduate of Manhattan College with a Bachelor’s of Science in two majors, Finance and Marketing. He graduated from Seton Hall University School of Law with a J.D.  He clerked for the Honorable Patrick McGann, in the Chancery-General Equity Court in Monmouth County. He is admitted to practice in the State of New Jersey and its Federal Courts.