2026 APRIL Board of Directors
Please take a moment to get to know our wonderful board of directors. We appreciate your service!
Executive Officers
President
Kim Gibson (she/her), disABILITY LINK, Tucker, GA
Dr. Kim Gibson, a committed leader and advocate, brings over three decades of experience in advancing disability rights, fostering diversity, and championing inclusion. Her impactful contributions to the Independent Living (IL) movement have left a lasting impression on the communities she has served. Originally hailing from Idaho, Kim embarked on her journey in disability advocacy in 1988. Her path led her through Wyoming, Pennsylvania, and Texas before she assumed the role of Executive Director at disABILITY LINK in Georgia in August 2013. Driven by a passion for the IL philosophy, she has dedicated her career to expanding programs that prioritize diversity and inclusion. Kim holds a Doctorate and Master's degree in social work, a testament to her commitment to continuous learning and excellence. Her academic journey was marked by the prestigious Neta Kolasa Scholarship, recognizing her unwavering dedication to social justice. As a devoted mother to her son, Dustin, and his wife, Pushee, Kim values family and the relationships that enrich her life. She recently welcomed a new service animal, Chipper, continuing her tradition of companionship after the passing of her cherished Charlie.
Throughout her career, Kim has been an ardent supporter of education, serving as a field instructor for individuals pursuing social work, educational, and occupational degrees. Her involvement in various community events, focused on suicide prevention, women's rights, disability rights, and civil rights, underscores her commitment to advocacy and societal improvement. Kim has received numerous accolades, including the 2014 National Council of Independent Living (NCIL)
"Women's Caucus Hall of Fame Award" and the 2023 Disability Inclusion Leadership Award from the National Diversity Council. Actively engaged in her community, Kim currently is serving as the President of APRIL (Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living), she continues to uplift organizations through policy advocacy, growth initiatives, and prioritizing the Independent Living Community and philosophy. Through APRIL’s peer-to-peer mentorship program, Kim is a peer mentor for other CILS (Centers for Independent Living). Kim is the past vice-chair of the Southeastern Center Directors Association and has served as a board member of NCIL (National Council of Independent Living), a board
member of SILC of GA, and a variety of NCIL subcommittees. She also serves on several local boards and has, in the past, served on various advisory boards in Wyoming appointed by the Governor and boards in Pennsylvania. Kim continues to work actively in the community, embodying the principles of the Independent Living Philosophy and tirelessly working towards a more inclusive and equitable society.
Vice President
Scott Birkenbuel (he/him), Ability Montana, Bozeman, MT
Scott Birkenbuel is the CEO of the Montana Independent Living Project which serves all persons with disabilities across southwest Montana. Prior to this position Scott served on the Board of Directors for the Montana Independent Living Project, Chaired the Statewide Independent Living Council, Chaired the Vocational Rehabilitation Advisory Counsel, and sat on the Governors Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities. He also held a seat on the Montana University System Board of Regents and had a 5-year tenure as an Adjunct Professor at Montana State University’s School of Business. After graduating from Montana State University, he started and ran his own small business and created jobs in Bozeman Montana for 24 years.
Scott married his high school sweetheart, and they have two daughters and two grandchildren. At home in Bozeman, he and his family enjoy Montana’s great outdoors - camping, hunting and angling.
Secretary
Lidia Fonseca (she/her), VAIL, TX
Lidia Fonseca is the Executive Director at VAIL, a center for independent living in the South Texas region. Lidia has a bachelor's degree in Rehabilitative Services from the University of Texas Pan-American, a Master's in Rehabilitation Counseling from Texas Tech University, and a doctorates in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She provides overall supervision, management, development, and implementation of programs at VAIL.
She has 10 years of experience in the disability field which include emergency management and planning for persons with disabilities, training on leadership, advocacy, and disability policy, and promoting employment services for all persons with disabilities. She is the current President of TEXCIL, a statewide association of centers for independent living that ensure statewide effectiveness of independent living services.
Treasurer
Sidna Madden-Trimmell (she/her), SILC of Oklahoma, OKC, OK
Sidna Madden-Trimmell is the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Statewide Independent Living Council. She serves on many boards and commissions statewide that work on behalf of people with disabilities. Sidna is the Chair of the Oklahoma City Mayor’s Committee on Disability Concerns and is working to raise awareness to improve the quality of life and is advocating for the removal of physical and attitudinal barriers in her state. Through these efforts communities nationwide are using OKC as a model and asking for guidance to structure their communities. Sidna also serves at the Treasurer for APRIL and serves on the NASILC Executive Committee.
DEI Seat
Beth Quarles (she/her), Future Choices, IN
Beth Y. Quarles is a seasoned advocate with over 25 years of experience as an Executive Director at a Center for Independent Living. Her extensive career is deeply informed by her own experiences as a person of diverse background living with a disability, which has profoundly shaped her approach to advocacy. Beth has made significant contributions through her service on various national, state, and local boards, where she has been a passionate advocate for the rights of individuals of color, people with disabilities, and the broader spectrum of human rights. Her leadership roles have included impactful work in policy development, community engagement, and strategic planning. Notably, Beth also served two terms on the board of APRIL, where she played a crucial role in advancing its mission to promote disability inclusion and empowerment. Through her rich personal experience and professional expertise, Beth remains committed to fostering a more equitable and inclusive society, continuously working to break down barriers and build supportive communities for all.
At-Large Executive Officer
Don Dew (he/him), Disabilities Resource center of Siouxland, Nebraska SILC, IA
Don has served 2 terms as a Member-at-Large he is very experienced regarding this role. Don has created a legacy of empowering underrepresented communities in his work, and he adds to that legacy in every aspect of his professional and personal life.
Don has been the Executive Director at Disabilities Resource Center of Siouxland in Sioux City, Iowa since 2012.
Members At Large
Lakesha Whitman, Southeast Arkansas Independent Living Services (SAILS), AR
Lakesha Whitman serves as the Executive Director of Southeast Arkansas Independent Living Services (SAILS), a center for independent living in White Hall, Arkansas. Before assuming her role at SAILS, she was the Associate Director at the Center for Exceptional Families (Arkansas PTI). With over twenty years of experience advocating for individuals, families, and communities, she is particularly committed to supporting rural and underserved families, reflecting her own background. As someone with multiple hidden disabilities, Lakesha is dedicated to using her voice and actions to advocate for inclusion and accessibility for everyone. Additionally, Lakesha is a wife and mother of seven with varying disabilities.
Lakesha has been appointed by the Governor to serve on the Arkansas State Independent Living Council (SILC). Also, she is a board member of the Project SEARCH steering committee and a court-appointed CASA Advocate. She has spent ten years as a Girl Scout Leader and is an active member of her community
Jill Nyberg, IndiGO, WI
Jill Nyberg is the Executive Director of indiGO (formerly North Country Independent Living). She began her career in Independent Living thirty plus years ago. Jill started at Access North in Hibbing, Minnesota after graduating with a degree in Social Work. The program Jill worked under was a demonstration program for youth transition through the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation. Jill jumped into Individual Education Plan advocacy and found her Independent Living footing. She worked to develop a youth empowerment conference which was recognized nationwide as the grant sunsetted. Jill then took a social work position in child protection which did not last long. She missed Independent Living and returned to Access North for an Independent Living Specialist position in their Duluth Minnesota office. Here Jill expanded her Independent Living experience working with individuals of all ages and in adaptive recreation. During this time Wisconsin began a demonstration program for youth in transition and was asked to join indiGO. She was able to connect with the smallest outlying school districts, develop relationships with local towns, and then organize community student/parent events to provide disability rights and awareness training. Jill began graduate school at this time as she desired a future leadership position at indiGO. Jill graduated with a Master of Arts in Management and took a position at Disability Rights Wisconsin. She took the year-long position in their Milwaukee office as Intake Specialist. Jill returned home to northwest Wisconsin while deinstitutionalization was happening in the state and took a position as Program Director supporting individuals living in their own homes. The transitioning of people with disabilities out of institutions was met with much opposition and Jill led the way in northwest Wisconsin.
Once Jill’s long-time mentors retired, she re-joined indiGO after twenty years as she desired. Jill has continued to expand their mental health services, increase funding for their transportation program, continue their Native American Independent Living demonstration program, and further access to Assistive Technology through collaboration with state and local resources. She also serves on a number of local community and state boards. This includes Treasurer of the Wisconsin Coalition of Independent Living Centers.
Angie Zimmerman, LINK, Inc., Hays, KS
Angie has been with LINK, Inc. for a little more than 22 years. She has served many roles such as a Direct Support Worker, Independent Living Specialist, Information & Referral Specialist, Program Director and currently serves as CEO/Executive Director since 2015.
She has won Business Woman of the Year (2014). This was in recognition of Business Accomplishments, Leadership Qualities & Contributions to the Community through Hays Chamber of Commerce. She also won with LINK, the Helping Hands award (2020) is recognition of employee for Outstanding Work that improves the Quality of Life for Residents in the Hays area.
Angie was a member of Young Professionals as an Advisory Council for many years. She was a Leadership Hays graduate and facilitator. Angie served on the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas (SILCK) for two full terms with officer positions most years and membership committee for all of her years. She has been attending and waiting on State Rehabilitation Council of Kansas to have Governor appointment. (There has been a delay due to staff shortage.)
Angie has worked in conjure with a high school mentoring teenagers wanting to work with individuals with disabilities doing case management of sorts.
Angie went to school to become a nurse working in a nursing home, deciding it was not for her. She went back to school to receive her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and completed her Master's classes in Community Counseling. Angie is a person with multiple complex disabilities.
Over the years, Angie has been to the APRIL conference many times and her mentor who has since passed has served on the APRIL board since the beginning. Brian Atwell (mentor) has served multiple terms with different times throughout his twenty-five plus years at LINK.
Sharif Brown, Alliance Disability Advocates, NC
Sharif Brown has been a staff member of the Alliance of Disability Advocates since 2016. Sharif started as a travel trainer educating individuals who experience disabilities on how to navigate public transportation. Sharif also had a strong passion for helping those who have been incarcerated successfully transition back into the community. This passion and the success that he was having led to a grant with the state to expand on this work. Today Sharif is the Director of Reentry Services leading a team to reduce recidivism rates across North Carolina. His team works closely with individuals that are both pre-release and post-release. These individuals must experience an IDD or TBI to qualify for the program. Many of these individuals are being released to rural areas within the state.
Kyle Kleist (he/him), CIL Western Wisconsin
Kyle Kleist is the Executive Director at the Center for Independent Living for Western Wisconsin (CILWW). As a person with a disability who uses a wheelchair, Kyle has over 20 years of experience working in Independent living. At the Center for Independent Living for Western Wisconsin, he has worked as the Peer Support Coordinator and Independent Living Specialist, conducted AT assessments, and helped to start the CILWW’s New Freedom Transportation Program. Kyle left CILWW in 2007 to teach for 10 years at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in the undergraduate Rehabilitation Services program. However, during that time remained connected to CILWW, serving on the Board for 6 years, the last three years as Board President. In 2017, Kyle returned to CILWW as Assistant Director, then as Executive Director in 2020. He has always been dedicated to the independent living philosophy of providing consumer-directed services and is a strong advocate for persons with disabilities.
Christopher Rodriguez, President and CEO of Ability360 in Phoenix, AZ
Christopher Rodriguez has an extensive history advocating alongside and on behalf of individuals with disabilities on the local, state, and national levels. Before becoming the President & CEO of Ability360, Rodriguez served as the Executive Director of Disability Rights Louisiana (DRLA), an organization that aims to empower and advocate for the human and legal rights of people with disabilities. In addition, Rodriguez has held several other positions in the disability advocacy community, including Director of Public Policy for National Disability Institute, Director of Governmental Affairs and Media Relations for the Michigan Protection and Advocacy, and Director of Chapter Services at The Arc of Texas.
Rodriguez received his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Berkeley. He earned his graduate degree in Public Affairs at the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin. Rodriguez also holds a graduate minor in Disability Studies. Rodriguez’s passion for advocating comes from his experiences as the younger sibling to a person with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Kendra Brown (she/her), Ability Montana, MT
My dedication to the Independent Living Movement has been lifelong, solidified by my involvement as a youth attendee at APRIL conferences in high school. In 2012, I was honored with the Linda Gonzales Award at the conference in Reno, recognizing my early commitment to uplifting youth voices within the movement. I then went on to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work to grow my skillset. I have happily been an Independent Living Specialist at Ability Montana since November 2021.
I want to do my part to ensure APRIL’s future remains strong, because I believe APRIL plays a key role in keeping the IL movement alive and connected across the country. Looking forward, I believe it is critical to bring more youth voices into leadership to ensure the movement’s longevity and continued success. Serving on the board would allow me to give back to the community that has shaped me while helping to strengthen APRIL for generations to come.
Christina Clift (she/her), Disability Connection Midsouth, TN
I have dedicated more than two decades to advancing the rights, independence, and opportunities of people with disabilities. Currently, I serve as Co-Executive Director of Disability Connection Midsouth, where I oversee daily operations, staff management, policy development, compliance, budgeting, and community engagement. Prior to this role, I worked as Outreach and Development Manager, implementing fundraising initiatives, cultivating donor relationships, and supporting grant development. For 20 years, I served as a Consumer Advocate, where I provided direct support and instruction in non-visual skills such as braille, cane travel, and assistive technology, while also creating workshops, mentoring programs, and advocacy initiatives that empowered individuals to live more independently.
Beyond my organizational leadership, I have extensive experience in systems-level advocacy. I served on the State Rehabilitation Council of Tennessee, providing oversight of the state’s vocational rehabilitation program, conducting statewide needs assessments, and educating legislators about critical disability services. I have also chaired the Memphis Advisory Council for Citizens with Disabilities, preparing annual reports to the Mayor and leading community engagement on disability issues. Additionally, as a longtime leader within the National Federation of the Blind of Tennessee, I have advocated for legislation, coordinated statewide educational programs, and represented the interests of blind and low-vision Tennesseans at local, state, and national levels.
As a person who is blind, I bring not only professional expertise but also lived experience to my work. I understand firsthand the barriers faced by individuals in rural and underserved communities and the importance of programs that promote equity, independence, and opportunity. I believe I am well qualified to serve on the Board of Directors of the Association for Programs for Rural Independent Living because of my deep commitment to disability advocacy, my leadership experience in both nonprofit management and statewide councils, and my proven ability to build partnerships that strengthen communities. I would be honored to contribute my skills, experience, and perspective to advance the mission of APRIL and ensure that people with disabilities in rural areas have the resources and support they need to thrive.
LaDonna Williams (she/her), RAIL, MO
LaDonna Williams – Executive Director, Rural Advocates for Independent Living (RAIL). LaDonna Williams serves as the Executive Director of Rural Advocates for Independent Living (RAIL), one of 21 Centers for Independent Living in Missouri, covering a 10-county region in Northeast Missouri. With 22 years of service at RAIL, including the past 11 as Executive Director, LaDonna began her career as a Benefits Specialist through the Social Security BPAO program.
Dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities and the aging community, she is passionate about sharing the mission of Centers for Independent Living and expanding access to the core services and additional programs RAIL provides.
Beyond her professional role, LaDonna and her husband have shared a lifelong partnership of over 45 years of marriage (and 5 years of dating before that). Together, they have raised three children and enjoy spending time with their nine grandchildren. LaDonna is eager to bring her knowledge and leadership experience to further serve the Independent Living movement as a board member for APRIL.
Lori Hill-Sanders
Lori Hill-Sanders is the CEO of Disability Network Wayne County Detroit, where she leads with vision and commitment to advancing disability inclusion, advocacy, and community empowerment. A Detroit native and graduate of Wayne State University, she holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts in Guidance and Counseling. With over 15 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, counseling, and community service, Lori has successfully strengthened organizations, expanded critical services, and implemented programs that address barriers for youth, families, and individuals with disabilities.
I am deeply committed to ensuring that people with disabilities are valued, included, and empowered to live fully in their communities. Serving on the APRIL Governing Board would allow me to share my experience in organizational leadership, advocacy, and program development on a national level while learning from other leaders across the country. I believe in the power of collaboration, peer support, and community-driven solutions, and I want to contribute my voice and expertise to help advance APRIL’s mission of promoting independent living and equity for all.
Youth Seats
Hannah Adira (she/they), DAC NW, ID
Hello, my name is Hannah Adira. I am 24 years old, and a senior in college. My pronouns are she/her they/them and I use a walker. I am autistic and have bipolar. I also have general and social anxiety, PTSD, Dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, POTS, and Mass cell Activation Syndrome. My degree is in Freshwater and Water: Marine Biology and Ecology, Indigenous Peoples: Environmental Policy and Culture, and Comparative Literature: Creative Writing and Fiction. I am very passionate about advocacy and routinely take part in trainings and meetings that address disabilities and services. My dream is to become an environmental advocate and create a place that is safe for domestic violence survivors, those of minorities, and those with disabilities to be safe and get help. For a closer goal I am looking into graduate degree programs around environmental policy, and I plan to bring my knowledge of disability advocacy into whatever program I choose.
Meilani Decker
ʔe x̣est sx̣lx̣alt esyaʔ, Meilani Decker łu i skʷest. Čn eslʔupn eł cil spentč. Čn es npiyélsi x̣ʷl yetłx̣ʷasq̓t u čnes lemti x̣ʷl esyaʔ.
My name is Meilani Decker; I am 25 years old. I am an enrolled member of the Spokane tribe and a descendant of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Kanai) and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
I am currently employed through Disability Action Center NW as the Independent Living Youth Coordinator under the Pathways to Partnerships grant in Idaho. I started this position in October 2024, I am still learning and hope you support my efforts!
I graduated from Washington State University in fall 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Human Resource Management.
Rooted in community and driven by purpose, I’m a passionate advocate for youth, young adults, and our native communities navigating the path toward a fulfilling life. Drawing on my own upbringing and lived experience, I deeply believe in the power of Interdependence — the idea that we rise together, not in isolation. I am committed to walking alongside my peers as we discover who they are, what they’re capable of, and where they belong.
If you need more information, please contact the APRIL office at 501-753-3400.