Ep. 20 Christine Pisani & Libby Oseguera - DD Councils in Idaho & Utah

In this episode, Matt interviews two more directors of Developmental Disabilities Councils, in our series about DD Act programs. Our guests are, Christine Pisani, who is Executive Director of the Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities, and Libby Oseguera, the Executive Director of the Utah Developmental Disabilities Council. They talk to us about their backgrounds, how they ended up in their roles, what they do as DD Councils in their states, and how they see DD Councils improving the lives of people with disabilities. Full transcripts of this episode are available in English and in Spanish.

 

You can read more about the programs within the DD network in our new issue of the Developmental Disabilities Network Journal - new articles are still being published in this issue, so keep checking back!

 

About our guests:

 

Christine Pisani has multiple family members with disabilities and began working for people with disabilities as a college student at the University of Idaho in 1986. She has worked in many direct support roles supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, people with mental health issues, and people with dementia. She is a caregiver to her mother who has dementia. Christine started at the Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities in 1996 as the Council planner, then served as a program specialist. She has served as the Executive Director since 2013. Her work at the Council presents opportunities to work directly with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, family members, and policymakers statewide. Her work includes leadership development, service system redesign, voting rights, advocacy and education, and federal and state legislative policy. Christine holds a Master of Education degree in Special Education with an emphasis in public policy. She is also a graduate of the State of Idaho’s Certified Public Management program. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two adult daughters, her Golden Retriever Hazel, gardening, and backpacking.

 

Libby Oseguera has nearly thirty years of dedicated public service, encompassing adaptive recreation, job coaching, and extensive advocacy programming, policy development, and active engagement in systemic changes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Recreation from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, followed by a Master of Public Administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills. Currently, she serves as the Executive Director of the Utah Developmental Disabilities Council, where she is committed to supporting and empowering people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to lead inclusive, meaningful, and self-determined lives within their communities.