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2026 National APSE Board of Directors At-Large Candidate

CLICK to meet all nominees before the election ends on March 15.

Please describe your history/nature of involvement/interest in promoting competitive integrated employment in your state. Additionally, explain why you are passionate about competitive, integrated employment for people with disabilities:

My work in Illinois has centered on advancing Employment First policy and strengthening competitive integrated employment systems statewide. As Associate Director of Program and Policy at the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities, I lead and support implementation of major employment initiatives, including the Dignity in Pay Act, which phases out subminimum wage under 14 c, and the Customized Employment Act. I have helped develop Illinois’ Dignity in Pay Action Plan, coordinated cross agency strategy between the Division of Rehabilitation Services and the Division of Developmental Disabilities, and supported development of interagency agreements to reduce fragmentation between systems. I have also led efforts to secure and implement NEON Core State technical assistance and coordinated Marc Gold and Associates Customized Employment training to build provider capacity across the state. In addition to policy and systems work, I regularly present to Illinois APSE and other statewide audiences, engage providers and advocates, and lead the Education and Employment Committee to ensure Council voice and inclusive participation in employment planning. My role requires translating federal and state policy into structured implementation with measurable outcomes tied to wages, hours, and competitive integrated employment placements.

I am passionate about competitive integrated employment because employment is foundational to dignity and full community inclusion. Subminimum wage and segregated settings have historically limited opportunity and reinforced low expectations for people with disabilities. Real jobs at real wages in typical workplaces create independence, economic mobility, and self determination. They also shift systems from compliance to true equity. Competitive integrated employment is not only a workforce issue. It is a civil rights issue. It reflects whether we believe people with disabilities belong in our communities as contributors, leaders, and decision makers. I am motivated by the belief that public policy must translate into tangible opportunity. Laws must lead to measurable change in people’s lives. My involvement in Illinois has strengthened my commitment to this work at a national level. Systems change requires persistence, collaboration, and disciplined implementation. I remain deeply committed to advancing employment and self sufficiency so that all people with disabilities have access to meaningful, competitive integrated employment and the economic stability that comes with it.

What best represents your position/lived experience?

State Agency Representative

What skills, knowledge, or lived experience do you have that will contribute to strengthening and growing the financial health of APSE and promoting its mission to advance employment and self-sufficiency for all people with disabilities?

I bring systems level policy expertise, grant oversight experience, and cross sector relationship building skills that directly support both financial sustainability and mission growth. As Associate Director of Program and Policy at the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities, I oversee a portfolio of complex federally funded initiatives and manage strategic investments tied to measurable employment outcomes. I understand how to align funding with results, monitor performance, and ensure accountability. I have led implementation of major systems change efforts including the Dignity in Pay Act and the Customized Employment Act. This work requires coordinating multiple state agencies, engaging providers, securing technical assistance, and building buy in across diverse partners. I helped position Illinois to secure NEON Core State technical assistance, demonstrating my ability to identify funding opportunities and align state priorities with national initiatives. I have been invited to present to Illinois APSE and other statewide audiences, helping expand awareness of competitive integrated employment and strengthening partnerships between VR, developmental disability systems, providers, advocates, and self advocates. I also lead the Education and Employment Committee, where I translate policy into actionable strategy and ensure inclusive participation. In addition to policy knowledge, I bring lived commitment to equity and community inclusion. I understand that employment is not only an economic issue but a civil rights issue tied to dignity, autonomy, and self determination. I am comfortable navigating complex fiscal discussions while keeping the mission centered on people. APSE would gain a strategic thinker who understands public funding streams, governance, and systems alignment, and who can contribute to strengthening financial stewardship while advancing national Employment First priorities.

How do you think serving on the National APSE Board will help you grow as a leader in the Employment First Movement?

Serving on the National APSE Board would deepen my leadership by expanding my perspective beyond state level implementation to national strategy, innovation, and sustainability. In Illinois, I work on systems change tied to Employment First policy, including cross agency alignment, provider transformation, and measurable employment outcomes. Board service would allow me to engage with leaders across states, learn from emerging models, and contribute to shaping national direction. I believe strong leaders in the Employment First Movement must understand both policy and practice, both vision and execution. Serving on the Board would strengthen my governance skills, financial stewardship awareness, and strategic decision making in a national nonprofit context. It would also sharpen my ability to communicate the value of competitive integrated employment to diverse audiences, including policymakers, funders, providers, and self advocates. Exposure to national trends, funding strategies, and federal policy shifts would enhance my ability to anticipate challenges and bring forward proactive solutions in Illinois and beyond. It would also strengthen my capacity to mentor emerging leaders and support cross state collaboration. Most importantly, Board service would challenge me to think beyond my own state’s systems and consider how to scale impact nationally. I am committed to lifelong learning and disciplined leadership. Serving on the National APSE Board would stretch me, refine my strategic lens, and position me to contribute more effectively to advancing Employment First as a civil rights and economic justice movement. I view this opportunity not as a title, but as responsibility. It would help me grow into a more informed, connected, and accountable leader in the Employment First Movement.

Biography

Mariel Hamer-Sinclair is a disability policy strategist whose career spans direct service, statewide systems transformation, and high-impact legislative work. As Associate Director of Program and Policy at the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities, she oversees a multimillion-dollar grant portfolio, advances statewide initiatives across education, employment, health, and housing, and serves as a trusted subject matter expert on State and Federal disability policy. She drafts and analyzes legislation, provides testimony before the Illinois General Assembly and Chicago City Council, and leads equity-centered strategies that strengthen outcomes for people with disabilities across Illinois. Appointed by Governor JB Pritzker to the Community and Residential Services Authority (CRSA) Board, the Employment and Opportunities for People with Disabilities (EEOPD) Taskforce, and the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission (IGAC), Mariel also received the 2024 Interagency Committee on Employees with Disabilities (ICED) Advocate of the Year Award for her role in the passage of the Dignity in Pay Act, and was recently nominated to the National Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) Board, reflecting her growing national influence in advancing inclusive employment and accountability-centered public policy. Her earlier career includes administrative leadership within Chicago Public Schools, where she managed transition services for more than 22,000 students with disabilities across 600+ schools and guided districtwide strategies that prepared youth for life beyond high school. She also served in the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Rehabilitation Services Home Services Program and the Social Security Administration Work Incentive Planning and Assistance Program, experiences that ground her deep commitment to systems change and her ability to translate complex policy into meaningful statewide impact. Mariel holds a Master’s degree in Human Services Administration, Social Services from the University of Illinois at Springfield.