Garret Frey’s hope is to gain experience and knowledge to be able to advocate to ensure that caregivers and people with disabilities have access and equity, and to help build a movement for all, including networking at the national level.

Matt Grillot shares that he is a 43-year-old power wheelchair using quadriplegic. For as long as he can remember, he’s spoken up for his rights as a person with a disability and those of others when and where he could.

Kris Graves is employed as a Mental Health Peer Support Specialist at the Abbe Warm Line, where she has put her own struggles with a mental health diagnosis to good use to help others to overcome their own struggles.

Victoria (Ray) Carlson is the daughter of Iowa’s 38th Governor, and was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 16. She has been involved in a number of government and disability organizations throughout her life, and has been a fierce disability rights advocate for many years.

Reagan Crabtree says becoming a SILC member fits into her career of advocating for and creating awareness of dyspraxia. She has already started her career by advocating on several TV and radio interviews.

Edward Esbeck‘s dream is to help people around the world overcome their challenges with disability and to let other people see them accomplish their goals. In 2019, he began working for the University of Iowa hospital.

Applications are currently under review. An Applicant will be appointed by the Governor to serve on the Council.

Applications are currently under review. An Applicant will be appointed by the Governor to serve on the Council.

Applications are currently under review. An Applicant will be appointed by the Governor to serve on the Council.

Applications are currently under review. An Applicant will be appointed by the Governor to serve on the Council.

Vienna Hoang has been serving Iowans with disabilities for almost 30 years. In her current role, she provides supports to counselors, Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRPs), and partnering agencies.

Kim Walford is the Program Manager for the Independent Living Program at the Iowa Department for the Blind (IDB), one of two state agencies that collaborates with the SILC.

Morgan Casey has a Masters degree in Public Health from the University of Iowa College of Public Health and is the Community Coordination Director at the Iowa Department on Aging.

The Iowa SILC is a federally mandated, Governor appointed Council. The SILC has 12 Voting Member positions and three Ex-Officio Non-Voting Member positions, for a total of 15 positions. At least 51% of the SILC Council must be persons with disabilities who do not work for a State agency or a Center for Independent Living.

Of the three ex-officio positions,

• One must be filled by a staff member from the Designated State Entity (DSE), which is the State Agency that receives the federal Part B funds and the State funds for Independent Living for the SILC and the CILs, and who administers those funds to the SILC and CILs. In Iowa, the DSE is Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS). IVRS is also one of the State partners that utilizes a portion of those Part B funds, and matching Part B State funds, to operate Independent Living Services in their agency.
• One position must be filled by a staff member from the Designated State Unit (DSU), which is Iowa Department for the Blind (IDB). IDB is one of the State partners that receives a portion of the federal Part B funds, and matching Part B State funds, to operate Independent Living Services in their agency.
• The third ex-officio, non-voting position must be filled by a staff person from a state agency that works with disability issues. Historically that third position has been filled by a staff person from the Iowa Department on Aging (IDA).

The 12 Voting Members of the SILC must represent a broad range of individuals with different types of disabilities, from all across the state. The Council annually elects a President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary from among the Voting Members of the Council.