Kate Bove, Advocate & Athlete

Kate Bove is a 32-year-old adult with William’s Syndrome, a congenital condition, that creates both unique gifts and challenges to people with it. Kate grew up in Jericho Vermont and currently lives semi-independently at a co-housing community in Burlington, VT. Kate has worked in schools as a teacher’s helper, public libraries and most recently at the Janet Munt Family Room in Burlington. Kate is and has always been social, caring and deeply interested in the welfare of others, and works as an advocate and spokesperson for people with disabilities.

She has been a part of Special Olympics Vermont for over 20 years competing in a variety of sports and has had the honor to represented Vermont and the USA at the 2003 World Games in Dublin, Ireland, the 2014 USA Games in New Jersey and the 2019 World Games in Abu Dhabi. Kate enjoys spending time at conferences and workshops focused on those with special needs and has been on the board of the national William’s Syndrome Association. She enjoys spending time with people, but especially enjoy the peers and friends she has met through Zeno Mountain Farm in Lincoln, Vermont.

Max Barrows, GMSA

Max Barrows is Outreach Director for Green Mountain Self-Advocates, a position he has held since 2007. He mentors youth and adults with developmental disabilities to speak up for themselves and become leaders. GMSA is a lead partner of the Self-Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center. Max leads SARTAC’s technical assistance team assisting local and state self-advocacy organizations across the nation. Max connects with people on all levels advocating for true-inclusion of people with developmental disabilities. In his work, he advances the message that when you meet an individual with a disability, presume competence. 

He received a White House Champions of Change award for this work in 2015 and a Champion of Equal Opportunity award from the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities in 2019. Last fall, Max received the Award for Service to the Self Advocacy Movement from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN). Max is an accomplished self-advocate from Vermont who served as a board member for Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered from 2008 to 2016.

Tatiana Lee, RespectAbility

Tatiana Lee is an award-winning actress, international model and Hollywood influencer. She serves as a Hollywood Inclusion Associate at RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to fight stigmas and advance opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. Lee consults on a variety of TV and film projects, conducts training for studios and production companies including NBCUniversal, Netflix and The Walt Disney Company, and assists with RespectAbility’s Lab for Entertainment Professionals with Disabilities. In her spare time, Lee continues to train and grow momentum in her acting and modeling endeavors.

Nicole LeBlanc, Self Advocate

Nicole LeBlanc is a Self Advocate Advisor with TASH on the AOD Disability Employment TA Center where she researches material on employment and self advocacy, recruits focus group members, and provides TA to AODI grantees. She is the coordinator of the Person-Centered Advisory and Leadership Group (PAL-Group) for the National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems (NCAPPS). Since 2011, Nicole has consulted for Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered and the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network developing self-advocacy tools and curriculums, presenting webinars and video blogs on the topics of healthcare, what is Autism, presuming competence, self-managed services, voter access and employment of people with disabilities. She worked for 8+ years at Green Mountain Self-Advocates (GMSA) in Montpelier, VT as Advocacy Director supporting her peers with disabilities to feel comfortable talking to their elected officials about what they need.

Jessica Salmond, Self Advocate

Jessica Salmond is a self-advocate and a mother of seven children from Rosedale, Maryland She is a member of People on the Go in Maryland. She sits on the Mayor’s Commission Disability and the PAIMI Advisory Council at Maryland’s Disability Law Center, the protection and advocacy office in Maryland. Ms. Salmond is also a member of the Plain Language Advisory Committee at the Association of University Centers on Disability (AUCD)., as well as their Telehealth Advisory Committee there. Ms. Salmond is also an active participant in the Self-Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC).

The new frontiers in Jessica’s advocacy include working to become a peer support specialist. In 2020 Jessica received the Volunteer of the Year award from On Our Own, a statewide behavioral health advocacy organization in Maryland.

Jessica wants to continue to participate in training like the AUCD leadership Academy so she can gain tools, skills and relationships to be a better advocate for herself, her children and other people who have disabilities and psychiatric conditions.

Daniel Smrokowski, Special Chronicles

Daniel Smrokowski is an award-winning and veteran podcaster, columnist, and an acclaimed advocate telling disability stories on the groundbreaking platform SpecialChronicles.com. As a digital media creator, he produces podcasts, videos, blogs, columns, and public speaking to give respect and voice to people with special needs. Daniel educates and informs our community that those with different abilities bring unconditional love and joy everyday.

Daniel serves as an Ambassador for ComEd and United Airlines. In addition, Daniel is a Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger with Special Olympics.