Patricia M. Freedman, J.D. is the Executive Director. She has over 20 years experience advocating for the rights of people with disabilities. She has written materials on a range of disability issues for attorneys and families, including editing the publication Estate Planning for Parents of Children with Disabilities. She conducts workshops and seminars for families and professionals on a range of disability law issues.

Eileen Ruhl, J.D., is the Assistant Director. She has dedicated more than a decade to working with and on behalf of people with disabilities. Her professional experience includes nonprofit roles as Behavior Specialist, Day Services Associate Director and Employment Services Director for the adult disabled population. She has also worked with disabled children in the Rhode Island public and private school systems. In addition, she has over twenty years tax paraprofessional experience. She holds a J.D. from New England School of Law.

Sally Miller, LICSW, is the Social Worker for PLAN of Massachusetts. She has worked with our organization for more than 30 years providing advocacy and case management services to thousands of people with disabilities. Sally received her MSSS from Boston University and is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker.

Elise Dwortzan, LICSW, is a service coordinator for PLAN of Massachusetts. For more than ten years she has provided case management, advocacy, and psychotherapy to people with disabilities. Elise has a special interest in working with the Deaf community and using American Sign Language as an adjunct communication tool for hearing people with communication difficulties. She received her MSW from Florida International University.

David Wizansky, President. David is the President of Specialized Housing, Inc., which organizes and maintains numerous community-based supportive living arrangements for people with special needs. A graduate of Harvard College and Boston University School of Social Work, David has his MSSS and LICSW. He founded the first self-advocacy group for people with developmental disabilities in the United States. He has worked to create residential programs, community diversion and treatment programs for youth at risk and disabled adults. David and his wife, Margot Wizansky were part of the team that developed one of the first home ownership opportunities for disabled individuals in the United States. David and Margot are featured speakers at national and international conferences.

Harold (Hal) Fortna, Treasurer. Hal is an Electrical Engineer with a company in Andover, MA. A graduate of Auburn University, he has significant management experience. He also has expertise in developing proposals for funding and business development. In addition to the financial work that he does for PLAN of Massachusetts, he provides valuable technology assistance to the staff. Hal is also the Treasurer of his local NAMI affiliate.

Florence Finkel, Clerk. Florence has spent more than 45 years advocating for improving and strengthening supports for people with disabilities. Florence helped found the Solomon House, one of the first community group residences in Massachusetts. In the 1970’s Florence was a plaintiff in a lawsuit that exposed the deplorable conditions in state facilities. This lawsuit resulted in federal court consent decrees; she continues to work to ensure that the consent decree standards are upheld. Florence is a member of the Governor’s Commission on Mental Retardation, the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council, ARC Massachusetts, the Department of Mental Retardation’s Statewide Human Rights Advisory Committee, and the Commission for the Disabled for the town of Sharon. She has won numerous awards for her advocacy work on behalf of people with disabilities, including the prestigious Gunner Dybwad Leadership Award.

Erna S. Greene, Secretary. Erna recently retired from running her own publications and reports business. A graduate of Antioch College and NYU, Erna serves on several Boards. Erna has edited and published handbooks for families who face serious mental illness and she currently edits and publishes the Newsletter for NAMI of Central Middlesex. She is a member of the Department of Mental Health’s Metro Suburban Area Board. Erna served for ten years as the Chair of the Lexington Town Report Committee and was an elected Town Meeting Member for 23 years. Erna is also a member of the League of Women Voters, the Citizens for Lexington Conservation, and the Appalachian Mountain Club.

Nancy Ames. For more than 40 years, Nancy Ames has engaged in educational research and development, technical assistance, and policy and advocacy. She has always had a commitment to serving individuals who face special challenges due to poverty, race/ethnicity, disability, or other factors.

She recently retired from Education Development Center (EDC), after more than 20 years as Vice President and Director of the Center for Family, School, and Community. During her long tenure, she assisted with overall strategic planning; provided leadership and management support to more than 40 staff members; wrote dozens of successful proposals; developed and managed several large-scale projects; worked with dozens of schools and school systems; published numerous books, articles, and reports; and communicated with federal policy makers, state and local leaders, and the media.

Prior to joining EDC, Ms. Ames spent nearly 13 years as a senior researcher at Abt Associates Inc., where she conducted policy research on a variety of educational and justice issues. She also worked as a researcher and evaluator for the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, NJ; Fresno City Schools; and the California State Department of Education. Currently, she serves as an independent consultant to EDC, the College Board, and other educational organizations. She also serves on the board of two non-profit organizations, including the Plan of Massachusetts.

Ms. Ames' areas of expertise include special education, middle-grades education, comprehensive school reform, and arts-integrated education. While at EDC, she helped launch the Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative, a network of more than 100 urban school districts whose members share best practices in educating students with disabilities. She also founded the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, a unique alliance of middle-grades leaders who work together to create and recognize successful middle-grades schools. Both these groups are still going strong after more than a decade, and they are continuing to make a positive difference in schools and communities all across the country.

Elizabeth Lewis. Elizabeth is our newest Board member. She has extensive experience in education, both as a teacher and as an administrator. She is also active in issues involving international education. Elizabeth has served as Director of Curriculum and Instruction and as Curriculum Coordinator. She was recently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Education at Wheaton College. She has helped develop grants for school programs and has worked to reorganize Support Teams that for students with learning issues. She has worked with several parent organizations as well as school administrators. Elizabeth received her Bachelors Degree, cum laude, from Smith College, her MAT from Harvard University, and her MLIS from Simmons College.

Barbara L. Siegel. Barbara is an attorney at the Disability Law Center in Boston, where she specializes in Disability Benefits. She publishes a statewide newsletter for SSI/SSDI advocates, conducts trainings on disability issues and provides legal representation to SSI and SSDI beneficiaries. She also manages the Disability section of the statewide legal services website. Barbara is a graduate of Boston College Law School and Brown University. Prior to working at the Disability Law Center, Barbara was a Clerk to the Massachusetts Appeals Court and worked at Community Legal Services and Counseling Center in the Housing and Disability Benefits units.

Charles (Chuck) S. Silsby. Chuck has a Masters of Social Work and is currently the Clinical Director at Specialized Housing, Inc. In this position, he facilitates clinical groups for residents, makes assessments for possible new residents, and hires staff. Prior to his current position, he served as a Consultant and Interim House Manager, and he was a Quality Assurance Specialist for Children’s services in Maine. Chuck is a graduate of the University of Maine where he had various internships in different settings, including the Atrium House and the Janus House. Chuck has worked with multidisciplinary teams to address individual treatment issues and has provided rehabilitation counseling and crisis intervention services to clients. In addition to his volunteer work with PLAN of Massachusetts, Chuck’s other volunteer activities include helping to facilitate an administrative team in a research project observing the relationship of people with disabilities and healthy living.

Phyllis Solomon. Phyllis is a Nurse Manager in the Office of Long Term Care at the Massachusetts Division of Medical Assistance. She represents the Division of Medical Assistance on the Governor’s Commission on End of Life Care and on the Research Committee of the Multicultural Coalition on Aging. A graduate of the Cambridge City Hospital School of Nursing, Phyllis has served on the Boards of numerous organizations and agencies. She has vast experience in developing and managing programs that provide assistance to people with disabilities and the elderly. Phyllis’ late husband was the major force in establishing the Solomon House and the Solomon Trust which provides financial scholarships to disabled individuals for activities that help enhance the quality of their lives.

Van Lanckton. Van is a rabbi and former lawyer. He received his rabbinic ordination from Hebrew College Rabbinical School in 2009. From 1967 until 2003 Van practiced law in Massachusetts, initially as a Teaching Fellow in Law and Clinical Practice at Harvard Law School and Director of its Community Legal Assistance Office, and then as a lawyer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He joined its Executive Office for Human Services when it was formed in 1971, serving as its Deputy General Counsel, and then became General Counsel of the Massachusetts Department of Public Welfare. In these positions Van developed an expertise in law relating to Medicaid and other governmental programs providing medical and cash assistance to disadvantaged populations. Van then practiced law in two law firms in Boston, working in both health law and litigation, with an increasing emphasis on mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.