EFE Brings on Three New Board Members

Equip for Equality welcomes three new members to its board of directors, all of whom have unique experiences within the disability community.

Gloria Nichols, an activist in the disability rights arena since the 1980s, has served on the Boards of Directors of Chicago ADAPT, the Women's Health Resource Center at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and Progress Center for Independent Living. She is co-founder of ADAPT of Chicago Productions, which produces "ADAPT of Chicago Presents," a local cable television series. The series presents topics of interest to people with disabilities, and has featured Equip for Equality staff. Gloria stressed that she is looking forward to moving in new directions by serving on Equip for Equality's Board.

Gloria is passionate about her commitment to the board, she said, "because it allows me to explore new directions for serving the disability community."

Arlene Stern first learned about Equip for Equality by watching "ADAPT of Chicago Presents" and subsequently came to Equip for Equality's Public Forum last October to talk about the experiences of people with mental illness. Before being laid off, she worked for the Illinois Department of Employment Security for over 18 years. Arlene is an active member of Mental Health Advocates, the consumer advocacy program of the Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4).

"I hope to guide people to a greater understanding and sensitivity of mental illness," she said. "We need to alleviate its stigma in society." Accepting to chair the Advisory Council for Equip for Equality's Protection and Advocacy Program for Individuals with Mental Illness, Arlene said she is proud and excited to serve on the board.

Our third new board member, Kevin Bradley, also has a wealth of experience working on behalf of people with disabilities. Kevin is currently director of Diversity Initiatives at McDonald's. He has served on the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, the Steering Committee of the U.S. Business Leadership Network and the Executive Committee of the Chicagoland Business Leadership Network. He also represents McDonald's CEO on the Mayor's Task Force for Employment of People with Disabilities. Kevin has also served on the Boards of Directors of the Asian American Institute and Horizons For Youth. Throughout his career, Kevin has worked to expand diversity initiatives to include people with disabilities.

"It is imperative that when companies talk about diversity and inclusion, people with disabilities are part of that mix," Kevin stated. "While this is a large and growing population, this group has been invisible in the workplace. Hopefully organizations like EFE, through its advocacy work, can help change that trend.

"When we held our public meeting last October there was a very strong sense that people with disabilities in Illinois want to connect to each other and belong to a larger, more coherent movement," said Zena Naiditch, President and CEO of Equip for Equality. "Gloria's and Arlene's acceptance of a leadership role in our organization will enhance our efforts to develop a partnership with grass roots advocates and ensure that activists with disabilities play a critical leadership role in our work." She also noted that "Kevin's membership on our Board is demonstrative of the successful and highly cooperative relationships we have developed with business leaders."

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