Tabby Anvari of Rochester, NY is the parent of an individual with unique abilities, and for the last three decades has had the pleasure of learning by doing, through active collaboration with various agencies, building bridges of reciprocity among the protagonists of various systems, and engaging in community building efforts that will ensure a wider circle of inclusion and tap into the unique talents of individuals to contribute to the betterment of their communities.

Joe Ball and his wife Linda reside in Tonawanda, NY and are the parents of an individual with developmental disabilities. Joe is a Board Member with Parent to Parent of New York State. He was a member of the Ken Ton Committee for Special Education for approximately 17 years. Joe was awarded a SUNY award for his advocacy contributions at Buffalo State College.

Lilly Clayson, based in West Seneca, is a trained parent advocate through the Parent Network of WNY. She has a son with autism, who receives Care Coordination and Self-Directed Services. She has longstanding experience with Self-Direction budgets. She looks forward to providing suggestions to the Member Advisory Board that will help the intellectual and developmental disabilities world continue to be more person-centered. She hopes to be a part of meaningful change and idea-sharing from the perspective of a parent with a child who has disabilities.

Israel “Izzy” Cruz is a long-time self-advocate based in Buffalo. For the past thirteen years, he has publicly worked to further the rights and visibility of people with disabilities in New York State. Izzy spent many years working for the Museum of Disabilities History and has more recently partnered with the Self-Advocacy Association of New York State, Inc. (SANYS).

Joseph Damiano is a Peer Support Specialist at the Arc Allegany Steuben. He has been receiving services from the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities for years. He also receives Care Coordination through Person Centered Services and prevocational and employment services through the Arc. Joseph is a self-advocate who joined the advisory board to fight for the people who can not advocate for themselves.

Max is a proud parent who, along with his wife Joyce Donatelli, has two beautiful children, Connie and Craig. Craig is 34, has Down syndrome, and lives semi-independently and works in competitive employment. Max retired from Baker Victory Services (now OLV Human Services) in 2016 after 42 years in roles including direct care worker, therapist, director, and department head, helping high risk youth in foster care and families. He has a BA degree in psychology and sociology, and MS degree in counselor education both from Canisius College. Max is past executive director of the Parent Network of WNY. Currently, he is chair of the Erie County Community Services Board for Mental Hygiene. He is also an active member of the Health Leadership Fellows Action Network (co-chair DEIJ Committee), of the Developmental Disabilities Alliance of WNY Family Committee (Founding Member), of Leadership Buffalo, and other advocacy initiatives, as well as vice chair of the Community Veterans Engagement Board (Max is a Vietnam Veteran). Max regularly writes articles in the media and speaks publicly on advocacy topics. Recent advocacy awards include: NY Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation, Community Advocacy Award, and NFJC Lana Benatovich Lifetime Achievement Award. Max is the co-founder of the Art of Advocacy.

Seth Greenman and his wife Ashley are proud parents of two children, one who is supported by Person Centered Services. Mr. Greenman is also Co-Director of the NY Housing Resource Center (NYHRC) and lead faculty for the Housing Navigator Course. He serves as a consultant of the New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation and the Project Director for the Housing Resources for Independent Living grant, leading the statewide redesign of the NYHRC from 2023 to 2026. He also worked as the master housing navigator in OPWDD Region 1 (Western New York & Finger Lakes) from 2019 to 2022 as New York Alliance’s point-person for the region. Prior to this, Mr. Greenman worked in various capacities in the I/DD service system, including as a direct support professional, residential manager, quality assurance supervisor, and fiscal intermediary. With more than 20 years of experience working with people with I/DD, he looks forward to the opportunity to partner with PCS and the MAB to share his experiences toward improving services for all. Mr. Greenman holds a Master’s in Community Health Education from SUNY Brockport and is a native of Rochester, NY.

Jennifer Martinez is a Supervising Examiner with the Department of Human Services Emergency Housing Unit in Monroe County. She has experience reading and interpreting official regulations and policies. Martinez is the proud parent of a son with autism who receives Care Coordination services. She hopes to be a strong advocate for all the individuals supported by Person Centered Services.

Jon Ollendorf has worked with the Office for Developmental Disabilities for 15 years and with Care Coordination since its inception as a replacement for Medicaid Service Coordination. He has been involved in several organizations across the Hudson Valley that serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and now resides in the Buffalo area. His son receives Care Coordination through Person Centered Services. Jon hopes to help the organization continuously improve improve its services to clients, follow updates to the changes in the service area, and establish relationships with other parents, caregivers, advocates, and professionals in the field.

Patty Rizzo is the sibling of an individual who receives services for his Autism Spectrum Disorder and for mental illness. She is a Special Education teacher and Transition Coordinator at Bemus Point CSD. Patty has been an advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities her whole life. She believes that providing all individuals with an opportunity to learn, work, and play is the most important thing communities can do.

BJ Stasio is the former President of the Board of Directors of the Self-Advocacy Association of New York State (SANYS), a position to which he was elected by his fellow self-advocates and peers around New York. He has also been employed by OPWDD for over 20 years, working on person-centered planning, voting issues, and self-determination training and education. Additionally, he has served on the board of the National Federation for Just Communities of Western New York, the Disability History Museum Board, and has a non-profit organization, Buffalo Racin’, focused on getting people with disabilities involved in 5K races. In 2025, BJ received the Hinsburger Humanitarian Award from the National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals.

Dawn Stinner is the mother of 5 sons. Her youngest Griffin, was diagnosed with ASD in 2011. She is an early childhood educator specializing in kindergarten readiness, and Founder/Director of the Ken-Ton Special Education Parent Teacher Organization, also serving as a Family Advocate in the District.

In 2014, she was told her child would be unable to educated in their home district due to the severity of his disabilities. This started her advocacy journey. With the help of some fellow parents, the Ken-Ton SEPTO was formed to advocate for educational change and inclusivity for children with intellectual and physical differences. Since its inception, the Ken-Ton SEPTO has been included in all major educational decisions in our district as well as model for several other WNY districts to develop their own advocacy groups.

Through the MAB, Dawn saw participating as an opportunity to share information from a parent’s perspective, as someone who is living and navigating a complex world of services and supports. She also plans to bring information back to her community of families. Dawn hopes to be able to help other families by sharing information and experiences.