The NADSP Board of Directors and Staff would like to recognize with gratitude our outgoing board members, starting with our Board Chair, Chester Finn (New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities); our Board Secretary, Kate Dunbar (CQL | The Council on Quality Leadership); and At-Large Member Chet Tschetter (Institute on Community Integration (ICI) at the University of Minnesota) for their years of service to the NADSP Board. As they end their respective terms, their expertise and contributions will be missed. We thank each of them Chester, Kate and Chet for their commitment to the NADSP and we look forward to working with them in other capacities going forward.

Joining the NADSP Board, filling these vacancies, are four long-time supporters and colleagues of the NADSP. We welcome Lisa Burck, Courtney Kelly Chapman, Kris Foss, and Tia Nelis.

To learn more about these newest NADSP Board members, see their bios below.

Lisa Burck, The Arc of Mississippi

Lisa Burck moved to Mississippi for six months 35 years ago when she jumped into the IDD world with both feet. She has an undergraduate degree in mathematics and holds advanced degrees in Public Administration and Severe Disabilities with an emphasis on Deafblindness. She is particularly proud of her DSPIII certification. For the last 21 years, she has been with The Arc of Mississippi and has been the Associate State Director for the last several years. Her passion is for direct support professionals on the frontline, on whom all services, quality, and hope rest.

Courtney Kelly Chapman, CQL |The Council on Quality and Leadership

Courtney Kelly Chapman is the Vice President of Training and Special Projects for CQL | The Council on Quality and Leadership. In this role, Courtney provides leadership in the strategic development of numerous CQL services including training, certification, consultation, and special projects. This includes the planning, creation, coordination, and implementation of the services and associated activities. Prior to joining CQL, Courtney worked for decades in a wide range of roles with provider agencies, state government, and managed care organizations. She served in numerous leadership positions including Director of Operations for Liberty Healthcare Corporation and Assistant Commissioner of Accreditation and Person-Centered Practice for the Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging (DDA). Courtney started her career in the human services field as a direct support professional (DSP).

Kris Foss, Direct Support Workforce Solutions at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration (ICI)

Kris Foss serves as Director of Direct Support Workforce Solutions at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration (ICI). She brings 25 plus years of health and human services leadership, including as Co-founder and Managing Director of Disability Solutions, a consulting practice supporting fortune 500 companies in attracting, hiring, and retaining talent with disabilities. She served as Director of Human Resources and Workforce Development for a large multi-state non-profit provider organization for over 15 years and volunteered her time as a board member for the National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) as well as the National Advisory Board for Direct Course. During that time, she developed and implemented strategies for recruiting, empowering, and retaining the direct support and frontline supervisor workforce, including a nationally recognized career path program, nursing incentive program, and complete overhaul of onboarding and training processes to incorporate best practices in adult learning. She has presented nationally, authored several articles, and most recently was a contributing author to “Direct Support Workforce Solutions” edited by Amy Hewitt and Susan O’Nell. Kris holds a master’s degree in teaching focused on educational technology and held both the Senior Professional of Human Resources (SPHR) and SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) credentials. She currently lives in New Hampshire with her family.

Tia Nelis, TASH

Tia Nelis is the Director of Policy & Advocacy at TASH, a leading organization advancing equity and inclusion for people with disabilities. She brings decades of experience as a nationally recognized self-advocacy leader and inclusion consultant.

Prior to joining TASH, Tia served as Self-Advocacy Specialist at the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center within the Institute on Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois Chicago. She is a past chairperson of Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) and the founder and former president of People First of Illinois, where she successfully built a statewide movement for disability rights.

A long-time member of TASH, Tia has received numerous honors, including the Burton Blatt Award from Illinois TASH and the Elizabeth Boggs Award from the President’s Committee on People with Intellectual Disabilities. She was also the first person with a disability to become a certified leader through the Franklin Covey Institute.

In addition to her role at TASH, Tia serves as an Inclusion Consultant with Inclusion International, contributing to the global initiative Listen Include Respect, which develops tools and strategies to ensure people with disabilities have a voice in decision-making. She is a sought-after speaker and trainer, widely respected for her leadership in advancing self-advocacy and inclusive practices.

Each of these industry leaders bring careers full of experience and understanding of the DSP workforce challenges and issues, which will help to continue the NADSP to advance our mission and strategic goals in the years to come. Please join us in welcoming Lisa, Courtney, Kris and Tia to the NADSP.