STATEMENT OF GOALS
My goals for service to the AAIDD Board of Directors are fourfold:
- To further the strategic momentum of the Association, expressed in its Strategic Plan, focusing on collaborations, continued robust scholarship and dissemination, development of membership, with a focus on next generation talent, and catalyzing robust operations in support of the CEO.
- As a provider representative on the Board, to offer this stakeholder group a range of in- and outreach engagement opportunities to intentionally and strategically link community providers with academicians, clinicians, and policy experts in research, developing best practice, and policy advocacy.
- Consistent with AAIDD’s bylaws, to provide active, excellent governance, aligning Association policy with strategy, including taking positions on critical policy issues as appropriate that assert AAIDD’s vast expertise and elevate the status and credibility of AAIDD as a global leader in IDD.
- To give back to the preeminent IDD professional association, which has been my professional home for 30 years and has given me professional nurturing, rigor, and opportunity.
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY:
Current Position:
CEO, Makom, community provider, Maryland
Previous Positions:
CEO, The Resource Exchange, Colorado (2005—2019)
Vice President, Oak/Leyden Developmental Services, Chicago, IL area (1996—2005)
Education:
MA, Organization Development
BSc, Psychology
AAIDD Participation:
2025-present: Health & Wellness Interest Network (Chair) 2024-present: Nominations & Elections Committee 2020-present: Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Consulting Editor
2002-2003; 2024-2025: Local Arrangement Committee(s)
2020-2022: Regional Liaison
2019-2021: AAIDD/The Arc Joint Committee on LTSS
2018-2021; 2025: Fellows & Awards Committee
2017-2019; 2026: Conference Planning Committee
Selected AAIDD Publications/Presentations
Bonardi, A., Abend, S., Ervin, et al. (2025). Bridging Policy Silos: Cross-Sector Approaches to Supporting Optimal Health Outcomes for People with IDD. In Critical Issues in Health for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Contemporary Research, Practice, and Policy.
Ervin, D.A., et al. (2025, May). National Health Equity Goals: Health Policy, Issue Brief.
Ervin, D. & Hobson-Garcia, D. (2020). Community supports and COVID-19: Self-determination in a pandemic. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Wilson, T., Geer, B., Guerra, N., Karber, B. & Ervin, D. (2020). Cross-systems Care Integration Impact on Adults with Intellectual Disability Utilizing Risk Weight and Comorbidity Data: A comparative effectiveness study, 2014-2017. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Guerra, N., Neumeier, W. H., Breslin, L., Geer, B., Thirumalai, M., Ervin, D. A., & Rimmer, J. H. (2019). Feedback and Strategies from People with Intellectual Disability Completing a Personalized Online Weight Loss Intervention: A Qualitative Analysis. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
**14 presentations across 10 AAIDD national, state conferences, incl. Reinventing Quality.
Activities/Awards:
2024-2025 National Goals on Health Equity, Contributor
2022 State of the Science Conference on Community Living, Workforce Strand. Contributor
2025 Presidential Award
2018 Fellow