March 2, 2012, Washington, DC

The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) is pleased to announce and congratulate eight individuals who have been identified to receive the designation of Fellow of the Association (FAAIDD). This distinction is a high honor and is presented after review and consideration by a committee of leaders in the Association. Individuals may be nominated for Fellow after they have had at least seven years of continuous membership in AAIDD, participation in the professional and business affairs of the Association, and are judged to have made a meritorious contribution to the field of intellectual disability. The newest Fellows are:

         Michael Bloom, MA, MS         Jonathan Fortune, EdD
         Jenny Foster, MEd                  John Gajda, MA, MBA
         Yona Lunsky, PhD                   Loui Lord Nelson, PhD
         Peter J. Smith MD, MA            Geronimo Robinson, MA           

Michael Bloom is a Principal at Bloom Coaching and Performance, LLC in Raynham, Massachusetts. He serves as President of the Region 10 and Massachusetts Chapters, and has served as Vice President of Region 10, as well as Vice President and Treasurer of the Massachusetts Chapter.

Jonathan Fortune is a Policy Analyst at the Human Service Research Institute (HSRI) in Tualatin, Oregon.  He served as President of the AAIDD Wyoming Chapter, is a member of the Oregon Chapter and currently is a charter member of the International Special Interest Group.

Jenny Foster is the Director of Compliance at Orange Grove Center, Inc. in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She served as the President and Member-at-Large of the AAIDD Tennessee Chapter.

John Gajda is the Executive Director of TARC in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He serves as the AAIDD Oklahoma Chapter and Region 5 Treasurer, and has represented Oklahoma and Region 5 at meetings of the Assembly of Geographic Interests at AAIDD conferences.

Yona Lunsky is the Research Head of the Dual Diagnosis Program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario. She serves as the Chair of the Psychology Division and is on the board of the Research Division.

Loui Lord Nelson is the Executive Director of Reliable Alliance in Special Education, Inc. in Indianapolis, Indiana. She served as the co-chair of the Student and Early Career Professionals Special Interest Group and is the incoming President of the Education Division.
 
Peter J. Smith is the Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. He serves as an At-Large Member of the Board of AAIDD and as the Board Liaison to the AAIDD policy task force.

Geronimo Robinson is the President of For Those In Need, Inc. in Washington, DC. He serves as Co-Chair of the Multicultural Special Interest Group.

The formal ceremony of preferment to Fellow will be held at AAIDD’s 136th Annual Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina from June 18-21, 2012.

Founded in 1876, AAIDD is the oldest professional association concerned with intellectual and developmental disabilities. AAIDD advocates for the equality, dignity, and human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and for their full inclusion and participation in society. Learn more about the organization at http://www.aaidd.org. 

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