Subminimum Wage: Accessing Fair Wages Webinar

Valerie Brooke, M.Ed has been a faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and working in the field of employment for people with significant disabilities for over thirty years. Ms. Brooke is the Director of Training and Employment Services at VCU-RRTC and serves as the Principal Investigator/Project Director for several personnel training grants promoting employment for people with disabilities.

With 25 years of experience in competitive integrated employment training and technical assistance, Cesilee uses her experience to assist with employment systems change and community employment capacity building. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Oregon in sports psychology, an Executive Coaching certification from the Hudson Institute, and a Somatic Coaching certification from the Strozzi Institute. In January 2015, Cesilee was appointed by the U. S. Secretary of Labor to the Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities, which was created in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. She served as the Chair of the Sub-Committee on Capacity Building. The Final Report and Recommendations of the committee were submitted to the Secretary of Labor and Congress in September 2016.

Dr. Mank is a writer and researcher with over 45 years of experience in education and employment for people with disabilities. He has authored or coauthored dozens of articles and book chapters. His interests also include: Transition/Competitive Integrated Employment/Community Living. David Mank is a member of the editorial boards of The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps (TASH), the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Journal of Disability Policy Studies, and the journal, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. He is past president of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities. He was a founding board member of the Association of People Supporting Employment (APSE). In January 2015, Mank was appointed by the U. S. Secretary of Labor to the Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities, which was created in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. He was subsequently elected chair of the committee.

Rachael Rounds, M.S, C.R.C. is the Program Manager for Business Connections at the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center at Virginia Commonwealth University, which supports individuals with significant disabilities in finding employment.