Michelle Eastman is our first-ever Inclusion Concierge at The Kelsey Ayer Station! Hailing from Southern California, Michelle brings a unique perspective to her role because of growing up within the disability community. She has a graduate degree from Boston University and over a decade of disability advocacy experience both nationally and internationally.
Kristina is the Senior Inclusion Concierge at The Kelsey Ayer Station in San Jose, CA. In her role, she is privileged to connect with residents and foster a strong sense of integration and support within the community. She is excited to share the benefits of the Inclusion Concierge Program and how it can pave the way for more disability-forward living environments.
This month’s element comes from San Francisco native and Giants fan, Isaac Haney-Owens. Isaac is the longest-running employee of The Kelsey and the team member who met CEO Micaela Connery first. In fact, they met at one of The Kelsey’s early focus group. Isaac operates on the Communication Team creating and posting social media content as well as hosting a podcast where he gets to interview prominent leaders both locally and nationally. Isaac loves the element “Focus Groups” for its deep sense of engagement and voice it gives the most marginalized of a community. In his opinion, Focus Groups allow people with disabilities to be “a part of the conversation from the start.”
The Kelsey launched its inaugural Disability & Housing Narrative Change Cohort. Facilitated by staff with lived experience, this year-long virtual cohort will amplify housing stories and insights from disabled leaders nationwide to elevate the need for disability-forward housing solutions.
The Kelsey is thrilled to welcome Arpitha as a new member of our Board of Directors. Arpitha leads work around accessibility and design within Walmart and brings a passion for disability-forward spaces and experiences into her board services. Click to read more about her.
We’re thrilled to have Jennifer join The Kelsey Board of Directors. Jennifer brings a belief in our work coupled with aligned experience in social justice, philanthropy, and affordable housing to support a mission to create Home for More.
While important efforts to preserve, produce, and protect affordable housing are happening at local, regional, state, and federal levels, they often lack a disability-forward lens. Similarly, disability advocacy has not always centered housing as a core priority. The Alabama Disability-Forward Housing Working Group exists to bridge these gaps—bringing together housing and disability rights advocates and leaders to ensure that housing solutions fully include the needs and rights of people with disabilities. Our mission is to drive policies and partnerships that make inclusive, accessible, and affordable housing a reality for all Alabamians.
Irina Meza is Chief People Officer. She is a high impact, people-centered and data driven leader with 20+ years of leadership experience.