Bio – Emeritus

Janet LaBreck, Emeritus Board

Janet LaBreck

In February of 2013, President Barack Obama announced some key administration posts, including his intent to nominate Janet L. LaBreck, known as a national thought leader and key note presenter as the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), within the United States Department of Education. In August of 2013, LaBreck was confirmed by the United States Senate as the Commissioner of RSA. RSA was established to provide leadership and resources to assist state and other agencies providing vocational rehabilitation services (VR) to individuals with disabilities to maximize their employment, independence and integration into the community and workforce.

Under her leadership, LaBreck was responsible for promulgating the most substantive regulation changes to the Vocational Rehabilitation program in over 15 years. She began her 27-year career in 1985 with the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB) where she served as Commissioner during the last six years of her appointment by Governor Patrick until her transition to Washington, D.C. She is also the recipient of numerous awards and honors including an Honorary Doctoral Degree from New England College of Optometry (NECO) for her innovative partnership which resulted in the establishment of a mobile eye care clinic for individuals with low vision conditions and was honored in 2017 by NECO who dedicated the Janet L. LaBreck Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation clinic in her honor in recognition of her commitment and dedication to the field of blindness. Most recently, LaBreck has established Janet L. LaBreck Consulting LLC in addition to becoming a contributing partner for Synergy Consulting Partners.

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Donn Weinberg, Emeritus Board – Founding Chair Emeritus, Former Director

Donn Weinberg

Donn Weinberg is one of the five trustees of The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation and is its Executive Vice President and In-House Counsel. Employed by the Foundation since 1993, he became one of its trustees in 2002. He also served a three-year term as its Chairman (a rotating position) from 2010-2013.  Weinberg focus primarily on the Foundation’s grant contracts, its non-Hawaiian real estate portfolio, and is liaison to the Foundation’s Hawaii office.

He earned his B.A. degree in 1975 from The George Washington University, where he double-majored in Philosophy and Communications. He earned his law degree in 1978 from The University of Baltimore School of Law and served as Editor-in-Chief of the school’s Law Review. In law practice from 1978 through 1992, he specialized in general civil and medical malpractice litigation.

Weinberg has served on many boards in the past and currently is the Chairman of The Philanthropy Roundtable. A resident of Owings Mills, Maryland, he is married (38 years), has two adult children, and has (so far) three grand-children.

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Heidi Krizer Daroff, Emeritus Board

Heidi Krizer Daroff

Heidi Krizer Daroff serves as the North American Director for The Israel Forever Foundation. She graduated from Kean University with a B.A. in Sociology and a M.A. in Humanities and Social Thought from NYU.

“As the mother of a child with special needs, one of the most critical concerns I had was that my younger daughter be as welcomed into the community as I was confident my older daughter would be. As a parent, you want to ensure that your community sees all that is loveable and precious about your child, just as you see it.”

In 2010, Daroff launched ‘Heidi Krizer Daroff, Social Media Consulting’ where she developed and implemented social media strategies for clients across all platforms. Shortly after, she joined The Israel Forever Foundation as the Social Media Director. In 2014, she assumed the role as North American Director.

The Israel Forever Foundation has written several blogs about inclusion and especially how the Jewish community can be more inclusive. Daroff recently wrote a blog for The Israel Forever Foundation about her personal experience of visiting a “Special in Uniform” unit on an IDF Air Force Base. In the piece, she writes about the social benefits of having people with disabilities serve in the IDF and the benefits to able-bodied people in having the experience.

Daroff also serves on the Board of the Veg Society of D.C. as well as volunteering with Sharsheret and the Chabad Shul of Potomac for more than a decade.

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Stephen Chbosky, Emeritus Board

Stephen Chbosky

Stephen is an author, director, and screenwriter. He is best known for his award-winning adaptation of his debut novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (GLAAD, Independent Spirit, People’s Choice, WGA nominee) which spent over two years on the New York Times Best Sellers list. He co-wrote the screenplay for Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast as well as the film adaptation of RJ Palacio’s Wonder, starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson, which he also directed. His first feature, The Four Corners of Nowhere, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. He wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of Rent and co-created the post-apocalyptic TV drama, Jericho. His second novel, Imaginary Friend, was published in October and debuted as a New York Times Best Seller.

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Rick Guidotti, Emeritus Board

Rick Guidotti

Rick Guidotti, an award-winning photographer, has spent the past eighteen years collaborating internationally with advocacy organizations/NGOs, medical schools, universities and other educational institutions to effect a sea-change in societal attitudes toward individuals living with genetic, physical, behavioral or intellectual difference; his work has been published in newspapers, magazines and journals as diverse as Elle, GQ, People, the American Journal of Medical Genetics, The Lancet, Spirituality and Health, the Washington Post, Atlantic Monthly and LIFE Magazine.

Guidotti is the founder and director of Positive Exposure, an innovative arts, education and advocacy organization working with individuals living with genetic difference. Positive Exposure utilizes the visual arts to significantly impact the fields of genetics, mental health and human rights.

The Positive Exposure photographic exhibition premiered at the People’s Genome Celebration, June 2001, at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and continues to exhibit in galleries, museums and public arenas internationally. Positive Exposure is the subject of critically acclaimed Kartemquin Film’s ON BEAUTY, 2016 scheduled release.

“ ‘On Beauty’ is, quite simply, a masterful example of how cinema can serve as a humanizing force in the world. We need films like this. We can’t afford to lose them.”
— RogerEbert.com

Positive Exposure explores the social and psychological experiences of people living with genetic conditions of all ages and ethno-cultural heritages. This impressive and powerful collection of imagery, film and narratives celebrates the richness and beauty of human diversity and dignity.

Positive Exposure provides new opportunities to see individuals living with a difference first and foremost as a human being rather than as a specific diagnosis or disease.

Change how you see, see how you change!

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Neil Jacobson, Emeritus Board

Neil Jacobson

Neil Jacobson is the founder and CEO of Abilicorp, a business innovation consulting company. Abilicorp mission is to significantly increase the employment rate of people with disabilities by promoting entrepreneurs with disabilities and eliminating employment barriers.

Jacobson retired in 2008 from Wells Fargo Bank after 29 years, most recently serving as Senior Vice President in charge of their System Automation Management and Wireless Technology Divisions, and previously as Chief Systems Architect for the retail business.

Over the past 35 years, Jacobson has been an advocate and change agent for the economic development of people with disabilities. In 1975 he co-founded the CIL Computer Training Program, a nationally recognized training program, enabling people with significant disabilities to become computer programmers. When he stepped down as Chairman of the Board of CIL in 1994, more than 300 students had graduated, 92% of who had found competitive employment. More than 28 other programs throughout the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico now use the CIL CTP as their model. Jacobson also founded the Association of Rehabilitation Programs in Data Processing, and helped create the Neil Jacobson Computer Center in Uganda.

Jacobson has continued his work on economic development for people with disabilities as a Board member and past Chair of the World Institute on Disability (WID). He was also the Vice-Chair of the President’s Committee on Employment for People with Disabilities under the Clinton Administration. He now chairs WID’s Center for Economic Growth (CEG). CEG is developing and promoting CareerACCESS – a Social Security Reform Program eliminating work disincentives and providing people with disabilities services required to build careers.

Believing that Judaism must ensure that all people are able to do Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), Jacobson works with his Temple and Union of Reform Judaism (URJ). He chairs Temple Sinai’s Access Committee and represents the Committee on the Temple Board. He has presented at several URJ Biennial Conferences and at the Hebrew Union College in New York. He made a video for the URJ’s Disability Inclusion Project and has written several articles for the The URJ’s Religious Action Center.

Jacobson received a B.S. in Mathematics from Hofstra University and completed his MBA at Golden Gate University. In 1991, he was inducted into the California Hall of Fame. Jacobson has received many awards for his contributions, including the Independence Award from CIL, the Murray Award from the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy, Alumnae of the Year at Golden Gate University and the 2014 Henry Viscardi Achievement Award.

Jacbonson lives in Oakland, California, with his wife Denise. Their son, David, lives nearby.

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Janie Jeffers, Emeritus Board

Janie Jeffers

Janie Jeffers has had a distinguished career in public policy, education, executive management, public relations, planning and criminal justice at the federal and local levels. President Clinton appointed Jeffers as a Commissioner to the United States Parole Commission in 1999.

In April 1997, she served as Executive Deputy Director for the Federal DC Interagency Task Force at the White House Office of Management and Budget, where she coordinated technical assistance to the District of Columbia government on economic development and public/private partnerships. She also worked for the First Lady and President Clinton. From 1996-1997, she was the Senior Policy Advisor for the President’s Crime Prevention Council, chaired by Vice President Gore. From 1992-1996, at the Justice Department, she served as Chief of the National Office of Citizen Participation for the Bureau of Prisons. From 1985-1991, she worked for the New York City Department of Correction, rising through the ranks to become the first civilian to serve as Deputy Commissioner.

In 2000, Jeffers left the Commission and launched Jeffers and Associates LLC, a strategic management consulting firm providing services to Harvard University, the Justice Department, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the Kellogg Foundation and criminal justice organizations. She serves on several non-profit boards. She also is an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice at her alma mater – Howard University School of Social Work. Jeffers is one of the authors of RespectAbility’s “Disability & Criminal Justice Reform: Keys to Success” report.

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Dana Marlowe, Emeritus Board

Dana Marlowe is an architect of inclusion and accessibility. She is the Principal Partner and co-founder of Accessibility Partners LLC, a disability and accessibility advocacy IT consulting firm. From empathetic personal practices to making an accommodating workforce in her business, she fights for a world that accepts the contributions of those with disabilities.

As an accessibility subject matter expert, Marlowe has been featured in national and international industry publications to promote inclusivity. Marlowe lives with her family near Washington, D.C., and keeps her calendar full of family outings, indie music concerts, road races, and struggling to make her garden grow.

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Aaron Orlofsky, Emeritus Board

Aaron Orlofsky

Aaron Orlofsky has served as the founding Chairman and CEO of The Orlo Fund, LLC since 2006. He has vast experience and knowledge in all areas of real estate management, acquisition, finance and operation, and has overseen at least a billion dollars of real estate transactions. Orlofsky is very detailed oriented and seeks every advantage for his investors through very favorable financings, astute and prudent operation, and value-added insights that increase the overall return of an investment. He is personally involved with all aspects of the operations, and delegates carefully, while maintaining full oversight of every transaction. While seeking maximum returns, Orlofsky also takes seriously his civic and moral responsibilities so that tenants are well provided for and happy with their rental arrangements. He strongly believes that business operations should be accomplished so that investors, tenants and the general community reap the benefits.

Orlofsky is actively involved in many civic and philanthropic causes throughout the United States and Israel. Among other leadership positions, he currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Sulam, a special education school in Rockville, Maryland, and sits on the Executive Board of the Anti-Defamation League.

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