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Bio – Staff

Eric Ascher

Eric Ascher, Senior Communications Associate

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Eric Ascher, Senior Communications Associate

Eric Ascher (he/him) is the Senior Communications Associate for RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. As the Senior Communications Associate, he is responsible for supporting RespectAbility’s Director of Marketing and Communications in developing and implementing advocacy efforts and communications of various types. Ascher manages RespectAbility’s social media channels, website, and emails; organizes and develops webinars; and supervises Communications Fellows. [continue reading…]

Rostom Dadian

Rostom Dadian, Policy Associate

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Rostom Dadian, Policy Associate

Rostom Dadian (he/him) is a Policy Associate at RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. [continue reading…]

Vanni Le

Vanni Le, Senior Manager of Entertainment Partnerships

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Vanni Le, Senior Manager of Entertainment Partnerships

Vanni Le is the Senior Manager of Entertainment Partnerships at RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. She focuses on fighting stigmas by ensuring authentic representations of people with disabilities in film and television. Le brings brand strategy and program management experience from both the entertainment and nonprofit fields, having previously worked at the Walt Disney Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment, the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, March of Dimes, and most recently A+E Networks. [continue reading…]

Lesley Hennen

Lesley Hennen, Senior Associate of Entertainment Pipeline Programming

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Lesley Hennen, Senior Associate of Entertainment Pipeline Programming

Lesley Hennen (she/her) is the Senior Associate of Entertainment Pipeline Programming at RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to fight stigmas and advance opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. Hennen brings a professional background in Communications and PR, as well as expertise in script consulting and independent film production to the team at RespectAbility, where she works with key players in the Entertainment and News Media industries to promote more authentic representations of people with disabilities on-screen, as well as more inclusive working environments for people with disabilities behind the camera. [continue reading…]

Theresa Soares

Theresa Soares, Manager of Strategic Partnerships

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Theresa Soares, Manager of Strategic Partnerships

Theresa Soares is the Manager of Strategic Partnerships at RespectAbility, a diverse, disability-led nonprofit that works to create systemic change in how society views and values people with disabilities, and that advances policies and practices that empower disabled people to have a better future. She brings more than 10 years of experience in the news media and entertainment, corporate, and private philanthropy sectors where she has cultivated success in sourcing, strengthening, and growing business development and donor relationships.

Previously, Soares served as the Corporate Development Director for PBS in Central California, overseeing corporate development underwriting and sponsorships including notable collaborations with Ken Burn’s “Country Music,” Nature “American Spring Live,” and the National Sikh Campaign’s development of public service announcements.

Passionate about diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, Soares previously co-founded the Young Adult Leadership Council (YALC) at the National Center for Learning Disabilities where she participated as a mentor for young adults as they progressed through higher education and into the workforce.

Soares obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mills College, where she created a major titled “Business, Management, and Social Innovation.” Soares resides in California where she spends her free time exploring and hiking through National Parks or visiting her hometown of Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula.

Meet our Staff

Jacquill Moss

Jacquill Moss, Entertainment Media Program Coordinator

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Jacquill Moss, Entertainment Media Program Coordinator

Jacquill Moss is an Entertainment Media Program Coordinator at RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to fight stigmas and advance opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community.

After being selected through RespectAbility as one of 10 participants of the WarnerMedia Access Early Career Bootcamp, Moss was recruited for the Entertainment Media Program Coordinator position. Born with nocturnal epilepsy, this position not only aligned with Moss’ diverse skillset but also his lived disability experience, passion for advocacy and evolving the narrative. Outside of RespectAbility, Moss works on bringing awareness to unhoused youth, mental health and foster children to support those in need.

In his spare time, Moss enjoys music production, freelance photography and videography. A huge fan of all aspects of cinema, Moss also volunteers yearly at the Sundance Film Festival and has worked with many high-profile brands and clients while serving as a freelance videographer.

[continue reading…]

Isabella Vargas

Isabella Vargas, Entertainment Media Program Coordinator

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Isabella Vargas, Entertainment Media Program Coordinator

Isabella Vargas is an Entertainment Media Program Coordinator at RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to fight stigmas and advance opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. [continue reading…]

Phillip Saldana

Phillip Saldana, Operations Manager

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Phillip Saldana, Operations Manager

Phillip Saldana (He/They/Them) is the Operations Manger at RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. [continue reading…]

Molly McConville

Molly McConville, Senior Development and Individual Giving Associate

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Molly McConville, Senior Development and Individual Giving Associate

Molly McConville (she/her) is the Senior Development and Individual Giving Associate at RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to fight stigmas and advance opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. In her work, McConville is responsible for database management, prospect research, support in development operations, and event planning.

McConville graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and a minor in Spanish. She participated in the RespectAbility National Leadership Program in Summer 2019 as a Public Policy and Employment Fellow. [continue reading…]

Ian Cherutich

Ian Cherutich, Development Associate

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Ian Cherutich, Development Associate

Ian Cherutich is a nonprofit fundraising professional and serves as a Development Associate at RespectAbility, supporting the organization in raising funds to further its work of fighting stigmas, expanding opportunities and supporting the development of talented professionals with disabilities.

Cherutich has experience in both the disability and nonprofit fundraising space. As a Housing Intern in Legacy Counseling Center’s Homebase for Housing program, he wrote educational material meant to inform nonprofit professionals on how to best serve people experiencing homelessness who have HIV/AIDS. In his previous role as a Development Associate at Readers 2 Leaders, a children’s literacy nonprofit, Cherutich wrote applications for grant funding, managed the organization’s 2019 North Texas Giving Day fundraising drive, and performed other fundraising tasks as the organization surpassed one million dollars in annual revenue. [continue reading…]

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Respect Ability - Fighting Stigmas. Advancing Opportunities.

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Mailing Address:
RespectAbility
43 Town & Country Drive
Suite 119-181
Fredericksburg, VA 22405

Office Number: 202-517-6272

Email: info@respectability.org

Operational Excellence

RespectAbility is recognized by GuideStar at the Platinum level, and has earned a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator.
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