Bio – Staff – Operations

Graciano Petersen, Vice President, People, Culture, and Learning

Graciano Petersen

Graciano Petersen is the Vice President, People, Culture, and Learning, at RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. Graciano is dedicated to advancing equity across all sectors and providing accessible opportunities for upskilling and advancement. Graciano holds an MA in Second Language Acquisition from Tulane University, is fluent in Spanish, and is working towards fluency in Brazilian Portuguese.

Prior to joining RespectAbility, Graciano worked in adult education and school leadership. He has over 13 years of Adult Education experience and is passionate about making education accessible to all types and levels of learners. Graciano is currently on the Board at the Adult Numeracy Network as the Equity Officer where he focuses on working with board to make sure there is equity across the inner workings of the board and its committees.

Outside of work, Graciano is a carnivalist (a carnival enthusiast) and can be found engaging in carnival culture and leads the Vavá United School of Samba in DC.

Meet our Staff

Phillip Saldana, Senior Manager, Operations

Phillip Saldana

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

Theresa Soares, Manager, Strategic Partnerships

Theresa Soares

Theresa Soares is the Manager, 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

Jake Stimell, Senior Associate, Training and Learning

Jake Stimell

Jake Stimell is the Senior Associate, Training and Learning, at RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community.

In his work, Stimell recruits, trains, and places leaders with disabilities as trainers and consultants within the Disability Training and Consulting Bureau. He evaluates the needs of organizations, including nonprofits, corporations, and educational institutions, and designs training materials for them. [continue reading…]

Donjeta Sahiti, Senior Associate, Executive Relations

Donjeta Sahiti

Donjeta Sahiti is the Senior Associate, Executive Relations, 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.

Sahiti earned her Master’s in Public Administration from Seton Hall University. She previously interned at Senator Cory Booker’s Office and for the nonprofit organization JESPY House. Her experiences have inspired her to enter the nonprofit field because it is where she feels she can make the greatest change in society moving forward. [continue reading…]