Wally is a recognized leader in the field of Supported Employment, with over 25 years of experience working with people with disabilities and leading advocacy and policy efforts that create positive impacts on communities. He has served as a director of several employment agencies in Washington State, serving various populations. He also is a local and national speaker, trainer, and consultant on best practices around community integrated employment, organizational development and transformation, and equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Wally has served as the President of the Washington State Board of APSE (Association of People Supporting Employment First) and was elected to the National Board of APSE in 2017. He was recently chosen as the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer on the National Board of APSE.
Wally has presented and consulted for several organizations, including: The University of Maryland, The Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities at Rutgers University, NEBA, numerous APSE State Chapters, the Southwest ADA Center, the Great Lakes ADA Center, NAMI, the Pacific Northwest Employment Forum, California Workforce Association, and many more.
Wally identifies proudly as a gay Asian man with a disability. He was born in the Philippines, but his parents immigrated to Hawaii when he was 6 months old. He identifies ethnically as Filipino, but culturally as both Filipino and Hawaiian. He left Hawaii to attend Seattle University and holds a BA in Rehabilitation and an MA in Counseling.
Topics include Ableism 101, Infusing EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) into your supported employment program, Best Practices in Community Integrated Employment, Person Centered Planning, Agency Transformation, Discovery, Customized Employment, Staff Motivation and Retention, Workforce Development Collaboration, and more.
