Our All-Volunteer Board
Our all-volunteer board leads one of the most productive statewide chapters of our size. We host celebrations, educational events, and participate in The Arc of Virginia’s advocacy agenda. We went digital during the pandemic, host political forums, and travel around the state to lobby for disability rights and services. But mostly, we do things old school by hand, the way we would with friends. Because you, our community, are our friends.
Chris Cadwallader
Board President, Advocacy Committee
Chris has served on our board since 2005, and taught special education for more than four decades. Issues close to her heart include eliminating the waiting list for community-based support services for people with disabilities, and integrated schooling for students with disabilities. She loves travelling, Tarheels basketball, and her four delightful grandchildren.
Susan Morikawa
Treasurer, Interim Secretary, Social Media and Membership Committees
Susan joined the board in 2015 to serve as Treasurer and to learn about disability issues and realities. She enjoys walking, reading and digital storytelling.
Charlie Fox
Advocacy Committee
Charlie has been on the board since 2010. He is passionate about ensuring that people who experience disabilities have an opportunity to live and participate in their communities. Charlie enjoys hikes in wild, beautiful places.
Judy Gwazdauskas
Chair Membership Committee
Judy has served on the board since 2004. She has been advocating for people with disabilities for 35 years. She says, “Much has changed in this time, but we must continue until people with disabilities are truly valued in the community.”
Bayley Alphin
Co-Chair Events Committee
Serving on the Events committee since 2013, Bayley helps pull things together. She has a spirit of service and enjoys spending time with her family and young son in Blacksburg. She has supported people with disabilities for almost 20 years.
Robert Metz
Events Committee
Robert has been on the board since 2010 making sure we have the church for our meetings and the big room for our Christmas party! He loves to travel, especially to neices and nephews graduations.
George Rogers
ALLY Self-Advocate
George Rogers is a member of the New River Valley ALLY Self-Advocacy Alliance and runs a Facebook page where he is well known to the Facebook community. He attends many events and conventions, virtually and in person. George likes music, festivals, meeting new people, RPG podcasts, bowling, and is a BIG Virginia Tech sports fan!
Nancy Camajani
Events Committee
Nancy joined the Board in 2019. A recently retired Medical Technologist, Nancy believes strongly in the least restrictive, fair and appropriate education for all people as well as their being embraced by their communities with opportunities for meaningful work and rewarding citizenship.
Brad Powers
Brad joined the board in 2020 and is currently a Special Education Coordinator for Pulaski County Public Schools. He previously taught special education for 8 years at Christiansburg Middle School. Brad is passionate about inclusive schools and communities. He is an avid golfer and spends the majority of his time chasing his two rambunctious boys around. He brings another strong voice for inclusive schools to our board.
Franklin Lawson
ALLY Self-Advocate
Franklin is an alumni of the On Campus Transition Program at Radford University. After graduation, he was selected for a Project Search internship at Carillion NRV Medical Center which led to a permanent job there. He is an experienced advocate for issues of concern to people with disabilities, currently serving as a New River Valley ALLY Self-Advocate. Franklin is in the process of finding and buying his first house.
Matthew Hudgins
ALLY Self-Advocate
Matthew graduated from Blacksburg High School and the On Campus Transition Program at Virginia Tech. He is a Peer Mentor with The Arc of Virginia’s Peer Mentoring program, where he turns his love of helping others to good use. Matt is a New River Valley ALLY Self-Advocate, a local chapter of the Virginia ALLY Self-Advocacy Alliance. He enjoys fishing, gaming, playing in video game tournaments, building battle bots, creating YouTube videos, and making friends.
Jessica Swanson
Marketing Committee
Jessica joined the board in 2023. She is a graduate of Roanoke College and Virginia Tech with degrees in Business Administration. She is passionate about inclusive communities and advocating for people with disabilities.
Catherine Childers
Catherine Childers, an MBA with 10 years in healthcare management and 20+ years in academic research administration, is also a mother of three, including a daughter with Prader-Willi Syndrome, Intellectual & Developmental disabilities and other medical challenges. She advocates for the disability community through various advisory roles and policymaker engagement.
Anita Ehrhardt
ALLY Self-Advocate
Anita Ehrhardt lives independently in her own apartment in Christiansburg VA, and works at Montgomery County Public Schools as a recess aide where she supervises children aged 5-7 years old. She is a New River Valley ALLY Self-Advocate, and enjoys being a strong advocate for services for people with disabilities.
Karen Brown
Karen Brown joined the board in 2025 after a lifetime of service as a nurse and volunteer advocate for disability services. She has served on the medicaid waiver advisory board in Richmond, the board of the NRV Community Services, in the surrogate parent program for children in foster care with an IEP, and more. Her daughter, Renee, is the namesake of our Renee S. Brown Award.
Get Involved
You Can Make A Difference
Your support is important to our work at The Arc of New River Valley. There are many ways you can contribute, and every little bit that you commit goes a long way toward helping us fulfill our mission. Join, donate, volunteer, or join our New River Valley chapter of the ALLY Self-Advocacy Alliance. If you are interested in becoming a self-advocate, please email us!
Get Involved
Join The Arc of New River Valley!
