Molly Cole (CT UCEDD) Named Director of Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities
August 9, 2011
The Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities recently announced the appointment of Molly Cole of Windsor, Connecticut as the new Council Director. Ms. Cole brings to the Council over thirty years of experience in the disabilities field as an advocate, trainer and project director.
The Council on Developmental Disabilities, which is federally funded, was established in 1971 and since its inception, the Council has been at the forefront of change, promoting education for children, meaningful work for adults, community living for all people with disabilities, and self-advocacy by people with disabilities and parents.
Most recently, Ms. Cole was an Associate Director at the University of Connecticut Center on Disabilities and A. J. Pappanikou Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities where she assisted in overall management of the Center on Disabilities including staffing and budgeting, relationships on the national, state and community levels, grants and contracts, self advocacy, legislative and policy initiatives and project director of the Family-to-Family Health Information Network.
During Ms. Cole's career, she has worked as a National and Regional Field Coordinator for Family Voices National Office in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as a Program Manager for Connecticut's Birth to Three System, Executive Director of FAVOR, Inc, Rocky Hill Connecticut, Research Associate at the A.J. Pappanikou Center, director of the Connecticut Children's Medical Center Family Center and a State and Regional Coordinator for Family Voices. She has done significant work in family advocacy and support, and is a founding member of the Family Voices national organization. She was recognized by the US Department of Health and Human Services in 2010 as a Champion in the field of Maternal and Child Health.
"I am extremely honored to have been given this opportunity to lead the Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities," said Ms. Cole. "Council members represent a vast array of skill and expertise from across the state which can be used to significantly improve the full inclusion of people with disabilities in our communities across Connecticut."
Besides her work in the field of developmental disabilities, Ms. Cole has published articles on disability issues and is a member of several national and statewide councils and boards. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT. She is the mother to three children one of whom was born with significant disabilities and complex health care needs.
For more information, Contact Joan Barnish, CT DD Council Director of Communications.