AUCD Welcomes Cindy Smith as Director of Public Policy

October 26, 2021

Cindy Smith will serve as the Director of Public Policy for AUCD, working to formulate and implement AUCD's legislative and advocacy priorities and strategies. She will begin on November 8.

Cindy began her career as a Research Study Coordinator and Database Manager at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) in Boston. For the last 11 years, Cindy has worked in public policy and advocacy for the DD Act partners at the state or national levels. Most recently, she served as Deputy Director for Policy and Public Affairs at the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities. In this role, Cindy was advisor to Executive Director, staff and Governor-appointed Councilmembers on policy priorities and led the Council's advocacy with the California State Legislature.

Prior to her move to California, Cindy was employed in policy and advocacy leadership positions for 10 years in DC including as Director of Public Policy at the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) and Senior Policy Counsel at the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN). As she made her return to DC this spring, Cindy has served as a Legislative Affairs Advisor on contract with the National Council on Disability.

Cindy is familiar with the AUCD network, our key disability community partners, and the people and processes on the Hill. She has deep content knowledge in several policy areas that align well with AUCD's network goals including education, employment, healthcare, emergency management and community living.

Cindy earned her Juris Doctor with a concentration in Disability Law and Policy and Master of Science in Cultural Foundations of Education in Disability Studies from Syracuse University. Her commitment to working with the community results from her personal and family experiences.