Sharon Lewis

April 12, 2010

Sharon Lewis, Commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities

Sharon Lewis was appointed Commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, ACF/HHS in March of this year. Well known as an effective advocate, Sharon has a proven track record in championing disability issues, while working for a better quality of life for all.

In 2008, Sharon Lewis received the "Gold Star Award" from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities for her personal and professional efforts to craft policy and implement programs for people with disabilities and their families. She was also chosen to serve on President Obama's Transition Team with responsibility for reviewing the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services and related policy issues.

Sharon has worked more than 10 years at local, state and national levels.  She originally came to Washington DC to serve as a Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation Fellow, working for Senator Chris Dodd's HELP Subcommittee on Children and Families. In 2007, she joined Chairman George Miller's Education & Labor Committee staff as Senior Disability Policy Advisor, where she worked on disability-specific policy issues including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Rehabilitation Act. Furthermore, Sharon addressed disability concerns in other legislation before the Committee including the Higher Education Act, the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Head Start, and the Workforce Investment Act. More recently, Sharon crafted the "Keeping All Students Safe Act" on behalf of Chairman Miller, a bill that passed the House in March 2009 and limited the use of restraint and seclusion in schools.

In Oregon, Sharon Lewis worked on public policy for the Oregon Developmental Disabilities Coalition and as Public Policy Director for The Arc of Oregon and The Arc of Multnomah County. She served as the co-chair of the Oregon Family Action Coalition Team, founded DisabilityCompass.org, and managed the Oregon Partners in Policymaking Program, working with individuals with disabilities and family members to participate in policy decisions at all levels.

Sharon is a parent of a daughter with a disability, a native of Michigan and she earned a Fine Arts degree from Washington University in St. Louis.