Our Staff
JOHN D. KEMP
Principal, Law Firm of Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville, P.C.
Executive Director & General Counsel, US Business Leadership Network
Email: John.Kemp@ppsv.com
Phone: (202) 466-6550
John D. Kemp, 2007 recipient of the New Freedom Initiative award and 2006 recipient of the Henry B. Betts Award (regarded as America's highest honor for disability leadership and service) is widely respected for his many achievements, both in the corporate and non-profit worlds. As a person with personal disability experience who uses four prostheses, John inspires others to achieve the impossible through knowledge, experience, vision, personality, and persistence.
Mr. Kemp graduated from Georgetown University in 1971 and from Washburn University School of Law in 1974. Mr. Kemp was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law from Washburn University School of Law in May, 2003. With more than 45 years of direct experience in the disability movement, is a principal at the Washington, D.C. Law Firm of Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville, P.C. He presently serves as CEO of ACCSES, Executive Director of the One Percent Coalition and Executive Director & General Counsel of the US Business Leadership Network.
JILL HOUGHTON
Deputy Executive Director, US Business Leadership Network
Email: Jilldh@bellsouth.net
Phone: (954) 461-4726
Jill Houghton brings over 19 years of work experience at the federal, state and local levels to advance the employment and economic self-sufficiency of all people with disabilities. Her undergraduate degree in Social Work is from the University of Kansas. Most recently, Jill served as the Executive Director of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel from February 2005 until its legislative sunset in January, 2008.
Her diverse background includes working with employers in Washington State to found the Washington State Business Leadership Network. Jill will continue to work on the Disability Supplier Diversity Program. Her role, however, has been broadened to serve as lead contact for membership and partnership opportunities as well program development, federally-funded projects and fundraising.
LAURIE BLAIR
Director of Disability Services, Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville P.C.
Administrator, US Business Leadership Network
Email: Laurie.blair@ppsv.com
Phone: (202) 466-6550
Laurie Blair works with John Kemp in the disability practice at the Powers, Pyles Sutter & Verville, P.C. Laurie provides a range of support services including financial management, contract negotiation, speech writing and a range of other responsibilities that evolve along with the practice. With more than 15 years of nonprofit management experience, Laurie specializes in improving organizational systems. During her tenure with Easter Seals of the Greater Washington/Baltimore Region, Laurie provided organizational development and management across the organization, collecting more than $100,000 in old accounts receivable, managed a $500,000 renovation and oversaw the management of three childcare centers.
Working to stream line organizational systems, she managed the fundraising office for the School of Business at Portland State University, doubling the number of visits made by the Dean and Development Officer within one year. Traveling to South Africa, Laurie organized regional staff training retreats as well as worked on the compliance of government contracts for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. In addition, Laurie is an artist and community organizer with the DC Guerrilla Poetry Insurgency, Sol y Sol, the Young Women's Drumming Empowerment Project and Empower DC.
MAGGIE ROFFEE
Senior Corporate Relationships Specialist, US Business Leadership
Network
Email:
maggieroffee@msn.com
Phone: (301) 922-8186
Maggie Roffee brings over 30 years of disability policy and program employment experience to the USBLN team. She has a Masters of Arts degree in Counseling from the University of Maryland College Park.
Maggie retired from the US Department of Labor on January 31, 2010, where she was a senior Business Development Specialist. In this position she coordinated activities with large and small corporations and was the federal program manager for the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) service and the Campaign for Disability Employment. She also managed several formal alliances with corporations and non-profit organization. Maggie initiated and coordinated the development and publication of Diversifying Your Workforce, and concluded her Federal career with the development and implementation of the first federal model of Project SEARCH, an employment training program for high school students with intellectual disabilities.
ADITI DUSSAULT
Director, Disability Supplier Diversity Program & Affiliate Relations,
US Business Leadership Network
Email: aditi@usbln.org
Phone: (202) 487-5868
Aditi Dussault brings both programmatic and relationship development expertise to the USBLN®. Aditi gained her supplier diversity certification experience through her work with the certification programs of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council and the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
Aditi holds a BS in Economics from American University in Washington, DC. Aditi will lead our Disability Supplier Diversity Program as well as be the point of contact for our Affiliates. She will be working with our Affiliates to strengthen our network and enhance the value of being a USBLN® Affiliate.
GARY GOOSMAN
Director, TOWER Initiative, US Business Leadership Network
Email: gary@usbln.org
Phone: (202) 349-4259
Gary's experience with disability policy and advocacy started in college at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, where he advocated for increased accessibility at the university, volunteered with local Centers for Independent Living to provide youth programs to students with disabilities, was appointed by the Governor to the Statewide Independent Living Council, and served on the National Council on Disability's Youth Advisory Council as the Vice Chair. Most recently he was a Research Associate at the Institute for Educational Leadership working primarily with their National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth, a National Youth Technical Assistance Center funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy.
Gary will be taking the lead on coordinating the USBLN's® Student Advisory Council and on our new TOWER (Tools On Work and Employment Readiness) Initiative which will include the development of three toolkits that can be used by our affiliates to develop youth programs of their own.
ANITA HOWARD
Senior Project Manager Annual Conference & Governance, US Business Leadership
Network
Email: anita@usbln.org
Phone: (703) 593-0497
Anita Howard joins us as Senior Project Manager bringing over 15 years of project management experience to our dynamic USBLN team. In addition to project support and communications, she is happy to serve as the point of contact for our annual conference and Governance affairs.
Anita holds an Associate's degree in Paralegal Law and a Bachelor's degree in Business Management. Anita will be helping to support all of our programs. However, she will be the lead on our marketing and communications as well as the Annual Conference (Sept 19-22, 2010 in Chicago). Finally, Anita will be the USBLN Board of Directors liaison.
CHRISTINE HARRIS
Financial Consultant, US Business Leadership Network
Email: cslyharris@yahoo.com
Christine Harris is an independent consultant providing financial management, reporting and bookkeeping services to nonprofit organizations and specializes in such services for private foundations. She is also employed by the Hill-Snowdon Foundation in Washington, DC as Director of Finance and Administration.
Harris received her B.A. in political science from Drew University and her M.B.A. in Public and Nonprofit Management from Boston University. Christine provides the booking keeping and financial management and regularly interacts with the USBLN® Board of Directors and all consultants.