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Legal protection and advocacy.

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Your disability advocates

The Disability Rights Iowa team is experienced, knowledgeable, and passionate about fighting for the rights of Iowans with disabilities. We work together to promote safety, opportunity, access, and self-determination for all Iowans with disabilities. As attorneys, paralegals, and advocates, it is our duty to defend the rights of Iowans with disabilities through legal and non-legal advocacy.

Meet Our Team

Management Team

White woman with red curly hair stands outside of a brick building in a grey suit jacket and white blouse. She is seen from the waist up and is smiling at the camera with her hands behind her back

Catherine Johnson

Executive Director

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a middle aged white woman with blonde curly shoulder length hair sits in front of a water fountain. She has a soft smile on her face and is wearing a black and white curly patterned dress and black blazer.

Christine Newton

Finance Director

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A blonde white woman stands with hair cut below her ears. She is wearing a black blazer and blouse. She is smiling widely for the camera

Cyndy Miller

Legal Director

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Katie is a middle aged white woman with dark curly hair. She has a kind smile and is wearing a pink cardigan and grey shirt in front of a soft green background.

Katie VandeVorde

Operations Manager

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Attorneys

Emily is seated in front of a grey wall wearing a dark blue suit and grey shirt underneath. She has a pearl necklace around her neck and her hair is light brown and curled past her shoulders. She is a white woman and smiling up at the camera

Emily Ehlers

Systems Change and Equity Attorney

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Steph is a white woman in her late 20s with long brown curled hair. She has on round plastic glasses and a blazer. She is smiling in front of a blurred background.

Stephanie Smith

Staff Attorney

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Gloria is in front of a gray background with an American flag hung behind her. She has long black hair that is curled all the way to the bottom of the photo. She is smiling at the kindly at the camera.

Gloria Soto

Staff Attorney

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a white woman sits on a green chair in front of a brick wall. She is resting her arm on her knee wearing a white blouse. Her dark brown hair is curled and very long. She is smiling kindly at the camera

Whitney Driscoll

Investigations and Intake Coordinator

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Greg is standing outside wearing a blue striped button up shirt and blue metal framed glasses. He has tanned skin and cropped greying hair and beard.

Greg Bal

Staff Attorney

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Advocates and ADMINISTRATIVE Staff

A young white person with blonde curly hair pushed out of their face stands in front of some plants. They are wearing round plastic glasses and a black shirt. They are smiling wide.

Amber Wallingford

Lead Intake and Information Specialist

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Danielle is a white woman in her thirties with long straight dark hair that is parted in the middle. She is wearing a dark shirt and is smiling at the camera in front of a blurred green background.

Danielle Workman

Advocate and Statewide Outreach Coordinator

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light skinned young woman stands with a wide smile and raised eyebrows in front of colorful daisy patterned bookshelves. photos, plants, crochet, and a guitar are on top of the shelves. She has bright orange hair that is curled past her shoulders with blunt bangs above hexagonal burgundy plastic glasses. She wears book earrings, a black blazer and a tan shirt.

Katelynn Schultz

Communications Coordinator

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Amy is a white woman with very short dark hair that is graying in the front. She is wearing a blue cardigan and is smiling kindly at the camera.

Amy Berger

Legal Administrative Assistant

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A white presenting woman stands in front of a greenish brown wall. She has bright red hair slightly curled and down past her shoulders. She is wearing a light purple shirt and a pleasant smile.

Jami Johns

Representative Payee Lead Reviewer

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Piper stands in front of a white wall. She has blonde hair that is just past her shoulders and straight. She has plastic circle glasses on and is softly grinning at the camera. She is wearing a dark shirt and patterned cardigan.

Piper Haugan

Intake Specialist and Voting Rights Advocate

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Char is a white woman with graying hair that is a short pixie cut falling just above her ears. She is wearing rectangular plastic glasses in a deep red. She is wearing a pink top and white cardican and she is smiling through a laugh while looking at the camera.

Charlene Joens

Community Inclusion Advocate and Representative Payee Reviewer

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Jen is a white woman with brown shoulder length straight hair that has blonde highlights in her bangs. She is wearing a pink v neck blouse and is standing in front of a white wall.

Jen Winchell

Representative Payee Program Director

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WIPA

Jenny is a white woman in her late twenties with bright red hair that is cut right above her shoulders. It is curled slightly. She has bright eyes and a bright smile. She is pictured in front of a light white wall and is wearing a light white shirt.

Jenny Lynes

WIPA Coordinator

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White woman with greyish blonde hair and glasses wears a bright green shirt and smiles at the camera.

Mistie Johnson

WIPA Project Director

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Tammy is a middle aged white woman with curly light brown hair that is cut to the middle of her neck. It is parted in the middle. She wears rectangular glasses that are dark and plastic. She is smiling kindly and wearing a bright red polo shirt while standing in front of a solid gray wall.

Tammy Crouch

WIPA Coordinator

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