Kristin Vandagriff has been an advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities for more than 26 years, and has been very personally invested in this work, as her brother has an intellectual and developmental disability. She has worked in the social services field for individuals with disabilities for more than 16 years, working in direct care for a developmental disability provider agency, as a supervisor in Alaska’s State DD Agency within the I/DD Unit, as well as serving as the Executive Director of the Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education (Alaska’s Developmental Disability Council).

At Concepts Communications, Kristin will be working on the Employer Assistance & Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) and the Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE).  She will support both initiatives by increasing engagement by state agencies and employers. Her work will also include increasing the visibility of the CDE PSAs and resources.

Kristin graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a Bachelor of Arts in political science as a University Honors Scholar with an emphasis on American Government, especially related to access and social justice issues for individuals with disabilities. Kristin has had her work published in the National Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, as well as co-authored national briefs on sub minimum wage, the Alaska Transition Handbook, and the Empowerment Through Employment Guide. Throughout her time with Alaska’s Developmental Disability Council, Kristin was very involved in the successful passage of numerous bills, including: Employment First, Supported Decision Making Agreements, ABLE Accounts, and the DD Shared Vision. Kristin has lead cross agency collaborations around employment working with a myriad of cross disability stakeholders, including employers to enhance employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Kristin has also successfully managed a 5-year transition systems change Partnerships in Employment federal Administration on Community Living grant. In addition, she has served as a statewide coordinator for Alaska Project SEARCH sites and supported statewide micro enterprise efforts for Alaskans with disabilities. Kristin has dedicated her career to creating change that improves the lives of people with disabilities, supporting systems movement toward meaningful person-directed lives for individuals with disabilities.