Biographies of Expert Panel Members

Joanne Bodine was Chief of the Independent Living Section of the California Department of Rehabilitation before her retirement. During her 26 years with the Department, she was also Rehabilitation Administrator for Northern California in the Community Resources Development Section. In her retirement, she retains a strong interest in independent living and volunteers with local community programs.

Catherine Campisi currently serves as Director of the California State Department of Rehabilitation. Previously she was Dean of Students Services in the Chancellor's Office of the California Community College system, where she had served as statewide Coordinator of Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSP&S). She has also served as Deputy Director for the Independent Living and Technology Division of the California State Department of Rehabilitation, and as Assistant Deputy Director for Transition Programs and Services, which are inter-agency cooperative programs between DR and education agencies to assist persons with disabilities in transitioning from school to work. She has been the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of a large California independent living center and is a part-time faculty member at California State University, Sacramento where she teaches in the Rehabilitation/Special Education program.

Margaret Keith is Director of Student Disability Resources at California State University at Monterey Bay. Previously, she was Director of the Disability Resource Center at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Before that appointment, she managed an international Personal Assistance Services adaptation and replication project for the World Institute on Disability. Previously, she was Executive Director of a tri-county, rural, multicultural independent living center with offices in Santa Cruz and Salinas, CA. She has also been a board officer of Californians for Disability Rights and the California Foundation of Independent Living Centers, and has worked on a community integration project at InfoUse. Ms. Keith graduated with a BA cum laude from Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, Maine, in 1982.

Henry Leng has been the District Administrator of the California Department of Rehabilitation for the Oakland district since 1977. The district serves an average of 4500-5000 clients per year. He has been in Rehabilitation in various capacities and in the East Bay, for approximately 30 years. He is currently a member of both the Oakland Private Industry Council and the Alameda Private Industry Council. He has a BA in psychology, an MS in Rehabilitation Counseling, and holds a standard designated Services Credential in Pupil Personnel Services.

Paul Longmore has been Associate Professor of History at San Francisco State University since 1995. He has taught at SFSU since 1992. Previously, he was Visiting Assistant Professor of History at Stanford University, from 1990 to 1993. He is active in the American Historical Association and the Society for Disability Studies. Dr. Longmore received his Ph.D. in 1984 from Claremont Graduate School. His current research interests include "George Washington and Republican America" and the representation of people with disabilities in motion pictures and television.

Bryon McDonald is a specialist in Social Security work incentives policy. He has been a benefits counselor and systems advocate at the Center for Independent Living in Oakland, California, where he played a key role in supporting the passage of the Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999. Previously he worked with the Mental Health Association of Alameda County, providing paralegal advocacy and case management services to disabled clients and worked on a policy initiative to improve the applications process for clients with HIV. Earlier, he managed a supported employment program at the Association for Retarded Citizens' Alameda County chapter. He received a B.A. from Fordham University.

Tom Seekins has served as Associate Director of Research for the Rural Institute on Disabilities at the University of Montana since 1988 and as Director of the RTC-Rural since 1993. He has served on numerous state and national boards, most recently as President of the National Association of Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers. He has 25 years of experience in rehabilitation research and services, and has published over 50 professional papers on rehabilitation and community psychology topics. Dr. Seekins is particularly interested in issues of rural community development, consumer empowerment, and health promotion for people with disabilities.

---

Comments or Questions? Email us.