Jerri Davison is the Director of the Center on Disability and the Pacific ADA Center, both housed at the Public Health Institute. Jerri has spent her career in the disability rights field.
After earning her law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law, Jerri served as a staff attorney with the state’s Protection & Advocacy System. There she fought cuts to Medicaid Home and Community Based Services, investigated institutional abuse and neglect, and advocated for the full participation of people with disabilities in their local communities. She also created and published resources and reports about navigating and dismantling barriers to access and full and equal participation.
Next, Jerri transitioned to Able South Carolina, a Center for Independent Living. She spent a decade promoting, through grass root efforts, accessibility for and full and equal participation of people with disabilities. As the organization’s Senior VP and Chief Program Officer, she oversaw over two dozen programs, trained national audiences, and helped build and support state coalitions and advance legislative action.
Jerri is on the Healthcare and Research Committees for the ADA National Network. She also serves on the Affinity Group Advisory Board for PHI’s Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiative. Jerri’s areas of expertise include Olmstead and the Americans with Disabilities Act’s integration mandate, the overuse of guardianship, and employment and healthcare access for individuals with disabilities. As a person with psychiatric disabilities, Jerri is passionate about the importance of people with disabilities leading the way in developing any policies or practices that impact them.
Jan Garrett is the Deputy Director for the Pacific ADA Center at the Public Health Institute (PHI). She is the lead trainer, oversees all the Center’s Training and TA efforts, and approves all curricula.
Jan has a BA from Scripps College in Claremont, California, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. She also received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Oklahoma.
Before joining PHI, Jan worked as a disability rights lawyer and served as the Executive Director of the Berkeley Center for Independent Living (CIL). A CIL is a disability-led organization that provides services for people with all types of disabilities. In her prior work and work with the Center, Jan has over 25 years of experience providing guidance and training on the ADA and other disability rights laws. As a person with a disability, Jan has a deeply personal understanding of why disability rights are so important.
Carol Shenon is the Operations Manager for the Pacific ADA Center at the Public Health Institute (PHI). She has been with the Center since January 2021.
Carol has a BA from the University of California at Davis and a Master of Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. Prior to joining the Center, she worked for a number of nonprofits, including the Contra Costa Asthma Coalition, the American Lung Association in California, and the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Contra Costa County. While with these organizations, she managed and provided health and education programs for adults and children.
Carol is a firm believer in the old saying, "Knowledge is power."
Savannah Bradley is the Community Outreach and Programs Manager for the Pacific ADA Center, a program within the Center on Disability at the Public Health Institute (PHI).
Savannah holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from San Diego State University and a Master of Public Health in Health Promotion and Health Behavior from Oregon State University. She worked in higher education for a decade before joining PHI in 2024 and has dedicated her career to reducing health disparities and advocating for underserved populations.
Before joining PHI, Savannah spent six years at UC San Diego in various roles. At the Moores Cancer Center, she managed public health research projects to improve cancer screening rates among Latinos. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led a county-wide contact tracing program for the School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science in partnership with the County of San Diego. Her passion for disability rights deepened in her most recent role at the Office of Operational Strategic Initiatives. She collaborated with the Office for Students with Disabilities to improve campus accessibility and create an environment to ensure the full and equal involvement of students with disabilities.
Savannah lives in Southern California with her two dogs. She enjoys nature walks, gardening, and paddleboarding on San Diego’s Mission Bay. She is fluent in Spanish.
Don Risdall is the senior staff member of the Center on Disability at the Public Health Institute. He works on both the Pacific ADA Center and BeyondAccess Consulting programs. Don has been answering technical questions about the ADA and other disability laws for the Pacific ADA Center since 2004. He became a Certified Access Specialist (CASp) in 2013 and is a member of the Certified Access Specialist Institute. Don helps coordinate Beyond Access Consulting's CASp Exam Preparation Course that is provided three times a year.
Prior to working at the Pacific ADA Center, Don completed a graduate degree in education from the University of California while providing residential services for adults with developmental disabilities.
Pat is the Lead Technical Assistance Specialist at the Pacific ADA Center. She has spent the past 10 years training and providing technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Pacific ADA services are available to people with disabilities, employers, architects, and business owners.
Pat is a Certified ADA Coordinator (ADAC). She also serves on the Knowledge Transition Committee for the ADA National Network, where she shares her expertise on plain language.
Pat currently serves as project lead for a grant collaborating with the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD). The council is invested in ensuring that all Californians with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families are provided with publicly accessible, plain language information about available supports, services, and other important resources and issues.
Pat holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in education. Before working for the Pacific ADA Center, she spent her career as a special education teacher, an elementary school teacher, and a school administrator. She was also a program manager for a nonprofit and an Individual Service Provider contracted by the California Department of Rehabilitation. Pat also has experience as a Certified Trainer with the California School-Age Consortium (Cal SAC).
Pat has participated in Nonviolent Communication Trainings through Bay Area NVC. She holds a Mental Health First Aid USA Certificate through the Cypress Resilience Project and a Mediation and Conflict Resolution Training Certificate through SEEDS Community Resolution Center. She also holds a Human Resource Management Certificate from the HR Department of California State University, East Bay, Continuing Education.
Paige is the Grants and Administration Specialist for the Pacific ADA. She is most excited about her role in seeking and developing funding opportunities to expand the Pacific ADA's impact.
Paige holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Carolina in Contemporary Dance Choreography and Performance, and a Master of Arts from the University of Central Florida in Exceptional Students Education K-12. Paige spent her early career working as an Educator and Competition Specialist for the large non-profit Orlando Science Center (OSC). She provided student-based inquiry and STEM curriculum both on and offsite for K-12 graders, as well as camps and classes, and supporting the full-time preschool located within OSC.
Paige then held various roles within the youth department of Able South Carolina (Able SC), and Center for Independent Living. Paige built up the largest and youngest team within Able SC, becoming Director of Youth Transition Programs. Paige developed and oversaw various large federal contracts that allowed her team to provide direct services to students with disabilities. Paige provided technical assistance, professional development, and mentoring to other Centers for Independent Living and professionals working with students and youth with disabilities. Towards the end of Paige's role at Able SC, she transitioned to Grants Coordinator; wanting to see more of the organizational larger picture, and the opportunity to develop and support grants and program efforts beyond youth-specific scope, before coming to Pacific ADA.
Raina Benford is the Community Outreach Coordinator. She is dedicated to building partnerships, engaging unserved communities, and crafting innovative strategies for meaningful connections with stakeholders. With a commitment to accessibility and full and equal participation, Raina excels at fostering relationships with community partners and delivering impactful outreach and communication initiatives that align with Pacific ADA Center’s goals.
After earning her Masters degree in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health, Raina started her career with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a Communications Specialist. While with the USDA, she developed accessible social media campaigns, infographics, and presentations while ensuring all materials met Section 508 Compliance accessibility standards. Her expertise includes creating polished communication materials, managing digital content, and translating complex concepts into engaging and informative resources tailored to different audiences.
Raina is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) who teaches yoga classes in her community and tries to implement the principles of yoga into all aspects of her life.
Gabriel is a Program Associate with the Pacific ADA Center. He provides technological and program support to the staff of the center and assists in the administrative duties of running the various ADA Coordinator Networks that the Pacific ADA Center supports. Gabriel also provides support for the trainings and educational webinars offered by the Center.
Gabriel has a MPH from Touro University California and has been a part of the Pacific ADA Center since 2018.
Kishwar Khan is a volunteer with the Pacific ADA Center. Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, she is currently a student at Santa Monica College. She is pursuing a degree in Interior Architecture, a field she pursued as a non-traditional student, after recognizing her passion for designing inclusive and accessible spaces.
With a deep interest in learning about ADA laws and incorporating them in her architectural work, Kishwar is dedicated to promoting environments that are both aesthetically pleasing and universally accessible.
