S. Robert Cohen Award Recipient
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| Laura Howell Executive Director of MACS (Maryland Association of Community Services) |
Laura Howell is the Executive
Director of the Maryland Association of Community Services (MACS), a non-profit
association of over 100 agencies that provide community-based supports for
people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Laura also serves as the Chair of the
Maryland Developmental Disabilities Coalition, a statewide coalition that
engages in advocacy and education to improve the lives of Marylanders with
developmental disabilities.
As a passionate advocate, Laura has
fought for the last eleven years for policies and funding that make a
difference in the lives of Marylanders with developmental disabilities. Laura’s
efforts have been key to many of the advances made in the last decade in
Maryland, including the closure of the largest remaining State institution
(Rosewood Center), funding for direct support wages, and the historic
legislative victory that resulted in a State mandate to increase funding for
community supports, tied to the State’s increase in the minimum wage. The campaign that Laura led during the 2014
legislative session has been touted as a national model for states across the
country.
Laura has been a tireless champion
for community-based agencies, including JFGH.
Her leadership has resulted in systemic changes that have strengthened community
supports across Maryland.
Before coming to MACS, Laura served
as the Public Policy Director for the Alzheimer's Association of Central
Maryland as well as the Center for Poverty Solutions. She has spent her career advocating for
change that improves the lives of Marylanders.