People at SEEC

SEEC's staff is comprised of more than 150 individuals who have devoted their careers
to enhancing the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities. Direct support personnel
provide hands-on assistance and supports to individuals served in SEEC's Vocational Services
and Community Living programs. Management staff oversee the work of each department
ensuring that programs reflect the needs, desires, and aspirations of each individual we serve.
An administrative team consisting of the directors of each department manages the daily operations
of the agency and report quarterly to SEEC's Board of Directors. Our volunteer Quality Assurance
Committee ensures supports and services are of the highest caliber.

SEEC’s Administrative Team

Executive Director
Karen J. Lee
Karen began her work in the disability field in 1983 and became the Executive Director of SEEC in 1990. Under her leadership, SEEC received the “Innovative Agency Award” from the Maryland Association of Community Services for People with Developmental Disabilities, and in 2004, a prestigious 3-year accreditation from CARF for excellence in program services. Karen is a stalwart advocate for people with developmental disabilities and the staff that provide services to them. She has served in leadership positions in many advocacy groups, including the Maryland Association of Community Services for People with Developmental Disabilities where she has served as a Board member for many years. She is also on the Board of Directors for the Montgomery County Workforce Investment Board, and is a past president of InterACC/DD, a coalition of service providers in Montgomery County. In 1999, Karen received the “Leadership Award” from the Maryland Chapter of the American Association on Mental Retardation. She holds a Masters of Education-Special Education, Transition and Secondary Education from University of Maryland and a Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Elmhurst College, IL. She is a 1999 graduate of Leadership Montgomery. Karen reports to a volunteer Board of Directors and directs the agency’s operations, policies and procedures to ensure that programs and services meet the unique needs, desires, and aspirations of each individual SEEC serves.

Executive Assistant
Karen Bond
Ms. Bond has worked for SEEC in several capacities since 1995, including receptionist, office manager, and since 1997, as Executive Assistant working directly with the Executive Director and the SEEC Board of Directors as a member of the agency’s Administrative Team. She is responsible for handling a variety of situations and administrative tasks related to clerical and administrative functions of the SEEC office, including the handling of confidential and time sensitive matters, with creativity, experience, and sound judgment. Ms. Bond’s previous work experience includes public school teaching, facilities management, security, and executive assistant for Ethan Allen and Marriott. She has an Associate Arts degree from Prince George’s Community College and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland. She is certified to administer the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

Community Living Director/Family Support Services Director
Franstine Wallace-Barnes
Franstine joined the SEEC staff in February 1998 after years of holding a variety of professional positions in the disability community. For six years she worked at the District of Columbia ARC, initially as a court-appointed monitor of services to individuals entering the community after the forced closing of the Forest Haven Institution, and then in the position of Assistant Director of Residential. Prior to her work at the ARC, Franstine was a behavior specialist serving adults with developmental disabilities. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Morgan State University, and is actively involved in several disability groups, including ANCOR (American Network of Community Options and Resources), MACS (Maryland Association of Community Services for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities), and the Family Support Services Network of Montgomery County. Franstine directs services for 30 SEEC consumers in more than 18 homes throughout Montgomery and Prince George’s County. Under her leadership, SEEC’s Community Living department received a rare “Exemplary” status by CARF when SEEC was accredited in the Fall of 2004. Franstine also directs, SEEC’s Family Support Services program that has served more than 300 families of children with developmental disabilities since its inception in 1999.

Chief Financial Officer
Bonny Roy
In 2001, Bonny joined SEEC as Comptroller, benefiting SEEC with over 20 years of experience in finance, accounting and administration for profit and non-profit organizations. For two years prior to joining the SEEC staff, she was a professor at Howard University School of Business. Bonnie holds a Masters in Business Administration, a Master’s Degree in Sociology, and an undergraduate degree in Economics. Bonny is an active member of the Maryland Association of Community Services’ (MACS) Chief Financial Officer’s group and is also very active in her community in fundraising, cultural, and charitable activities. Bonny oversees all financial details for the agency, directs the Human Resources Department, and serves on the agency’s finance committee.

Director of Communications and Development
Cathy Dirksen
As the parent of a child with a significant developmental disability, Cathy has been very involved in the local disability community as a volunteer and as a professional. Prior to joining SEEC, she worked for the Mighty Special Music Makers, the Autism Society of America, and the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council (Family Networks). As a volunteer she served on the Board of Directors for the Montgomery County Chapter of the Autism Society where she held the position of co-president, and as a parent mentor for the Montgomery County Infants and Toddlers program. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for KEEN, a recreational program for children with developmental disabilities. As the founder of STEP Seminars, Inc. she produced a workshop video “Using Visual and Behavioral Cues in the Home: Teaching Functional Life Skills to Children with Autism and Related Disorders” which is sold nationwide and abroad. Cathy holds a B.S. degree from the University of Maryland and is responsible for SEEC’s internal and external communications, and fundraising activities.

Vocational and Day Supports Director
Steve Blanks
Steve began working for SEEC back in 1999. Prior to joining SEEC, he had worked in the for profit community, as a business consultant for Fortune 500 companies on a range of strategic and organizational issues. He has a unique interest in this field, as his eldest brother has a developmental disability and is successfully living and working in the community in Kansas City, Missouri. His personal experience and volunteer work with individuals with developmental disabilities lead to his decision to join the SEEC staff, initially as the Director for SEEC’s VIA Program. After holding that position for two years, Steve became the director of SEEC’s Employment Services program, a natural fit given his business background. He has served as director of Employment Services for more than four years and holds a Masters of Engineering, Economics and Management from University of Oxford, England. He is an active member of APSE (Association of Persons with Supported Employment).

Director of Resources
Greg Gamble
Greg began working for SEEC in August of 2004 after leaving his position as Administrator of Workforce Development for Goodwill Industries of Monocacy Valley. He has been a vocational counselor for Western Maryland Consortium and has worked for a behavioral health services organization providing residential housing and a mental health clinic to individuals with behavioral and emotional disorders. Greg was also the Director of Valley College of Technology, which offers an Associates Degree in Business Administration and several certificate programs to individuals that have been displaced from their employment or who were unemployed. He has previously directed the operations of SEEC’s medicial recreational day program that served adults with developmental disabilities and has also served has the Assistant Director of Employment Services. He presently serves at the Resource Director and supervises the program supports including Case Management, Behavior Management, Quality Assurance, Transportation and Training Coordination.

Information and Technology Director
Mike Mullenix
Mike has directed SEEC’s information and technology operations since 1997, providing a wide range of technological support for the agency. Mike has worked in the computer field for over 15 years and is the creator of the “Consumer Information Management System” (CIMS), a comprehensive, user-friendly database tracking consumer information. More than 20 service providers throughout the state now use this innovative program. Mike is responsible for computer operations throughout SEEC and in consumers’ homes and job sites. He provides state of the art computer support and assistive technology, oversees the agency’s website, its server connections to the Internet, and the agency’s Intranet system. Under his leadership, SEEC’s Information and Technology department was awarded a rare “Exemplary” status by CARF when the agency was accredited in the fall of 2004. Mike holds a Bachelors of Music Performance from the Shenandoah College and Conservatory of Music (now Shenandoah University).

SEEC's Board of Directors

SEEC’s Board of Directors consists of volunteers from the community, family members of people receiving SEEC services, and at least one individual receiving SEEC supports. The Board meetings quarterly to provide oversight for our agency operations.

President — Alex Ratnofsky
President-Elect — Lennie Gladstone
Secretary — Rachel Williams
Past President -- Richard Barsky
Treasurer — Brandee Van Eekelen
Directors —
Joseph Autry
Linda Cole
Ann Gibbons
Debra Goren
Mike Gugerty
Sharon Jackson
Leslie Kaplan
Robert Kunec
Arlene McCrehan
Jeff Wallop

Executive Director — Karen J. Lee

For information on joining SEEC’s Board of Directors, contact Karen Lee, SEEC’s Executive Director at (301) 576-9000.