Our Team
Amanda Steele
Co-founder
Board President
Director of Communications
Facilitator | Professional Development and Community Education
a.steele@EPICdisability.org
Amanda Steele, SLPA is a neurodivergent leader, diagnosed with Autism and ADHD (AuDHD), and a proud mom to Jordan, an adult with autism and an intellectual disability. Her lived experience as both a parent and professional drives her commitment to building more inclusive and supportive communities for neurodiverse individuals. Amanda is the Co-Founder and Board President of EPIC Disability Advocacy and serves as Director of Communications. She co-developed EmpowerU, EPIC’s signature program focused on life skills, self-determination, and advocacy for neurodivergent teens and adults. Amanda is also an elected Governing Board Member for the Tempe Union High School District, where she currently serves as Vice President and works to promote equity, inclusion, and opportunity for all students. As a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) since 2015, Amanda specializes in supporting neurodivergent teens and young adults in building communication, advocacy, and transition skills. She holds an Associate of Arts in Elementary Education and a Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Sciences. Amanda is a graduate of both the Arizona Partners in Leadership Program and Leading for Change, deepening her commitment to systems change and disability leadership. She lives in Chandler, Arizona, with her husband, Joe; her son, Jordan; their family friend, Rhett; and their three cats—Bobbit, Snickers, and Peppermint.
Amy Pedotto
Co-founder
Treasurer
Director of Finance
Facilitator | Professional Development and Community Education
a.pedotto@EPICdisability.org
Amy Pedotto, MPIA serves as EPIC Disability Advocacy’s Treasurer and Director of Finance. She is the proud mom of two daughters with ADHD, one of whom is also autistic. Amy has worked in the non-profit sector her entire career with human service and public policy organizations. Her experience includes communications, strategy, business development, project management, and relationship building. Her interests include ensuring that people with disabilities receive the resources and support they need to achieve their full potential. During the course of her career she has worked in Australia and has supported international development programs in Latin America. She has bachelor degrees in Journalism and Spanish from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in International Policy and Management from the University of California, San Diego. She is an almost-native of Arizona, having grown up in Tempe.
Jahnavi Kalidindi MD was born and raised in India. She is a medical graduate from GSL medical college affiliated with NTR university, India in 2012. She pursued her residency at Griffin Hospital affiliated with Yale university, CT (2016-19). She is board certified in Internal Medicine in 2019. She currently works as PCP at Adelante healthcare, Mesa. She has a young son with Autism and ADHD. She is a 2021 graduate of Pilot parenting program and took part in #FundAzSPED movement. She is a Co-founder and board member for EPIC Disability Advocacy, an organization whose vision is to empower the community and create societal change where everyone can reach their full potential. She participated in SELS 2021.
Jenniffer Jarvis
Co-founder
Director of Operations
Instructional Designer
Facilitator | Professional Development and Community Education
j.jarvis@EPICdisability.org
Jenniffer Jarvis, MEd, ACNP has over 20 years of combined experience in business management and administration, project management, and nonprofit leadership. She has a Master of Education in Instructional Design, a Bachelor of Science in Business, and is an Advanced Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) credentialed through the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance and ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Innovation. Jenniffer works in a consulting capacity for nonprofits and small businesses and provides website management and development, marketing, material and instructional evaluation, development, design, project management, and business administration services. She is also the Foundation Manager and serves on the Board of Directors for a private foundation. Jenniffer is one of the Co-founders of EPIC Disability Advocacy. She is a long-term Arizona native and resides in Phoenix with her husband and four children, two of her sons have autism. She and her family are very active in the disability community. Jenniffer serves on multiple school district councils and provides inclusion consultation and support to local organizations. She is very passionate about providing and creating opportunities for individuals with disabilities that will help them realize their full potential and build skills that can be used for employment and independence.
Laura Chapnek
Co-founder
Vice President
Director of Fundraising
Facilitator | Professional Development and Community Education
l.chapnek@EPICdisability.org
Laura Chapnek has a Bachelor of Science in Business and Marketing. She has been an Advisory Board member as well as a past Vice President and President of DSNetwork. As chair of the Parents & Schools in Partnership program for Down Syndrome Network Arizona (DSNetwork), Laura helped develop the highly regarded “A Day in the Life” presentation, which allows people of all walks of life and levels of ability to experience some of the challenges that individuals with various disabilities face every day. Laura is a certified “Be Safe” trainer which brings people with disabilities as well as at-risk youth together with law enforcement and first responders to gain a better understanding of how to interact with emergency personnel in a safe manner. Laura co-chaired the Phoenix Children’s Hospital (PCH) Downright Beautiful Fashion Show for four years. All proceeds benefited the PCH Down syndrome clinic. Laura has been married for 20 years and has a son with Down syndrome. She has been a sanitary sales consultant for WAXIE Sanitary Supply for 22 years making many connections and developing valuable relationships within the business community. Currently she serves on the EPIC Disability Advocacy Board as the Vice President of Marketing and Sales.
Lisa McCormick
Co-founder
Secretary
Director of Services
Facilitator | Professional Development and Community Education
l.mccormick@EPICdisability.org
Lisa McCormick, BSW helped co-found EPIC Disability Advocacy and is serving as the Director of Development and Secretary. Lisa is a native to Arizona. She obtained her Bachelor in Social Work in 2017 from The College of Saint Scholastica, finding her true passion in supporting individuals and families in the community to build on their foundations to better their potential. Lisa is currently providing services to kinship families in Maricopa County as a Service Coordinator with Duet: Partners in Health and Aging. She is trauma trained and certified, proficient in creating individualized services through building rapport and person centered planning methods. Lisa has been an active member of the girl scout community, as a volunteer, co-leader, and service team member for the past 12 years. She also participates in several non-profit committees and coalitions through the work she does supporting families. Prior to finding her career passion, she married her high school sweetheart; together they have been raising three daughters over the past 27 years together.
Pam Bartlett
Board Member
Director of Outreach
Facilitator | Professional Development and Implementation
p.bartlett@EPICdisability.org
Pam Bartlett, MBA is a board member and the Director of Outreach for EPIC. She has a Bachelor in Education and an MBA in Management/CIS, as well two lifetime teaching certificates in CIS/Management and Education. Pam is a dedicated mother to a son with autism and an advocate for the disability community. With over 25 years of experience in Professional Learning and Project Management, she is passionate about fostering lifelong learning and helping others reach their full potential. Pam also works as a Professional Learning Leadership Consultant, working with organizations to leverage data analytics to enhance training initiatives, identify quality improvements and efficiencies, establish seamless onboarding processes, implement consistent delivery and asset methodologies, and offer project management support to drive organizational success.