Watch how to sign ‘board of directors’ in American Sign Language
The Dayle McIntosh Center (DMC) is governed by a volunteer board of directors composed of community leaders with expertise in business, finance, education, advocacy, and programming as well as experience working or volunteering with DMC. A majority of the directors are individuals with disabilities. The board sets policy, conducts strategic planning, monitors and evaluates service delivery, plans and oversees budget implementation, and engages in resource development.
Dayle McIntosh Center, Current Board of Directors
Tony Clement, President
Tony Clement married his high school sweetheart one year after graduation and has been married for 54 years. He has three children and six grandchildren.
He attended Santa Ana College until he enlisted in the Air Force Reserves in 1969 and served as an aircraft mechanic for six years. Service has always been part of Tony’s mission, something he has carried throughout his career.
Tony has enjoyed an admirable forty-five year career milestone in the construction industry with the same company. Loyalty, dedication, hard work, essential planning skills and leadership led him to gaining a valuable three decades of experience in business management.
Understanding all the intricate parts of business management in taking initiative to problem-solve, decision-making and communication has been key to his great leadership in both work and in the community. Tony’s keen ability to balance of both is what drives Tony’s ambition to put things on a progressive trajectory to make things happen creating effective solutions, looking at all sides of the problem with fairness, tactical operations understanding and response.
From his career-long experience overseeing a multitude of operational functions including supply equipment needs for as many as thirty jobsites, to coordinating with vendors, suppliers and foremen meeting a multitude of demands and requirements; Tony is no stranger to the executing leadership initiative, being resourceful, meeting schedule deadlines, multitasking, and coordination from his many dedicated years on the job.
His breadth of experience of engaging with people and taking initiative comes from his acquired the skills through his work. He takes great pleasure in understanding the value of people and has the sincere interest and ability to build and maintain relationships while effectively accomplishing long-vision goals for the mutual benefit of all. Tony’s willingness to serve the greater good and the community is what brought him to serve on the Board at DMC after knowing the organization for four decades.
Since retiring in 2020, Tony has been involved serving with his church as facilities manager. He is also a member of the Buena Park Police Chief’s Advisory Board and officer in a Toastmasters club.
David Flores, Vice-President
California native and proud resident of Anaheim, David Flores is someone who recognizes that leadership and teamwork go hand-in-hand as a way to move things forward together. He has lived a very long journey of knowing there is no ‘I’ in team. David recognizes leaders must step up to say ‘I can and I will do my best’ to lead a team with great agility, dedication, focus, commitment and services, equal team success. As a graduate of Anaheim High School from the Class of 1973, David honed his leadership and teamwork strategies being active in sports having played for the legendary coach Clare Vanhorbeck.
From here, passing the torch of his acquired insights, strengths, and motivation, he wanted to educate and inspire how wins and losses go hand-in-hand as a beautiful co-existence of resilience to build character and fortitude – all necessary elements to take leadership and team spirit forward. He took on the role of coaching football for 20 years at his alma mater, and various high schools in the Orange County and Inland empire along with three years at Pomona College (Claremont Colleges).
Currently retired from 48 years in aerospace manufacturing, he spent many years of hard labor making parts for commercial and military aircraft, and for the space program. Learning and refining conscientiousness of how all ‘moving parts’ are necessary to build something, provided David with an intellectual understanding of how things and people must work together to create success with high attention to detail!
Successfully carrying out 40 years with Toastmasters International, he spent these four decades providing committed and dedicated years of personal and professional integrity in service to expand, broaden and develop many dimensions at the club level. He served as Program Quality Director 2018-2019 and District 100 Director 2019-2020.
David brings this unique combination of logistical, tactical, and relationship people skills together to help DMC with its next trajectory.
Suzanne Allee, Secretary
Suzanne Allee is an inspirational keynote speaker who has been delivering talks focused on dispelling the myths about people with disabilities. She is living with blindness but is no longer willing to remain invisible. Her mission is to educate, inspire, and give hope to those currently living with blindness or any disability.
Suzanne’s life’s work is focused on ensuring that everyone understands that life can change unexpectedly, and one could become disabled at any time. She knows that life comes in all shapes and sizes and knows no boundaries, except the ones we place upon ourselves.
Suzanne recognizes that fear is a major reason why the world is hesitant to acknowledge, discuss, and often misjudge those with disabilities. She has experienced these prejudgments firsthand. People living with blindness must deal with an unemployment rate of approximately 75% due to misconceptions and stereotypes about the blind.
Through her inspirational talks, Suzanne aims to educate, inspire, and give hope to those living with disabilities. She is a powerful voice advocating for greater understanding, inclusion, and accessibility for all.
Jose Pena, Treasurer
Jose Pena (he/him) was raised in Southern California and worked as the Director of Independent Living Services for the Dayle McIntosh Center. He currently works as the Reasonable Accommodation Specialist for Disability Rights California, the agency designated under federal law to protect and advocate for the rights of Californians with disabilities.
Jose identifies as a person with a physical disability. Since a young age, he knew he wanted to work with numbers and he understood his physical limitations. Accounting was a subject he enjoyed and understood. Prior to graduating from Cal State Fullerton, he met Paula Margeson who encouraged him to apply for a job at the Dayle McIntosh Center and the rest is history. Jose joined DMC in 2014 and found his purpose in life, advocating for people with disabilities. He started as Systems Change Advocate were he learned about the injustices and inequalities that people with disabilities were facing and he wanted to help his community. He then transitioned to the Assistive Technology Coordinator role where two of his interests aligned, technology and helping people. In this role, he taught himself to use assistive technology software to help people who were falling through the cracks. After several years working with assistive technology and becoming certified as an assistive technology professional, he transitioned into his Director role where he led several programs. In 2023, he left DMC and joined DRC.
Back as a board member, he wants to contribute to DMC’s future by providing his expertise and ensure that the DMC is one of the lead independent living organizations leading the charge for disability rights. He wants to DMC to continue advocating and furthering the rights of people with disabilities. He believes that if we as people with disabilities are not at the table, then we are on the menu.
Rodney Hume-Dawson, Ph.D., Board Member At-Large
Dr. Rodney Hume-Dawson is an expert in Inclusive Practices, Resilience in Polio Survivors and people with Physical disabilities, Education, and Disability Studies. He was born and raised in Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa where he was diagnosed with poliomyelitis at the age of eighteen months old, leaving him paralyzed from his waist down. His disability did not stop him from moving forward beyond obstacles and adversity, rather he was intentional about choosing how to be of service with his disability as an educator. In his foundation of gratitude, enduring strength, unshakable faith, supportive loving family and optimistic spirit he found the fuel of determination to believe and achieve in what is infinitely possible.
Rodney is a certified English Educator in Los Angeles, California. He is currently a faculty member in the Liberal Studies Department in the College of Education at California Polytechnic State University, Pomona. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Philosophy, a Master’s in Teaching and Curriculum. He completed his Ph.D. in Education with emphasis on Disability Studies at Chapman University. His dissertation was a phenomenological inquiry on the resilience of people with poliomyelitis. As an accomplished author, Rodney has written several book chapters including A Spiritual and Transformative Perspective on Disability that was published in a book edited by Wappett and Arndt, entitled: Emerging Perspectives on Disability Studies. His forthcoming book will capture the meaning of resilience from a polio survivor’s/person with a physical disability’s perspective and what families and society can do to foster coping skills and a strong sense of self in individuals with obvious impairments.
Rodney’s intention, research and teaching are mainly to educate people about disability and to help the world realize that disability is a human experience. His research focus encompasses resilience, spirituality, radical love, polio, inclusiveness, equity, infusing disability studies into all traditional curriculums, and ways to make education accessible to individuals who learn differently. He preaches, presents lectures, and offers workshops to Schools, Universities, and Churches that are interested in changing the status quo.
Bhumit Shah – Board Member At-Large
Bhumit Shah is a person living with Cerebral Palsy (CP). He is in his 40s, resides at home with his parents, and has a great support system of family and friends. Bhumit has learned through experiences that are extremely important to develop a large network of people of all abilities. Over the years, Bhumit has become a self-advocate for himself and others. He has held multiple positions in both the private and public sectors. He is currently an Advocate at Disability Rights California in the Advocacy and Community Engagement Unit. Additionally, he also utilizes a variety of the same programs and services many of the families often use. He has learned to navigate the very system to maximize his independence.
Prior to joining ACE, he was the Client Rights Advocate at OCRA. His professional career also includes working at the Dayle Mcintosh Center as the Systems Change Advocate and the Personal Assistant Services Coordinator, advocating for consumers to receive long-term support services in a community-based setting. Bhumit has a master’s degree in health care administration from California State University, Long Beach. He faces the same challenges that many other people with disabilities encounter and has learned not to take “No” for an answer. In his free time, he enjoys participating in adaptive recreational activities such as surfing, skiing, kayaking, and rock climbing.
Jann Jaffe, Board Member At-Large
The Universe has dared Jann Jaffe to reach the highest technicolored octaves life can offer, challenging her academically, musically, mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually along her colorfully sung and painted journey… and she has risen every time to meet each challenge.
Starting out her path as a prep student at the Manhattan School of Music, while still in high school, college soon followed where she earned both her Bachelors and Master’s degrees from Northwestern University on a full scholarship. Without skipping a beat, she was catapulted into a destined national and international career trajectory as a well-respected opera and concert singer performing with major world-class symphony orchestras and accomplished conductors. Her journey as a distinguished performer led her to being a voice and master class teacher.
This illustrious career would be cut short like an edited symphonic soundtrack and her life would now be forcing her to lay in a new orchestral music bed of health and wellness in two different playlists.
In her next life chapter as a bodybuilder and personal trainer, she completely transformed her body losing over 70 lbs. This is where a new incarnation of herself would emerge as a health, weight loss, natural pain management, and anti-aging consultant. Then, after having survived two devastating traumatic brain injuries and a life-changing car accident… a challenge of body-and-mind would morph into a new test.
Over a period of a decade in the 1990s, her life’s song list blew away and her compass needed recalibrating where she would be asked to be her own life’s conductor of a new test. Jann lost language for 6 weeks and it was many months before she was able to even use it as she once did and get around on a walker. Her sense of identity had centered on excellence: her mind and voice which were previously hard-wired since her youth to a pursuit of perfection and an aversion to mediocrity. Relearning unassisted how to brush her teeth, shower, use the phone, and more – she was challenged to relearn how to read, concentrate, engage in social discussion, struggling to accept, own and regain a zest for life as her disability caused her to live a small and isolated life.
After a long battle with feeling lost with brain post-concussion syndrome, multiple spinal injuries, and several reconstructive facial surgeries performed in the ER, she confronted losing careers, identity, self-esteem and life purpose. Here she was forced to write an entire new album of life perspectives in personal strength, vulnerable resiliency, compassion, education, and assisting others, and works as an iPEC Certified Professional Coach, an Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner, a Certified COR.E Performance, Leadership, Transitions, and Wellbeing Dynamics Specialist, and an ICF certified coach with her own business Forward To Success. She is also an accomplished fine artist who found an additional career as a professional painter and sketcher – an artistic talent of a different nature thanks to discovering it through her own disability.
Technicolored octaves, indeed. Jann Jaffe has artistically turned her life into an inspiring noteworthy journey where she serves to motivate others to living life at the highest level.
The Dayle McIntosh Center (DMC) recruits for board members all year-long. Term commitments are two years and we’re always looking to expand committees. If you’d like to JOIN OUR BOARD – we invite you to apply. Please fill out the application paperwork and apply: https://daylemc.org/board/
