Board of Advisors

Cassandra Jeyaram is director of resource assessments and eligibility at United Cerebral Palsy of Georgia and South Carolina. She was previously a principal in Liquid Media Consulting, which provided clients with marketing services, including communication strategies and campaigns. She was also social marketing and promotions manager at IHG, where she built its global social media program. Jeyayam has also been vice president of eBusiness for SunTrust Banks and internet marketing administrator for SouthTrust Bank. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Alabama and a PhD in communication law from the University of North Carolina.

Deborah Dorfman brings almost thirty years of disability rights legal advocacy to her role as Executive Director at Disability Rights Connecticut.  Immediately prior to coming to Connecticut, she served as a managing attorney at the Northwest Justice Project, headquartered in Seattle, Washington, where she and her colleagues established a statewide, free special education legal clinic for low-income families with students with disabilities. There she also provided legal representation to individuals with disabilities on issues concerning housing discrimination and access to Medicaid-covered services.  

Before working at NJP she was a senior attorney at the Center for Public Representation (CPR) in Northampton, Massachusetts. There she provided technical legal assistance to the national Protection and Advocacy network. Along with her colleagues at CPR, she also co-counseled class action litigation with Disability Rights Texas and a private firm in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice to advocate for community services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in, or at risk of admission to, Texas’ nursing facilities.  

Delphine Andrews is a communications professional who has spent the bulk of her career working in the non-profit sector. As someone with a disability, she has a lifetime of lived experience in diversity, inclusion, equity and access. She recently launched a blog entitled Driving Toward Thriving to reflect on her own personal journey with a physical disability, anxiety and depression. It is about accepting and loving herself through all the challenges and triumphs and doing so in an often inaccessible world. 

She has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a concentration in Visual Communications/Graphic Design, Minor in Creative Writing, from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Master of Arts with a concentration in Strategic Communications from UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media. As her voice and message continue to grow and evolve, she looks forward to more broadly speaking her truth and working toward change.

Erin Spaulding is the current President of the Achilles Connecticut Chapter.  Starting as a volunteer leader, she began working for Achilles International as part-time regional director in 2014.

Erin first joined Achilles in 2012 as an athlete, following a traumatic brain, neck and shoulder injury she sustained in 2010. A life-long athlete, Erin was an avid runner and triathlete at the time of her accident. She used her determination as an athlete in her recovery at Gaylord Hospital, re-learning how to coordinate her walking-and later running. Joining Gaylord’s Adaptive Sports Association and Achilles gave her back that piece of her life which she thought was gone forever. She became the President of the Connecticut Chapter to pay it forward to other individuals facing similar adversity.

Her story and accomplishments with Achilles International have been featured in local media here in CT, in the Cigna GO YOU! campaign (The Road Home), and Runner’s World Magazine (June 2013). In 2015 she was named to the Aiello Inspiration Team for the Eversource Hartford Marathon.  Erin was also a finalist in Nike’s ‘Nominate Your Nike’, and a recipient of the Frederick DeLuca Community Service award.

A graduate of Boston College (BA) and Boston University’s Wheelock College (MS), Erin worked professionally as a child life specialist in hospitals in Boston and Connecticut for prior to joining Achilles International. She is active in her community, and volunteers her time and professional expertise with various boards and organizations.

Evan G. Vourazeris plays “Tuck” on Netflix’s hit series ‘Ozark’. He began his acting career in 2017 on Jason Bateman’s widely well received show and has been a recurring character for it’s first 2 seasons. His love of acting came from watching movies with his father and the well placed suggestion from a friend that he should put his talent to good use. He immersed himself in the local film world and in spite of various obstacles never gave up on his dream to be on a film production with speaking lines. The experience on Ozark fueled his confidence and his engaging manner and ability to relate to people sparked a new desire to reach out and inspire others.Since 2013 Evan has visited schools, churches, and sports events throughout Texas and has spoken to over 500,000 kids and families about bullying, cyberbullying and other subjects that empower.

Evan is regularly invited to speak on radio talk shows, promoting not only his role as Tuck but his view that everyone is important and has a God given talent and that with hard work, regardless of the obstacles or disabilities, anyone can make a difference in the world.

“My message is simple, stay strong, never give up and go for your dream!” -Evan

Leigh Steinberg, premier sports agent, entrepreneur, best-selling author, and Chairman of Leigh Steinberg Sports and Entertainment Holdings, is best known for his work building athletes into stand-alone brands. He is often credited as the real-life inspiration for the Oscar-winning film Jerry Maguire. Leigh has represented many of the most successful athletes and coaches in football, basketball, baseball, hockey, boxing, and golf, including the number one overall pick in the NFL draft for an unprecedented eight times in conjunction with 64 total first round picks. With an unrivaled history of record-setting contracts, Leigh has secured over $4 billion for his 300+ pro athlete clients and directed more than $800 million to various charities around the world. 

Over the course of his career, Leigh has been featured on numerous national television programs, including 60 Minutes, Larry King Live, The Today Show, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and many more. He has been profiled in a host of magazines, including Business Week, Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine, People, Forbes, Playboy, GQ, and FHM. He currently resides in Newport Beach, CA. 

Richard Ramsey is an innovator and product developer at Nike. He is responsible for the creation of new technologies revolving around ease of entry, ease of securing, and adaptation. He actively participates in meetings with Product Creation during all phases of the development process and execute the decision-making process that leads to on-time product confirmation, under budget product and on-time delivery. He helps plan and execute development according to critical dates and I ensure manufacturability of product concepts and utilize footwear knowledge and tools to effectively and appropriately achieve project objectives. Ramsey has been at Nike since May 2012. He holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Arizona State University.

Operations Manager/Director

Aaron (AJ) Roberts is an undergraduate at Quinnipiac University, in the  Film, Television, and Media Arts, BFA, program, set to graduate a Masters in Cinematic Production Management in the 4+1 Program at QU. Throughout his time at Quinnipiac, AJ holds many leadership roles at the university. Not only is he Operations Manager here at Ability Media, he is also  President of the Fishing Club, and Head Engineer of Q30 Television, the award winning student run television station. AJ is super excited help launch Ability Media into the Mainstream!

Multimedia Host

Alena Galan, living with a rare disease, has beat all odds! Alena is an accomplished singer and songwriter who advocates. Performed at Carnegie Hall, interned at CBS 2 News, starred on a TLC Reality show, the camera continues to be her life and home. Alena even completed her undergraduate in Marketing with Communications along with her MBA in the 3+1 program. She will continue to make a difference in the lives of other people by bridging the world of work to inspire with her passion and dream to work in the television and entertainment industry. Continuing to climb the ladder of hard work with perseverance, and being the possibilitarian that she is, standing tall at 4’3” as big things do come in smaller package, she knows she will succeed!

Social Media Coordinator

Alex Kendall is a an undergraduate student in the 3+1 communications program, currently as a double major in film and advertising. She has gained a wide range of experiences from professional camera work to freelance graphic design to community outreach. Her goal is to hone these skills and apply them to producing creative campaigns for whatever company she may join in the future. Ever since she was a child, she has always been around those with a variety of disabilities. As such, she resonates with Ability Media’s mission, and hopes to offer work that meets their golden standard.

Writer/Reporter

Cat Murphy is a first-year journalism major in the 3+1 communications program at Quinnipiac University. With plans to pursue a career as an on-air political correspondent in the future, her personal experiences with both chronic illness and OCD have fueled her passion and advocacy for disability rights legislation. When Cat isn’t in class, you’re likely to find her either rocking out to music or at a piano writing her own.

Dean of the School of Communications

Chris Roush is the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University. He previously spent 17 years at UNC-Chapel Hill, where he was Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor, senior associate dean, and director of the master's program. He is the author or co-author of 10 books, including the business journalism textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster. He has written books about Home Depot, Pacific Coast Feather Co., and Regions Financial. He is advising Ability Media, and one of his sons grew up with a learning disability.

Professional in Residence at Quinnipiac University

Dave Stevens is the only legless player in sports history to have played NCAA football (Augsburg University, MN) and minor league baseball (St. Paul Saints) The 7 time Emmy winning sports journalist is now a motivational speaker and television host as he nears 40 years in broadcasting (20 with ESPN).  The father of 3 teen boys is a Professional in Residence at Quinnipiac University, and oversees the new Ability Media initiative at the college to teach media and production to disabled students and create job opportunities and careers. 

Web & Graphics Designer

Entering their sophomore year as an Advertising and Graphic Design 3+1 student, Deveney Paine has already finished multiple internships and professional design work, including logos, website design, and content creation. Armed with the experiences of their family and themselves, they are dedicated to advocating for disabled people across the country. When they're not in class, you can find them researching for their myth-busting weekly radio show, Textbook Tales, or managing the Game Club as its PR Lead.

Reporter

Dorrie McDaniels is an undergraduate at Quinnipiac University. She is currently working on her B.A. in Journalism with a double minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation / Film and Television. Her future career aspiration is to produce documentaries. As she sees it, documentaries are an alternative way to gain knowledge, especially for those who struggle to read. When she's not reporting for Ability Media, you can find her on campus shooting TikToks for Quinnipiac's TikTok account as part of her work-study job with Quinnipiac's Marketing Department. 

Social Media Coordinator

Fiona Stevens is currently working on her B.A. in Film, Television, and Media Arts as well as her M.A.T. in Elementary Education at Quinnipiac University. She hopes to go into children's educational programming and create content for kids who don't see themselves on the screen. As Social Media Director of Ability Media, Fiona hopes to promote connections across the disabled community and foster a movement for more disabled representation in the media.

Anchor & Reporter
Grace McGuire is an undergraduate student at Quinnipiac. She is in her second year of the 3+1 communications program which will allow her to earn her BA in journalism in 2023 and her MS in journalism in 2024. She uses her cerebral palsy disability to her advantage by reporting and producing content for Ability Media. She is also a part of the university’s honors program and the Q30 newscast. Currently, she is an intern for the Quinnipiac University Podcast Studio in which she edits and produces for the podcast “Baffled.”

Social Media Coordinator

Lexie Glinbizzi is a senior advertising and integrated communications major with a minor in Spanish at Quinnipiac University. She is also pursuing the 4+1 MS in Public Relations/social media digital track that she will complete in the spring of 2023. She is currently working at CPR Strategic Marketing Communications, an integrated marketing and communications firm. On campus, Lexie is a member of Kappa Delta Sorority, holds the position of Publicity Chair for Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communications Association’s Honor Society Tau Delta chapter at Quinnipiac and is also an ambassador for the School of Communications. When she was thirteen years old, she became an older sister to two twin boys who were born with cerebral palsy and autism. She has taken on the challenge of learning how to advocate for each of them, accommodate their specific needs both inside and outside of the home, and help them develop their special abilities as they grow—which has ultimately become a passion of hers. Those with special abilities truly hold a special place in her heart. When Lexie is not at school, she often spends her free time doing photography, a hobby that she has loved to do since she was young!” 

Reporter

Melanie Careri is a junior journalism major at Quinnipiac University. Previously, she has served as a producer for the Q30 Television Newscast as well as a staff writer for The Chronicle. With a passion for storytelling and digital media, she is eager to apply her skill sets as a reporter for Ability Media to shed light and bring awareness toward the disabled community. When she is not reporting, you can find her on campus hosting her weekly radio show Trash Talk on WQAQ 98.1 FM and the weekly ‘QUpdate’ videos on the Quinnipiac University Instagram page. 

Sports Producer

Robert Fritz is a senior Film, Television, and Media Arts major at Quinnipiac, with interests in sports, social media, and content creation. He hopes to get into the sports field whether it is as a journalist or in an on-camera position. Robert who was born with NF1 hopes to bring awareness to the disease. He will be taking the role as a sports producer and will work in the social media department at Ability Media.

Writer/Reporter
Will Dean is a senior Journalism Major at Quinnipiac, with interests in the communications field running much wider than the old world of ink and paper publications. Will works as a reporter, cinematographer and content creator for Ability Media. On campus, he hosts The Friday Factor on WQAQ 98.1 FM and writes for The Quinnipiac Chronicle on occasion. After graduation, Will aims to break into the world of news broadcasting.