Fri, 05/10/2024 - 2:00pm EDT to 3:00pm
Debra Evans
Member of the Committee on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities,
Coordinator of Religious Education and Sacrament Preparation, Church of the Visitation, Arch. of Los Angeles, CA
Debra is the Coordinator of Religious Education and Sacrament Preparation for a fully inclusive program for children of all abilities at the Church of the Visitation in Los Angeles, CA. Mrs. Evans is an advocate, coach, and leader of programs and initiatives benefiting children with disabilities and their families. She is a contributor of articles on Inclusion for the Finding God and Christ Our Light curricula, published by Loyola Press. Mrs. Evans serves as a part-time lecturer preparing first year graduate students in the School Psychology division of the School of Education at Loyola Marymount University (LMU). She holds a MA in Pastoral Theology with a concentration in Pastoral Leadership from LMU, an MS in Education and Museum Leadership from Bank Street College, and a BM in Vocal Performance from The Catholic University of America. She is a member of the Theta Alpha Kappa, The National Honor Society for Religious Studies and Theology. Mrs. Evans is married to her wonderful husband, John, of 27 years, and is the proud mom of their son, John David, who has exceptional needs.
Paula Umana
Motivational Speaker
Paula is a former tennis champion born in Costa Rica, now resides in Atlanta with her husband Serge and their five children. Fluent in English, Spanish, and French, she manages her own tennis business. Despite facing a paralyzing neurological condition in 2015, she embrace her role as a Catholic Speaker finding purpose through her ministry, ''Gifts of Hope.'' She speaks at churches, schools, corporations, conferences, and media outlets like EWTN, Univision, and the FORMED platform. Amid her disability, she authored ''40 Gifts of Hope'', a practical guide for those facing suffering, supported by Archbishop Rev. Gregory Hartmyer. Discover hope at paulaspeaker.com.
Lori Wieder
Chair of the Committee on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities,
Special Projects/Disability Advocate at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Stillwater, OK
Lori converted to Catholicism when she married her husband. From that point, she has been very involved in her local parish in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Lori and her husband are the parents of two children with a genetic disability that causes intellectual disabilities and appears like autism in many ways. She has always had a passion for those with disabilities and began working in that arena in 1990. She has worked as a case manager for individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (many with a dual diagnosis of Intellectual Disability/Mental Illness), a special education teacher, and a consultant. She currently serves as a Disability Advocate at her parish, St. Francis Xavier in Stillwater. She earned her B.A. in Psychology at Oklahoma State, an M.Ed. in Community Counseling from the University of Central Oklahoma, an M.S. in Teaching English as a Second Language, and an M.S. in Special Education both from Oklahoma State University.