NCPD's Board of Directors include bishops, diocesan directors of disability ministry, persons living with a disability, family members, pastoral workers, and other concerned individuals. The Board determines policies that guide NCPD in its work and passes resolutions on current issues relevant to the Church and disability. Board elected members can serve up to two consecutive three-year terms. The Board maintains an Executive committee and a Nominating committee as well committees on Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities, Mental Health and Wellness, Ethics and Public Policy, Catholic Schools, Physical Disabilities, and Marketing.
Bishop Burbidge
Episcopal Moderator
The Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1984.
Bishop Burbidge holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s degree in theology from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, a master’s in education administration from Villanova University, and a doctorate in education from Immaculata College.
In addition to parish and school priestly assignments, he served as administrative secretary to the Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1992-1999. In 1998, he was named Honorary Prelate to His Holiness Pope John Paul II with the title of Monsignor. In 1999, then Monsignor Burbidge was appointed rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. In 2002, he was ordained an auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia.
Leo Zanchettin
Board Chair
Leo Zanchettin is editorial director for The Word Among Us magazine, a monthly Catholic devotional, and has served as NCPD Board Chair since 2023. He has overseen the editorial content of The Word Among Us since 1996 and he has published a series of devotional commentaries on the books of the New Testament. Zanchettin is an associate member of the Catholic Biblical Association. He has written extensively about his life as the father of six children, all of whom are on the autism spectrum and who live with other emotional and cognitive disabilities. He has a Master of Arts in Theology from the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC, and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Philosophy from Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, MD. He is active in his parish, St. Katharine Drexel, in Frederick, MD, as an officer in the pastoral council, a member of the adult faith formation team, and a youth minister and catechist.
Richard A. Spencer, III
Treasurer
Rick Spencer serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer of The Baltimore Life Insurance Company. Prior to joining Baltimore Life, Mr. Spencer served as the Senior Vice President, Finance InsLogic Corporation, a private label insurance broker. Prior to that, Mr. Spencer also directed the delivery of audit and strategic risk management consulting services in the Washington, DC offices of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Rick started his career with Berman, Goldman and Ribakow, LLP, (now UHY LLP) providing tax, audit and accounting services to its middle-market clients in the Baltimore-Washington corridor. Mr. Spencer is a life-long resident of Maryland and currently resides in Kensington, Maryland with his wife and three children and is a member of Holy Redeemer parish. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Mount Saint Mary’s University and is a Certified Government Financial Manager and Certified Public Accountant. He also serves as a board member for the Catholic Disability Foundation, which raises funds to support the National Catholic Partnership on Disability. Rick has been a member of the Knights of Columbus since 1980.
Colleen McCoy-Cejka, Ed.D.
Secretary
Colleen McCoy-Cejka, Ed.D., is the owner of Inclusion Solutions, LLC and Ed-21 Solutions, companies dedicated to creating student-centered learning environments where all students can be successful. Colleen is the mother of a child with autism. Her work is built upon her experiences as a parent, teacher, elementary and high school principal, assistant superintendent, and curriculum director for the Diocese of Phoenix, and several nonprofit volunteer roles. Colleen co-founded The Matthew 19:14 Project with Dr. Lisa Fischer in Phoenix in 2014, is a founding member of the Arizona Inclusion Network (2021) and is an executive board committee member for the National Catholic Partnership on Disability.
Colleen previously served as Director of Professional Learning at the National Catholic Educational Association. She can be heard on the Loyola Press Podcast The Catholic Teachers’ Lounge three days per week.
Brother Fred Cabras, OFM Cap.
Br. Cabras is the Director of Social Services for the Capuchin's Soup Kitchen, Detroit, MI. He is a Roman Catholic priest, ordained in 2019, and a member of the Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph since 2011. Before relocating to Detroit in 2020, Br. Cabras worked as a licensed inpatient and emergency room psychiatric social worker at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he worked with a multidisciplinary team. He also previously served as coordinator of a social justice program providing regional resources for the homeless, as assistant staff member for a day program for adults with developmental disabilities, as case manager for persons experiencing homelessness while also offering sacramental ministries to a local Catholic community. He received his Master of Divinity Degree from the Catholic Theological Union, a Master of Social Work with a specialization in Mental Health from Loyola University, and a Bachelor of Psychology from the University of Illinois, in Chicago, IL. Br. Cabras is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) for the State of Illinois and Michigan.
Bishop Brendan J. Cahill, S.T.D.
On June 29, 2015, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo ordained Bishop Brendan as the third Bishop of Victoria. Bishop David Fellhauer and Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza were Co-Consecrators. Since becoming the Bishop of Victoria, Bishop Brendan has served as a Member of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops’ (USCCB) Sub-committee on African-American Affairs and as a Consultor for the USCCB’s Pro-Life Committee. He joined the Communities of Faith in Victoria with other Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders and has been an active supporter of the Gulf Bend Center Coalition for Mental Health. He serves on the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops’ Accreditation Commission (of Catholic schools) and is a Member of the Advisory Board of Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas. He joined the Board of Directors of Catholic Rural Life and accepted to be the Associate State Chaplain for the Texas Knights of Columbus in 2016. Effective July 1, 2017, he began to serve as the Bishop Promoter for the Apostleship of the Sea in the United States.
Tom Crishon
Tom Crishon serves as the Chief Legal Officer for The Arc of Indiana, a statewide non-profit association dedicated to advocating for and supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Since assuming this role in October 2024, Tom has utilized his extensive legal expertise to advance the rights, opportunities, and meaningful participation of individuals with disabilities across Indiana.
Prior to joining The Arc of Indiana, Tom dedicated 14 years to Indiana Disability Rights (IDR), the state's designated Protection and Advocacy system. Starting as a staff attorney and ultimately serving as General Counsel and Legal Director, he played a pivotal role in protecting, promoting, and empowering the rights of individuals with disabilities. While at IDR, Tom also contributed his leadership to several important committees. As a Steering Committee member of the Back Home in Indiana Alliance, he worked to increase the availability of affordable, accessible, and inclusive housing for individuals with disabilities. As a member of the Indiana Bureau of Disabilities Services' Mortality Review Committee, he helped analyze the deaths of individuals receiving state services, identifying trends and developing recommendations to improve provider-specific and system-wide service delivery. Tom also served on NAMI Indiana's Public Policy Committee, advancing policies to support individuals with serious mental illnesses and their families.
Kevin C. Johnson
Kevin C. Johnson’s career in the field of developmental disabilities began in 2001, when he and his wife, Amanda, moved to Florida as AmeriCorps volunteers through Catholic Volunteers in Florida. They started as live-in direct support professionals at group homes operated by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Palm Beach. Kevin and his wife were promoted to co-administrator of the program. In 2004 Kevin joined Magnify of Central Florida, a ministry of the Diocese of Orlando as the Resident/Staff Development Director where he also provided supported employment services. By 2008, he was appointed Executive Director, a role he has held since, significantly expanding the program to serve over 600 individuals annually.
Throughout his career, Kevin has been an active participant on several boards that focus on disability services. He has served on the Catholic Disability Foundation, chaired the Florida Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, and led Catholic Volunteers in Florida. His deep expertise in the field was recognized through appointments to the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council by Governor Rick Scott and later reappointment by Governor Ron DeSantis, during which he was elected chair for two terms. Kevin is also an active board member of Morning Star Catholic School and a member of the Knights of Columbus.
Kevin is a founding member of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Celebration, where he resides with his wife and two children.
Deacon Stephen Kaneb
Deacon Stephen Kaneb was raised in Massachusetts alongside his five brothers, where his parents instilled deep values of faith, compassion and service to people experiencing marginalization. He started his career as a licensed mechanical engineer in Southern California. He moved to New Hampshire in 1987 when he transitioned into the real estate portion of his family’s business, where he continues in an important but reduced role. Together with his wife Andrea, he develops and leases commercial and residential properties. Bishop Peter Libasci ordained Steve a deacon in 2017.
Steve and Andrea married forty years ago. They cherish their time with their five children, their spouses and grandchildren. Their commitment to the Church and various nonprofits has spanned their entire adult lives. Their son Phillip, born prematurely with a brain injury, brought the family into the disability community. Phil's joy and unconditional love inspire Steve’s advocacy for accessibility and inclusivity, especially in his church activities.
Mary O'Callahagn, Ph.D.
Mary has a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology. She is a member of the faculty for an interdisciplinary master’s program in autism studies at St. Mary's College. Sheis also an Adjunct Assistant Teaching Professor, for the Department of Information Technology, Analytics and Operations Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. She is the parent of a son with Down syndrome.
Mary assisted with legislative bans on disability-selective abortion, presented talks about the inclusion of children with special needs in Catholic schools, and helped develop materials on human sexuality for individuals with disabilities and their families.
James W. Polis
James is a marketing executive specializing in growth strategy and activation for America's leading public affairs initiatives and advocacy causes. He graduated from The Catholic University of America in 2013 with a degree in Business Management, and his technical background includes experience across branding, advertising, digital fundraising, analytics, and audience research.
His passion for enhanced disability resources goes back multiple generations in his family history, including his maternal grandmother's local advocacy for early education reforms in Massachusetts and his mother's dedicated career in special education. James and his wife Nicole are blessed with a growing family in Northern Virginia.
Julia Sauter, MA
Julia serves in fundraising and development for Glenmary Home Missioners, a Catholic community of priests and brothers serving underserved areas of the rural United States in Appalachia and the South. In this role she coordinates 80+ fundraising presentations nationwide each year. Julia also serves as the organization's grant writer and adoption program coordinator for programs, mission sites, and personnel. She helps coordinate Glenmary's Giving Tuesday campaign, local fundraising events, and assists with social media and other publications.
Julia previously served in administrative roles for disability organizations in Southern California specializing in day programing, supported employment, and group home residential care for adults with developmental disabilities. Born with mild cerebral palsy and a devout Catholic, Julia’s writing and speaking engagements focus on affirming the giftedness of people with disabilities and advocating for positive changes that enable them to contribute and participate fully in the life of the Church. She is especially interested in ensuring full access to the Sacraments, Catholic education, and vocations to the diaconate, priesthood, and consecrated life for people with disabilities. Julia graduated Summa Cum Laude with dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and theology, and a minor in business administration, from Mount St. Mary's University, Los Angeles. She also completed a Master of Arts degree in ethics and social theory from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA.
Tison Thomas
Tison is a Syro-Malabar Catholic, an Eastern Rite member of the Catholic Church living in the United States, deeply committed to advancing the faith’s role in serving individuals with disabilities and addressing the diverse needs of our communities.
Currently serves as the Diocesan Secretary for Faith Formation within the St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Chicago. He is actively involved in faith formation efforts for over 10,500 children across the United States and a member of our Diocesan Pastoral Council. Through his engagement, he has witnessed the importance of having individuals with disabilities participate fully in faith formation and church activities. This experience has been invaluable, further deepening understanding of our unique challenges and opportunities when advocating for individuals with disabilities.
Professionally, he serves as the Deputy Director for the Center for Mental Health Services at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a federal agency dedicated to addressing mental illness and substance use disorders nationwide. With a Master’s degree in Social Work, a Bachelor of Science in Biology, and over two decades in the mental health field, he has committed himself to policy work, programmatic interventions, and service delivery that support the holistic needs of vulnerable populations.
Sompaul Vorapanich, Th.D.
Retired First Sergeant Sompaul Vorapanich is the Director of the Warriors to Lourdes Pilgrimage, Director of Military Councils, and is the Knights of Columbus Liaison to the Archdiocese for the Military Services. He recently retired after 21 years of active-duty service as a paratrooper with the United States Army. He deployed over 20 times while assigned to the United States Special Operations Command.
Vorapanich was born in Holland, Michigan but raised in Chicago, Illinois. He is the first-born son of his family in the United States. His father was a South Vietnamese citizen recruited to be a Force Recon Interrogator with the United States Marine Corps, during the Vietnam Conflict. His mother was a Vietnamese refugee who fled tyranny and oppression by becoming one of the “boat-people”. They are now proud American citizens and reside in Oklahoma. On February 18th, 2003, he raised his right hand and swore into the United States Army to pay back a debt to his country for the freedom that his family was blessed with. Vorapanich transitioned out of the active military service and retired on May 1st of 2024.
Retired First Sergeant Sompaul Vorapanich attended the United States Army’s Sergeants Major Academy. His civilian education includes a Bachelor of Science in Operations Management from DeVry Institute of Business and Technology, a Masters Certification in Cyber Security from Fayetteville State University, a Masters Degree in Theology from St. Joseph’s College of Maine and earned a Theology Doctorate (Th.D.) with a concentration on Moral Injury.