CARY -- Kerri Eaker of Asheville, NC, has been appointed as the Chair of the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD) by Governor Roy Cooper. She recently chaired her first meeting at the February 6-7 quarterly gathering of the 40-member Council in Cary, NC.

Eaker is the Family Support Outreach Coordinator for The Family Support Network™ of WNC at Mission Children's Hospital in Asheville, NC. She has worked for the organization for nine years assisting families with children with special health care needs, developing and implementing trainings and materials and conducting workshops for parents and professionals throughout the western part of North Carolina.

Eaker, who has been a Council member since December of 2012, most recently chaired the Community Living Committee which reviews issues and initiatives that cover support networks, guardianship issues, supported living and more for individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families.

Born and raised in Asheville, Eaker attended Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College and studied psychology and education at the University of North Carolina-Asheville. She has 29 years of experience raising her son, Dakota, who has special healthcare needs and during that time gained knowledge in how to navigate and negotiate the educational, mental health, developmental and healthcare services available for people with disabilities.

“Kerri’s dedication to the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities is only exceeded by her dedication to her son, Dakota, and other individuals with disabilities throughout the state of North Carolina. Her 22-year career in the field of disabilities makes her an exceptional asset to the Council and to achieving the Council’s mission. We are thrilled Kerri has accepted the opportunity to lead the Council for the next three years,” said former Council Chair, Alexandra “Alex” McArthur who has served the Council for over two years and transitioned to fulfill additional work responsibilities.

Eaker will preside over NCCDD Council meetings, serve as Chair of the Executive Committee, and represent the Council to the public and to policymakers among other duties. Eaker plans during her tenure to address the Innovations Waiver Waitlist in North Carolina where currently 13,598 individuals are waiting to receive services and supports that will allow them to live their life as independently as possible in their community of choice. In addition, Eaker plans to work towards seeing the state begin to value what “lived experience” brings to the developmental disability work force.

“I am honored to be chosen to serve as the Chair of the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities. I am excited to continue my lifelong commitment to empower individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families to live, work, and engage in their community. I look forward to continuing my work with state policy makers, program administrators, providers and other stakeholders as we all work to improve access to supports and services throughout our state,” Eaker said.