Legislation & Policy Committee

Responsible for monitoring New Jersey Legislative and Policy activities, drafting our opinions, and advocating for our mission among elected officials and other policy makers.

Joanne Curcio-Quinones

  • As part of her relentless effort to advocate for crisis and residential services for her son, she testified before the New Jersey Legislature’s Women and Children’s Committee on the plight of families of autistic children with severe and challenging behaviors and the need for funding for this. She went on to get the attention of the top level of the Children’s System of Care to whom she made her case about the state’s deficient and limited number of IDD crisis beds as wells as highly specialized campus-based residential options.. Her persistence eventually  led to DCF’s rare contract with an out of state residential provider, the Anderson Center for Autism in Staatsburg, NY, where her son now resides.

    She is currently navigating the process of transitioning to access adult residential and vocational services through DDD.

    Joanne has served for over a decade on her local school district’s Special Education Parent Advisory Group and assisted and coached other parent leaders to establish SEPAGs in their own districts. In addition to her well established real estate business, she currently works as a mentor to parents and caregivers of children with Autism/IDD, behavioral and emotional challenges for the Family Support Organization of Bergen County. Her purpose/goal for is to focus on supporting and advocating legislation to improve housing, crisis and disability rights for adults with profound autism.


  • Passionate about education and inclusion for ALL children. Actively engaged in serving the larger community as a current Board of Education member. Partners in Policy Making graduate from the Boggs Institute, a program to train the next generation of advocates to impact state level policy changes. COPAA certified (Coalition of Parent Advocates and Attorneys). NJSBA's Special Education Committee member and serving on the legislative committee of Profound Autism NJ Chapter.

    Interested in data analytics and data driven decision making. I am motivated to use my skills to help impact research or a company. I am inspired by both, subject matter and helping a company build a robust analytical system to make decisions. A quick learner and self starter, I am motivated to bring and these skills to any place that I work for. Perseverance and adaptability are also traits that I have developed as I have been actively parenting three neurologically different children.

Parul Khemka

Yana Mermel

  • Her story was widely publicized in a series of media reports not only recounting the horrific actions of the abusers, but also the equally devastating inaction of the state which routinely fails to protect disabled victims, Yana founded the also human movement (www.alsohuman.org), a call to action demanding that individuals with disabilities must once and for all be recognized and treated as human. Far too often the rights of the disabled are not protected, something Yana seeks to change by working with fellow activists and legislators to ensure a dignified and safe future for her daughter and countless others like her. The recent introduction of Sen. Vitale’s package of the group home safety bills, a legislative response to what happened to Yana’s daughter, is an encouraging step forward for disability rights and the also human movement.

  • Lisa  is committed to advancing equitable, person-centered policy for individuals with disabilities and their families. As the proud mother of Isadora and Stanley, whose profound autism shapes her daily lived experience, Lisa transforms personal insight into purposeful action at the state and systems level.

    Lisa is a graduate of the Partners in Policy Making program at the Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities, where she trained alongside emerging leaders to influence state-level legislative and policy reform. Her advocacy is grounded in both professional expertise and lived experience, allowing her to effectively bridge families, providers, and policymakers.

    She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from the University at Albany and her Master of Public Health from New York Medical College. Over several years in the health insurance sector, Lisa specialized in compliance and regulatory affairs, gaining a deep understanding of healthcare systems, regulatory frameworks, and the mechanisms that drive policy implementation and accountability.

    For more than a decade, Lisa has served on the NJ Cares Council of the Regional Early Intervention Collaborative (REIC) at the Central Jersey Family Health Consortium. In this leadership role, she has helped strengthen early intervention systems, elevate family voice, and support policies that improve developmental outcomes for children across New Jersey. She is also Ukeru certified, underscoring her commitment to trauma-informed, dignity-centered practices that prioritize safety, empathy, and respectful support.

    Lisa is driven by the belief that strong systems are built when lived experience informs policy decisions. She is committed to advancing inclusive, sustainable reforms that empower families, strengthen communities, and ensure individuals with disabilities receive the services and respect they deserve.

Lisa Weingrad