Administration for Community Living Administrator Kathy Greenlee announces the appointment of Aaron Bishop as Commissioner, Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD).
Bishop has been serving as Acting Commissioner since November, 2013, when his predecessor, Sharon Lewis, took on the roles of deputy administrator of ACL and disability policy advisor to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.
"It is has been a pleasure working with Aaron during his time as Acting Commissioner. By making his appointment permanent, he will be able to continue to focus on directing the policy and day-to-day operations of AIDD with and on behalf of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the country," said Greenlee. "With Aaron's leadership, in collaboration with our partners in the Developmental Disabilities Network, we will continue to build momentum on these critical issues, especially in the areas of self-advocacy, access to community supports, diversity, and youth transitions."
Mr. Bishop has almost 20 years of experience working with and for individuals with disabilities in both the direct practice and public policy sectors. Aaron was the Executive Director of the National Council on Disability from November 2010 until February 2013. In 2006, he received a Kennedy Foundation Public Policy Fellowship to work on federal disability policy and legislation for the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
Aaron's previous experience also includes serving as the Project Coordinator for the Waisman Center University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, where he managed projects that advanced the rights of individuals with disabilities. He also served as the Site Coordinator and Director of Technical Assistance for the National Service Inclusion Project for the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.
Aaron received his Master of Science in Social Work degree, with an emphasis in public policy, and two Bachelor of Science in Natural Sciences degrees from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
AIDD provides financial and leadership support to organizations in every state and territory in the United States to ensure that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families can fully participate in and contribute to all aspects of community life. AIDD oversees four grant programs established by the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, oversees the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, and administers the disability provisions of the Help America Vote Act. In each state or territory, the four grant programs form a developmental disabilities network, or DD Network.