American Association of People with Disabilities

AAPD’S Imparato to Be Presented With Highest Achievement Award From U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Presentation to be Made October 25 at HHS “Celebrating Persons with Disabilities” Event in Washington, DC

WASHINGTON, DC, October 23, 2006 — On Wednesday, October 25, Andrew J. Imparato, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), will be honored and recognized for his leadership of AAPD, the largest cross-disability membership organization in the U.S., and his important contributions to life in this country by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office on Disability. He is one of four individuals who will be presented with the Secretary’s Highest Achievement Award, to honor their efforts on behalf of all people with all disabilities.

The award will be presented at the annual Secretarial event, hosted by the Office on Disability, Celebrating Persons with Disabilities, on Wednesday, October 25 at HHS headquarters, to celebrate the abilities of people with disabilities and those making a difference in the lives of people of all ages with disabilities. The awards are presented annually in October, which is Disability Employment Awareness Month.

“I have been privileged to work closely with Andy over the past few years and have found his leadership skills and characteristics to be in a class by itself,” says Helen Roth, AAPD’s Chairman of the Board. “I am seriously in awe of the clarity of his thinking and communication, the creative yet pragmatic nature of his ideas, his positive "can-do" attitude and his ability to carry through effectively on decisions. I congratulate HHS for publicly honoring Andy for his outstanding leadership.”

Imparato joined AAPD in 1999 as its first full-time President and CEO. During his tenure, AAPD has more than quadrupled its membership - with more than 130,000 members currently - its annual budget, and its staff size. Founded in 1995 on the fifth anniversary of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), AAPD pursues its mission of political and economic empowerment of all people with disabilities through public policy advocacy and programs, fostering leadership development, mentoring and career exploration, voting and civic participation, and member benefits.

Prior to joining AAPD, Imparato was general counsel and director of policy for the National Council on Disability (NCD), an independent federal agency advising the President and Congress on public policy issues affecting people with disabilities. He also worked as a special assistant to Commissioner Paul Steven Miller at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; as counsel to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy, chaired by Senator Tom Harkin; and as a Skadden fellow/staff attorney at the Disability Law Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Imparato, whose perspective is informed by his personal experience with bipolar disorder, is frequently called upon to write, speak, or provide testimony about disability issues. He has testified before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging; U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Housing and Transportation; U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space; U.S. House Ways and Means Committee Subcommittee on Health; U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; U.S. Civil Rights Commission; and the Institute of Medicine.

In 2003, he was appointed by Senator Tom Daschle to the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel of the Social Security Administration, and in 2004, by Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich to the Maryland Statewide Independent Living Council. Imparato serves on the Executive Committee of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), the nation’s largest and oldest coalition of organizations committed to promoting equal opportunity, equal justice and mutual respect. He is a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance, a group of the nation’s recognized experts on social insurance issues and programs, serves on the Boards of Directors of the Alliance for Public Technology and the National Organization of Nurses with Disabilities, and serves on the Persons with Disabilities Fund Board of Advisors for the Chicago Community Trust. Imparato serves in formal advisory roles on corporate social responsibility, diversity, accessibility and disability marketing issues with Verizon, Time Warner, AT&T and America Online, and serves in informal advisory capacities to IBM, Microsoft, SAP, JP Morgan Chase and other corporations.

Imparato was honored last year by the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce (“Jaycees”) as one of Ten Outstanding Young Americans (TOYA) between the ages of 18 and 40 who has demonstrated leadership and service to humanity.

Imparato graduated with distinction from Stanford Law School and is a summa cum laude graduate of Yale College. He resides in Baltimore with his wife and two sons.

On October 25, Imparato will be recognized by his colleagues and peers for his leadership of AAPD in empowering people with disabilities through AAPD’s policy, advocacy, and national programming at the Celebrating Persons with Disabilities event. In addition to Imparato, the following individuals will also receive the Secretary’s Highest Achievement Awards: Julie Beckett, Peter Galpin, M.D., and Ronan Tynan, M.D.

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