Earlier this year, Regina Snowden announced her plan to transition to a Founder in Residence role, focusing on special projects while the Board conducted a national search for PYD’s next Executive Director. After a thorough and engaged process facilitated by an executive search firm, we are delighted to announce Tere Ramos will be joining PYD in October to lead the organization.
As a graduate of Boston College Law School, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, and Wellesley College, Tere comes to PYD with deep and wide experience at the intersection of disability rights, ADA, education, and the law, most recently from her own legal practice. At her firm, she focused her work on representing children with disabilities in education and civil rights. She is an expert on language access rights, especially regarding limited English proficient students with disabilities. Her life’s mission is to seek access to equal opportunities for families in underrepresented communities and those with limited English—people who are often underserved by established systems.
Prior to launching her own independent law practice, Tere had a highly impactful role as a Language Access Attorney at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) which led to the Federation for Children with Special Needs awarding her the Patricia Blake Advocacy Award in 2020 for her efforts in ensuring access to education to all children, especially those who speak a language other than English at home.
She also was awarded the nationally competitive Equal Justice Works Fellowship at the Disability Law Center in Boston, where she designed her own legal service project and subsequently provided representation on disability and special education focused on low income, immigrant Hispanic children with disabilities. In addition to her career in disability law, Tere held student-facing roles at several institutions of higher education. She was the Interim Director of Student Accessibility Services at Brown, making sure that students have a positive university experience by helping them obtain the accommodations they needed to realize their full potential. She was also the Director of Internships and Service Learning at Wellesley College, the Latin America Director of the Creative and Innovative Economy Center at George Washington University Law School, and Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business Global Integrative Experience, Country Director in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
In her free time, Tere loves to travel, exercise, take long walks with her dogs, and help rescue animals in Puerto Rico. She is also a therapy dog handler to Cooper, a labradoodle.
At PYD, Tere is excited to meet and support the PYD community, making sure youth with disabilities are able to lead self-determined lives with purpose in inclusive and supportive communities. Starting on October 3rd, 2022, she will be working with our staff to ensure quality programs and services, and to find innovative ways to increase workforce and community integration for individuals with disabilities, while getting feedback from the PYD community regarding ways to improve services.
Tere shares, “As a person with a disability and the mom of two young women with disabilities, I understand the challenges that exist for young adults with disabilities. I am excited to join the PYD community, and work to make sure youth with disabilities are able to lead self-determined lives with purpose in inclusive and supportive communities.”
On this exciting transition, Regina notes, “It brings me great joy to know that PYD’s next phase will be led by Tere Ramos. PYD’s continued national growth and impact will be fueled by Tere’s professional talents and personal passion. She brings a demonstrated commitment to disability rights, a depth of professional knowledge, and an intersectional approach that will move PYD’s programs and services to the next level. My deep enthusiasm for PYD’s future is bolstered as I welcome Tere as PYD’s new Executive Director.”
We are thrilled to have Tere join the PYD community.