Elizabeth “Liz” Weintraub, Board Member of the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes (JFGH) and a recipient of support from JFGH’s Mary and Charles Oshinsky Apartment Program (OAP), was recently appointed by President Obama to serve on The President’s Committee for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The Committee was established by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966 to ensure that individuals with disabilities have “a decent and dignified place in society.” The committee consists of 21 members appointed by the president and 13 ex-officio Federal Government members designated by the president.
President Obama reflected on all his appointees stating that “These fine public servants both bring both a depth of experience and tremendous dedication to their new roles. Our nation will be well-served by these men and women, and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”
Mrs. Weintraub joined JFGH in 2002 and was elected to the JFGH Board of Directors in September 2010. Mrs. Weintraub is a self advocate who currently works for the American Association of University Centers on Disabilities and serves as a consultant for the National Children’s Center, and the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL). She represents CQL in a variety of local, state, national, and international forums addressing quality of life priorities for people with disabilities.
She is the past Chair of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council and is a board member of the Maryland Disability Law Center. Previously, she was a board member of the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities and Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered. Mrs. Weintraub is a former appointee to the President’s Committee on Employment of Persons with Disabilities. She was the recipient of the Elizabeth Monroe Boggs Award for Young Leadership and was recognized by the President of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities with a Presidential Award for significant contributions to the mission of the organization.
The Jewish Foundation for Group Homes (JFGH) enables individuals with disabilities to live more independent lives. Established in 1982 as a non-sectarian, not-for-profit community residential program, JFGH supports 180 individuals in over 70 sites throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. JFGH is one of 41 charities in the nation to receive Charity Navigator’s top 4-star ranking for 9 consecutive years. JFGH is also one of 200 organizations that have received the Standards for Excellence. The Standards for Excellence certification is based on fundamental values, guiding principles, and over 54 benchmarks outlining the highest standards for ethical practices and accountability in nonprofit management and programming.