The Fall 2026 Leadership Institute

David is CEO of Makom, a community provider organization supporting people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) in Maryland and Virginia. With nearly 40 years in this space, David has extensive professional experience working in and/or consulting to organizations and governments in the US and abroad. He is a recognized subject matter expert in the field, is a published author with over 50 peer-reviewed and other journal articles, book chapters, and policy briefs primarily on health for people with IDD, and speaks and consults internationally on health and healthcare systems, organization development and transformation, and other areas of expertise. David is a graduate of the 2007 Leadership Institute.
David is a Fellow of The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, is Conscience of the Field Editor for Helen: The Journal on Human Exceptionality, is a consulting editor for three scientific/professional journals, and serves on a number of local, regional and national policy and practice committees, including the American Academy on Developmental Medicine and Dentistry Policy & Advocacy Committee and The Arc of the US Policy and Positions Committee. He is Chair of the Board of Directors for The Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL), is an appointee to the Board of Advisors to Project DIME (Disability in Medical Education) and was recently elected Vice President of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Board of Directors. (Contact David at dervin@makomlife.org)

Drew Smith is a Senior Director with Alvarez & Marsal’s Public Sector Services in Seattle. He specializes in working with state health and human services agencies to improve Medicaid financing and policy, stakeholder engagement and health and human services systems transformation. His primary areas of concentration include assessment-informed resource allocation methodology, policy implementation and planning, data mapping and analysis, and performance monitoring and planning. Prior to joining A&M, Drew co-founded Community Bridges Consulting Group, where he consulted to service provider agencies and government bodies on Medicaid policy and services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Before that, he served as Chief Operating Officer at the Council on Quality and Leadership and as a Policy Analyst at the Human Services Research Institute. Drew earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and human resources management from Portland State University and an MBA in healthcare administration from Marylhurst University. He has served on the board of directors for the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals, as well as state provider agencies. (Contact Drew at drew.smith@alvarezandmarsal.com)

Sue Swenson, MBA, is the President of Inclusion International, the United Nations-recognized organization for children with disabilities, their parents, and adults with intellectual disabilities. She was appointed to senior leadership roles in the Clinton, Obama, and Biden administrations. Ms. Swenson’s middle son Charlie lived with profound disabilities for 30 years. Ms. Swenson is a graduate of Partners in Policymaking, was a Kennedy Fellow in the U.S. Senate, and has held the position of Executive Director at both the Kennedy Foundation and The Arc of the United States. She was educated at the University of Chicago and holds an MBA from the University of Minnesota. (Contact Sue at sue.swenson@gmail.com)

Jeanine Zlockie serves as the Director of Technical Assistance & Special Projects for the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS). Passionate about fostering collaboration and innovation, Jeanine also leads the NASDDDS Expanding Technology Engagement Network (ETEN).

With nearly thirty years of dedicated service in the intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) field, Jeanine brings a deep foundational understanding of Medicaid policy, structural design, and system transformation to her role. She leverages this expertise to partner with states as they modernize their Medicaid-financed Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers, navigate complex Medicaid authorities, design Support Coordination change strategies, and advance competitive employment initiatives.

Before joining NASDDDS, Jeanine managed the policy office for the Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs (ODP). There, she guided the development of Medicaid waiver applications, policy bulletins, regulations, and training curricula, while serving as the primary liaison to negotiate and resolve complex policy matters with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Jeanine is a graduate of Kutztown University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. (Contact Jeanine at jzlockie@nasddds.org)