Bio – Board

Gabrielle Einstein-Sim, Advisor

Gabrielle Einstein-Sim

Gabrielle Einstein-Sim is a graduate of the University of Michigan where she studied economics. She is currently a Master’s Student in Community Health Education at Teachers College Columbia University. She is a member of the Jewish National Fund’s Disability Task Force, focusing specifically on the Special in Uniform program, which enables people with disabilities to serve in the Israeli army.

Einstein-Sim has strong interests in the disability sphere and undertook leadership roles in Best Buddies while at the University of Michigan. Her volunteer efforts also have included recruiting and coordinating volunteers for NYCares and interning for various nonprofits including the Arnold P. Gold Foundation for Humanism in Medicine.

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Calvin Harris, Advisor – Chair Emeritus

Calvin Harris, Chair Emeritus

Calvin Harris, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, is the Director of Communications for The Economic Innovation Group. Harris became involved in the disability space as a teenager. Because of his mother’s work in the neuromuscular lab at the Washington University School of Medicine, Harris met many kids with a disability. This experience inspired him to volunteer as a camp counselor at the Muscular Dystrophy Association Camp for Kids, where he spent several summers during high school and college.

Harris previously served as senior manager of public affairs at the Bipartisan Policy Center, the only Washington-based think tank that brings together leaders with different perspectives, yet stand united in their resolve to work for consensus-based solutions. Harris is a graduate of Morehouse College and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.

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Paul Martin, Board of Directors

Paul Martin

Paul Martin is the Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer for Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture, motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; music; television, digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technology. SPE’s Motion Picture Group production organizations include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Classics. Martin is responsible for global talent strategies at all levels within the organization. As the Chief Diversity Officer, he brings together people reflecting the culturally diverse world in which we live to create an innovative workplace. [continue reading…]

Donna Meltzer, Board of Directors

Donna Meltzer

Donna Meltzer was the CEO of the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), a national nonprofit organization that supports the nation’s 56 governor-appointed Developmental Disabilities Councils that work within state government to promote independence, productivity, and integration of people with disabilities through systems change activities. In this capacity, Meltzer oversaw the organization’s public policy and advocacy agenda as well as technical assistance to the members. Meltzer joined the NACDD in October 2012.

Previously she was the senior director of government relations for the Epilepsy Foundation, where she worked from 1987-1993. She rejoined the Epilepsy Foundation in July 2005. She also served as director of legislative affairs for the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) from 1995-2005. Meltzer began her career on Capitol Hill working for the Honorable Tony Coelho (D-CA), a former member of Congress and House Whip. Meltzer also spent two years as the government affairs director for the National Health Council, where she directed the advocacy agenda for the Council’s Voluntary Health Agency (VHA) members. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s School of Journalism.

Meltzer also participates in several key coalitions including serving on the board of directors of the Coalition for Health Funding. She most recently stepped down from a three-year term as chairwoman of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) where she is an immediate past chairwoman and co-chairwoman of the CCD’s Fiscal Policy Task Force. She also is a past chairwoman of the National Health Council’s Government Relations Affinity Group.

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Jonathan Murray, Board of Directors

Widely credited with helping to usher in the modern reality television genre with his late partner Mary-Ellis Bunim, Jonathan Murray continues to inspire, influence and entertain television audiences worldwide. Since the launch of The Real World on MTV in 1992 through Bunim/Murray Productions (BMP), Murray has created and executive produced some of the industry’s most innovative, unscripted, entertainment television programs including Born This Way (A&E), which documents the lives of young adults with Down Syndrome and their families. Serving as Chairman of BMP until April 2015, Murray was responsible for guiding the creative process that has distinguished the company’s shows since the early 1990s. In 2007, the company launched BMP Films which sold its first critically acclaimed documentary, Autism: The Musical, to HBO. A follow up documentary, Autism: The Sequel, which will pick up the story ten years later, will air next year on HBO.

Murray currently serves as Executive Consultant, remaining at BMP in a creative capacity to develop series and documentary passion projects, and oversee some of the company’s longest running series. BMP continues to thrive, producing projects for primetime, cable television and streaming platforms including the 33rd season of The Real World (Facebook Watch) and the 34th season of The Challenge (MTV); Emmy award-winning Born This Way (A&E), Keeping up with the Kardashians, Total Divas (E!), and Project Runway and Project Runway All Stars (Lifetime). Additionally, their film entity, BMP Films, has produced Valentine Road (HBO), which premiered at Sundance, Pedro (MTV), Shadow Billionaire, and Autism: The Musical (HBO) that received two Emmy Awards and They Call Us Monsters, which looks at juvenile justice issues.

Murray graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and currently lives in Los Angeles. He previously served on the Boards of Semester at Seas and The Television Academy. In 2012, Murray was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

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Learn about all of the members of RespectAbility’s Board of Directors and Advisors: https://www.respectability.org/about-us/meet-our-boards-of-directors-and-advisors/.

Jaime H. Pacheco-Orozco, Advisor

Jaime H. Pacheco-Orozco

Jaime Pacheco-Orozco currently serves as the Assistant Executive Director of the City of Los Angeles, Department on Disability, where he manages the day-to-day operations of the department and oversees the budgetary, legislative, and strategic planning processes. He has been active in the workforce development arena for past twenty years and previously served as the Division Chief of the City’s Workforce Development System. [continue reading…]

Victor Santiago Pineda, Advisor

Victor Santiago Pineda

Dr. Victor Santiago Pineda is a globally recognized human rights expert, published author, scholar, and philanthropist.

He is a two time presidential appointee, serving three US Administrations on issues of accessibility, inclusion and urban transformation.

The Victor Pineda Foundation / World ENABLED works to accelerate inclusive innovation with organizations and communities around the world.

He leads research and training efforts globally with cities around the world and teaches a popular class at UC Berkeley called “Building the Inclusive City”. [continue reading…]

Vincenzo Piscopo, Board of Directors

Vincenzo Piscopo

Vincenzo Piscopo is a seasoned Public & Community Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility professional with 25 years of experience both in the US and internationally.

Piscopo is the CEO of United Spinal Association. Before being named CEO in November 2020, he was a Community and Stakeholder Relations Director at The Coca-Cola Company where he was a Champion for Coca-Cola in the community, through cultivation of strategic relationships with Veterans, People with Disability and Hispanic serving organizations. His passion for diversity and inclusion and social causes earned him national recognition for elevating The Coca-Cola Company’s reputation in disability inclusion.

Piscopo is the founder of the Wheels of Happiness Foundation, where he utilized his expertise to help people with motor disabilities in disadvantaged areas of the world. As a result of the foundation, participants have been able to regain independence, reintegrate into society, and add value to their communities. He is a member of the board of directors of Disability Belongs™ and FODAC (Friends of the Disabled Adults and Children).

Piscopo has a bachelor’s degree in economics, an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master in Creativity from Buffalo State College.

He was born in Valencia, Venezuela to Italian Immigrants. He is married, has 4 kids and enjoys playing wheelchair tennis and reading Latin American Literature.

Meet our Board and Advisors