Project Staff and Planning Committee

is a graduate of The Ohio State University and Boston University. He has more than 25 years of clinical experience as a social worker. He has sponsored many activities for family and sibling support and founded the Next Chapter Book Club, an interactive literacy program that promotes friendship and lifelong learning within inclusive community settings. The Next Chapter Book Club has begun to expand into areas across Ohio and nationally. As part of the National Service Inclusion Project, Dr. Fish provides training and technical assistance to increase the participation of people with disabilities in Americorps programs across Ohio. Dr. Fish was a recent recipient of Mary Switzer Fellow, National Institute of Disability Research. He is the founder of the Ohio adult sibling initiative.

Joyce Clemons

Joyce received a BA in Public Administration from Franklin University in 1986 and began working for the Governor’s Office of Advocacy for People with Disabilities in that same year. Her key role was in assisting persons who were having difficulty benefiting from vocational rehabilitation services, including providing mediation and appeals representation. Joyce holds a MA in Public Policy and Management and Higher Education Finance from The Ohio State University (1993), and taught intergovernmental relations at Franklin University. In her 23 year career with the State, she has been involved with many disability-related programs, services, conferences and policy development in the areas of developmental disabilities, self-determination, aging caregivers, family support, wellness and prevention of abuse and exploitation, and community-based employment. Joyce has four beloved brothers and two wonderful sisters; two of her brothers have autism-spectrum disabilities.

Michelle Truby

is an undergraduate student at The Ohio State University majoring in Psychology. She has worked for Dr. Tom Fish for a year at The Ohio State University Nisonger Center and loves working in the disability field and with siblings. She attended a sibling track at the 2005 National Down Syndrome Congress Convention which ignited a passion for individuals with disabilities that has not dwindled. Michelle is the proud sister of Julia, who is 14 and has Down syndrome.