Board Chair
Malcolm HartmanSECRETARY
Rene DominguezDIRECTOR
Andrew McAllisterDIRECTOR
Barton T. SimpsonTreasurer
Carl FellbaumDirector
Tom KingmanDIRECTOR
executive director
Dawn has worked in the field of rehabilitation and social services for the past 25 years where she has worked in many capacities, including vocational rehabilitation counseling and program development and supervision.
Dawn worked in the capacity of President/CEO at Any Baby Can of San Antonio, Inc. for 14 years before creating ConnectAbility at Warm Springs, an initiative of the Warm Springs Foundation.
Dawn grew up in the Houston area before relocating to San Antonio, which she has called home for the past 15 years. She is married with two children.
Executive Assistant
Michelle has lived in San Antonio since 2016. It is her 2nd favorite place to live besides her beloved home state of Tennessee.
Michelle came on board in 2021 as the Executive Assistant for both ConnectAbility and The Warm Springs Foundation and now happily focuses her time solely on assisting the wonderful team at ConnectAbility.
Michelle has a passion and desire to make the world a better place, using her planning, administrative, and organizational skills to be a true asset to the ConnectAbility team and beyond.
She is the (exhausted, but fulfilled) mother of 6 children, 2 dogs, and a hedgehog.
SUPPORT GROUP +
PEER MENTORING COORDINATOR
Shelia is the Support Group and Peer Mentoring Coordinator and for ConnectAbility. She grew up moving frequently and is now proud to call San Antonio her home.
In 2002, Shelia became a quadriplegic. Not knowing much about her new disability, she quickly discovered the need for a Spinal Cord Injury support group in San Antonio. She started San Antonio’s first Spinal Cord Injury support group at Warm Springs Rehabilitation Hospital in 2004. She coordinates many support groups and is an advocate for the disability community.
Director of Programs
Ashley was born and raised in Laredo but has called San Antonio her home for 16 years. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Southern Methodist University and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from St. Mary’s University.
Ashley joined ConnectAbility in 2017 as a Care Coordinator and now serves as the Director of Programs. She is married and has two children.
CARE COORDINATION SUPERVISOR
Growing up in a small town with few resources, Lisa developed an interest in advocacy, social services, and the barriers that keep people from being able to access the services that they need.
Lisa earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services from St. Edward’s University in Austin, and after living there for several years, returned to San Antonio which brought her closer to her family and her home town of Cotulla. Lisa has been a Care Coordinator with ConnectAbility since 2018 and recently took on the role of Care Coordination Supervisor. She looks forward to continuing to help connect people with the resources that they need in order to thrive.
She and her boyfriend share their home with their sweet dog and two bossy cats.
Care Coordinator
Armando is a native Texan, born and raised in Houston, and living in San Antonio for the past 13 years. Having parents who both work in public service, Armando learned from an early age the importance of serving the community and helping people who are in need.
Armando earned a Bachelor’s Degree at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.
Armando has worked in the healthcare industry for over 20 years for such companies as Baylor College of Medicine and Baptist Health System. He has extensive experience in healthcare administration, quality reporting, and durable medical equipment manufacturing and sales, specializing in personal mobility equipment and home access and patient care equipment.
He is married with two children and enjoys baseball, football, movies, and music.
Zafiro "Z" Mendoza
Care Coordinator
Zafiro Mendoza brings passion for nonprofit work to ConnectAbility as she has worked with a diverse set of populations throughout her 14 years in the field. Her knowledge in different areas of nonprofit help her provide client-centered services while advocating for equitable access to resources.
She continues to develop her skills as she pursues her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health at Our Lady of the Lake University. She is also passionate about Ecopsychology and grief counseling and hopes to incorporate those passions into her work.
Zafiro also volunteers as a co-troop leader and CPR instructor for the Girls Scouts of South Texas. She is married with one child and three fur babies and enjoys helping animals and her community
Care Coordination Resource Specialist
Monica Perez joins ConnectAbility, bringing years of client-centered service to this role. She has worked with clients in a wide variety of nonprofit settings, including ChildSafe, Habitat for Humanity, and AVANCE.
Through these roles, she has formed invaluable connections in the broader San Antonio social services community, as well as expertise and experience in finding needed resources and connecting people.
She is currently pursuing a B.A. in Sociology from Texas A&M San Antonio. She is the proud mother to two teenagers, as well as two dogs. In her free time, she enjoys reading and spending time with her family.
Events & Activities Assistant
Matthew was born and raised in San Antonio. He attended Antonian College Preparatory High School and earned his B.A. in Public Administration and Policy from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Matthew became a full-time caregiver to his husband, Joshua, in 2017 after he became quadriplegic. Since then, he has been a passionate advocate for caregivers and those with diverse abilities.
Currently, Matthew serves as the Chair of the Affirmative Action Advocacy Committee for the City of San Antonio; the Vice President of Fiesta Youth, San Antonio’s only LGBTQ+ youth and family organization; and the Board Secretary for South Texas C.O.P.S. Chapter (Concerns of Police Survivors). Matthew and his husband have 4 dogs and they live on the city’s westside.
