Board of Directors 

Rachel Chung, Chair
Levi Brandriss, Treas.
Maureen Hanson, Secretary
Melika Al-Kawas
Henry Clarke
​Seth Duncan
Walter Flores
Dr. Joette James
Meghan Jones 
Sylvia Jones  
Vijay Krishnamurthy
​​Barbara Pope
Raj Rajagopal
Jenn Lynn E.D.

Rachel Chung, Chair
Ms. Chung has been working for nearly 20 years supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a variety of ways. This support has included job placement for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, developing new initiatives such as retirement options for adults with developmental disabilities, and training for special education teachers in a Cambodian orphanage. She is currently the Disabilities Coordinator for the Department of Special Needs Ministries with the Archdiocese of Washington. Rachel has a BA in Social Work from the University Maryland Baltimore County. She is married and has two children.

Henry Clarke 
Mr. Clarke is an attorney in private practice, who has practiced for 38 years.  His practice, Henry C. Clarke, Jr., P.A. is located in Gaithersburg, but he practices throughout Maryland.  His practice focuses on estate planning, wills, trusts, special needs trusts, Advance Medical Directives, and, additionally, small business creation, contractual, sale and succession matters.  Mr. Clarke is active on various boards including the non-profit Rockville Nursing Home and the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Officers Relief Fund.  He is the sibling of a special needs adult.

Maureen Hanson, Secretary
Ms. Hanson comes to us from National Institutes of Health / Fine Arts Collection program where she specializes in producing programs for the Center’s fine art collection, creates signage and tour programs.
She used her multiple degrees in Communications and experience from an internationally acclaimed public relations company, to create her own freelance marketing design and communications firm serving several national clients in addition to Montgomery County Schools.
With a degree in journalism we look forward to her insight and experience as UCR grows into its own and develops a more recognizable brand.
She resides in Rockville.  

Levi Brandriss, Treasurer
Mr. Brandriss is a Financial Advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. in Bethesda, MD, in practice since 2004. He focuses on helping individuals and small businesses with comprehensive and holistic financial planning advice and services. He has served on various corporate, industry and non profit councils and boards locally and nationally. He is committed to helping all in the community where he lives and works.

Melika Al-Kawas 
Ms. Al-Kawas is the mother of 3 daughters, and a grandmother of two children.  After raising her children, she went back to school and earned her degree from the University of Maryland.  She has been with The Arc, Montgomery County  for nearly a decade, focusing on Vocational and Day Services. Ms. Al-Kawas has a heart for volunteerism and believes deeply in giving back to the community.  She was a Girl Scout Leader for 8 years, held every position on the PTA, including President of the elementary and middle school PTA’s.  She also has been involved with SAWA, the Syrian American Women’s Charitable Association, since 1995, holding seats as Vice President and President for several years.

Seth Duncan
Mr. Duncan currently serves as the Program Director of Potomac Community Resources, a position he has held for 12 years.  He is a graduate of the University of Maryland, holding an undergraduate degree in Organizational Sociology, a Masters of Nonprofit and Association Management, and an MBA.  He is the father of three girls; MacKenna, Siobhan, and Ainsleigh.

Sylvia Jones 
Ms. Jones is an active contributor to community outreach & support for parents of children with Down Syndrome.  She was a PTA volunteer and fundraiser. She has worked in science / technology field for over 30 years, as well as marketing & sales.  She is the parent of young adult with Down Syndrome. 

Vijay Krishnamurthy Mr. Krishnamurthy is a retired aerospace industry professional with more than 40 years of industry experience, having worked in the Indian Space Research Organization for about 21 years and with Intelsat, a Virginia based global leader in the field of commercial satellite communication for 20 years. After his retirement, he works as an Independent Consultant providing consultancy services for a wide range of topics covering the satellite industry. He is also on the Board of OASIS, a group founded by parents of children with special needs to promote the advancement of individuals with special needs. He is also actively involved with the Special Olympics of Montgomery County, working as a lane volunteer for Special Olympics Bowling.
His wife Chitra Vijayakumar has a passion for working with children with special needs and has been with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) since 2006. She is currently with the Infants and Toddlers program of MCPS. She is also a certified Yoga Instructor focusing on teaching yoga to individuals with special needs.
They have a 32-year-old son Kiran Naveen Vijayakumar with Autism.

Walter Flores
Mr. Flores is a Branch Manager for Sandy Spring Bank and he is currently managing the Milestone office in Germantown. He started his career in 2011 as a part time teller and with a drive for performance and dedication to persevere within SSB, he became a bank officer and now leads a team of 2 universal bankers and three tellers.Walter is a true believer that a career should not be a deciding factor of who you are but instead, who you want to be as a person should define your path. Walter takes great pride in giving back to the community in which he serves. Throughout the years, he has participated in many non-profit events with Rebuilding Together, Martha Table Joyful Food, Girl Scouts Troop Tour, Financial Literacy for None- Profits, and Recycling Division. 

UCR is a Maryland non-profit, 501(c)(3). We offer innovative programs, events, and social opportunities for adults with developmental and intellectual differences. 

UCR’s program leaders are experienced professionals who work with our staff to ensure each member's experience is a success. Some programs run as drop-in and some run for several-sessions over consecutive months. Some activities are perfect for anyone; others require a particular interest or skill.

Dr. Joette James 
​Dr. Joette James completed her doctoral degree in clinical psychology at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, her internship at Harvard Medical School/Boston Children’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at Children’s National Medical Center (CNMC) in Washington, DC. After completing her postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. James was employed at CNMC as a staff neuropsychologist for seven years.  She served as the chief inpatient and outpatient neuropsychologist at HSC Pediatric Center, a sub-acute rehabilitation facility in Washington, DC that is affiliated with CNMC. Dr. James held an appointment as an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at George Washington University and is board-certified in clinical neuropsychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). Her research interests have included executive-functioning in individuals with high-functioning Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome, and the development of psychosocial interventions for this population.  
​Dr. James also has expertise in forensic neuropsychological consultation and evaluations. Over the past 10 years, she has testified as an expert on a variety of cases, in numerous states. In her free time she enjoys travelling, collecting art, studying Italian, singing at her church, and learning as much as she can about coffee and wine. She is currently a mentor to an extremely cute 7-year-old boy, and she is also pursuing a Master’s degree in Art History.

Barbara Pope
The Honorable Barbara Spyridon Pope was the former Assistant Secretary of State for Civil Rights, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Acting Chief of Staff for the Small Business Administration, staff member to Senator Barry Goldwater and President of the Pope Group, a management consulting firm; and Director of Special Needs Housing for Sunrise Assisted Living.   She is the recipient of numerous state, federal, and national awards, including: the national “Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award.”  Mrs. Pope was the first “female” Assistant Secretary of the Navy. 
In her government career, Mrs. Pope was responsible for the first downsizing of the “all volunteer force” for Navy and Marine Corp in the post-Cold War Era; leading the Department of the Navy in the aftermath of the Tailhook scandal; developing the first: international interagency responds to child abuse crisis; pinpoint assignment policy for military members with special needs dependents; the first regulations for the military school system for special needs education; and the Pentagon Child Care Center; As Assistant Secretary of Civil Rights she was responsible for bringing the Department of State from the bottom of the government to the first in eliminating employee civil rights discrimination around the world.
A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Mrs. Pope is married to James (Jay) Pope and they have two adult children James (Maggie Reilly Pope) and Kacey, a 33 year old daughter with Autism.

Raj Rajagopal
Mr. Rajagopal has worked in the Information Technology (IT) field, with different organizations including IBM, MITRE, IITRI, and others, for 35 years. He has an M.B.A in Finance and IT from G.W.U and an M.S. in Computer Science in addition to Bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and Electronics. He is currently a Chief IT Architect at MITRE Corporation, a nonprofit, Federally Funded Research and Development Center. He represents his company at IT Industry standards organizations. He is the author of a number of books published by McGraw-Hill, CRC Press, etc. He has authored a number of patents and has published several IT related articles in professional publications.  
Raj is a very active member of the Indian community in the Washington metro area (WMA). He has been the President / Chairman of different Hindu Temples in the WMA. He is on the Board of Hindu American Community Services Inc.  He is also on the Board of OASIS, a group founded by of parents with special needs children to promote the advancement of special needs individuals. His wife is a well-known Oncologist in Montgomery County. They have a son with special needs and have purchased a farm in Gaithersburg to provide work opportunities for members of the population.

Meghan Jones
Ms. Jones is a strong, independent woman who happens to have Down Syndrome.  She works two jobs, serves as a lecturer, usher and altar server in her church and is also a member of leadership council for the Church Youth Group. She is an active volunteer for Upcounty Community Resources helping to coordinate social events.  Meghan attended Magruder High School, is a member of the Junior Reserve Officer Corps earning the rank of Sergeant and was awarded the Presidential Award for community Service through volunteering over 500 hours. She is a graduate of the Transition Training for Independence Program at Montgomery College.  Meghan completed  internships with Project Search at the National Institute of Health as well as an internship at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.  She is fluent in American Sign Language.   Meghan has testified before Maryland legislators, and the US Dept. of Labor Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Competitive Integrated Employment of Individuals with Disabilities and has been a presenter at the Techniques for Success Conference.

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Jenn Lynn, UCR Executive Director
Jenn Lynn, Executive Director of Upcounty Community Resources, is devoted to all families dealing with Autism and other Developmental/Intellectual differences. To create well-rounded and unique curricula for adults living with differences, she employs her extensive experience as an ABA technician, PBIS & MANDT behavior training, Trauma Informed Care, Mental Health First Aid and first-hand behavior management training from the Kennedy Krieger Institute. UCR was named Small Business of the Year in 2021.
Additionally, Ms. Lynn is a Certified Police Trainer. She educates law enforcement and advocacy groups worldwide, about respectful and patient care of those with invisible disabilities, as well as the need for family support.  She brings a unique perspective of life lessons as a parent, a graduate of Maryland's Partners in Policymaking and MCPD's Citizen's Police Academy to advise families, state representatives, medical professionals and first responders.  Lynn was recently named the Public Safety Champion of the Year 2023 by the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce for her work educating law enforcement.
She is a published author, adoption advocate, Board member for the Benedictine School for Exceptional Children, National Trauma Education Policy Board and the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Guild.  Free time is filled with her faith development as a Third Order Franciscan, flute performance, tennis, hiking, and cycling with her husband Chris and son Jake. 

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 Emeritus Board members & advisors 

Dan Finn, founding Chair
Mark Waldman, executive advisor
​Mary McGinnity, executive advisor
Steve Riley, founding member 
Teresa Perez, founding member
Paula Kearney, founding member
Jim Nalls, founding member 
Mary O'Meara, founding member