Welcome APRIL's new Executive Director, Joan LaBelle

 Photo of Joan LaBelle, a white woman with dark rimmed glasses and chin-length reddish hair with bangs. She is wearing a striped tank top and is posing for a photo in front of trees outside. Text next to her is in the text below her photo.

After conducting a rigorous national search, receiving many applications from well qualified applicants from across the country and holding multiple stages of interviews, the APRIL Board is thrilled to announce the hiring of Joan LaBelle as our new Executive Director!

 

Joan is no stranger to APRIL.  In fact, this is a coming home of sorts.  Joan served on APRIL’s Board of Directors and co-led several of the first APRIL Conferences. Joan has been a part of the APRIL family since its humble beginnings and APRIL has always been near and dear to her heart.

Joan brings a wealth of personal and professional Independent Living experience to APRIL.  She’s a person living with a disability and has lived rural experience.  

She has served as a CIL Executive Director, a CIL Director of Public Policy and Consumer Engagement, a CIL Chief Programs Officer, a SILC member, has provided IL consulting and is a Certified ADA Coordinator. 

The APRIL Board is confident that APRIL and the Independent  Living Movement will flourish under Joan’s leadership.