We are honored to have Leinani Walter as our keynote speaker on Friday March 1st! Leinani Walter serves as the Executive Director of Valley Mountain Regional Center Center (VMRC). Prior to this appointment, Leinani was appointed by Governor Newsom in March of 2020 as the Assistant Deputy and then Chief Equity Officer at the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) overseeing the Service Access and Equity Division. In these roles, she advanced equity and culturally and linguistically competent services throughout the developmental services system. Prior to her appointments, Leinani served as the Director of Program Operations for the Association of Regional Center Agencies for three years working in the areas of service coordination, housing, foster youth, and employment. For 18 years, Leinani was the Clients’ Rights Advocate II at Disability Rights California, Office of Clients’ Rights Advocacy representing VMRC consumers and their families in regional center, public benefits, special education, civil rights, and employment cases. Prior to her legal advocacy work, Leinani was a Service Coordinator at VMRC and earlier worked as an Independent Living Skills service provider at Harbor Regional Center (HRC) in Los Angeles County while in college. Leinani has a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from California State University Long Beach and a Juris Doctor degree from University of Connecticut School of Law. Leinani is Native Hawaiian and the sister of Fred who has Down syndrome and is supported by Alta California Regional Center (ACRC).