​DBCA Board of Directors
DeafBlind Citizens in Action is powered by a team of committed individuals who strive to level the playing field for people who are deafblind. Our team and volunteers are dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of those we serve.
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
Our Values
These core values guide our work on behalf of the deafblind community.
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Perseverance and Determination – We pursue our goals with determination and remain persistent in serving the deafblind community.
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Initiative – We seek practical and creative solutions to new and longstanding problems.
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Humility – We put the community’s interests before individual recognition.
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Excellence – We promote high standards in education, employment, and everyday life to empower deafblind people.
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Strength and Accountability – We face challenges with strength and take responsibility for our decisions and actions.
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Diversity – We value different viewpoints, experiences, needs, and strengths, and promote equal opportunity for everyone in the deafblind community.
Meet our leaders and learn how we work to make the world more accessible. If you would like to support our efforts, please consider making a donation.
President – Quinn Burch
Quinn Burch, 36, is a reader advisor at the New York State Talking Book and Braille Library and president of DBCA. She is deafblind and holds a bachelor’s degree in English and psychology. In 2012, she presented about her experiences with interpreters at a conference hosted by the National Family Association on Deafblind. In April of that year, she received the Anne Sullivan Macy Award.
Quinn participated in the Deafblind Young Adults in Action seminar in 2018, where she spoke to the Department of Transportation about the need for better paratransit policies. A lifelong advocate, she works to advance opportunities for herself and the deafblind community.
In her free time, Quinn enjoys caring for her cat, playing Scrabble, and reading braille. She is also an aspiring writer working on her memoir.
Vice President – Christian Gonzalez
Christian M. Gonzalez was born and raised in Southern California and has lived in New York since 2019. He graduated from Schenectady County Community College (SCCC) with an associate degree in hotel and restaurant management and an assistant chef certificate.
Chris was a musician from middle school through his early college years. In 2008, he graduated from Southwestern College with an associate degree in liberal arts, with studies in Latino studies and general education.
Chris began his advocacy work in 2004 as an activity leader with the California Youth Leadership Forum, teaching children self-advocacy and safety awareness. He also served as a counselor at Camp Talk in San Diego, working with children with disabilities, including autistic and deafblind children. He supported communication through American Sign Language, tactile sign language, nonverbal cues, gestures, and other methods.
In 2017, Chris joined the Helen Keller National Center as an independent living intern, teaching cooking and other independent living skills to deafblind participants. In 2018, he joined Deafblind Young Adults in Action, focusing on advocacy at the national level and learning how to advocate for equal access through discussions with Congress and federal agencies.
Chris currently works as a Resident Assistant at the Helen Keller National Center on Long Island, supporting the Recreation Department and improving accessibility throughout the Residence. His work focuses on making information, activities, and everyday services more accessible while supporting residents’ independence and participation. As DBCA’s vice president, he brings this practical experience to his advocacy for equal access and opportunity for deafblind people.
Board Member – Cassandra Xavier
I am originally from Miami, Florida, and grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. I am a disability advocate and serve on several boards and executive boards in Boston. My advocacy around the city was recently featured on the front page of The Boston Globe. I have lived with both hearing and vision loss since birth and currently reside in Boston’s North End.
Board Member – Jessica “Jess” Eggert
Jess is from Minnesota and is a dedicated advocate with experience serving on several boards. She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in community disability advocacy and civic engagement, with a minor in disability studies, and expects to graduate in 2026.
In her free time, Jess enjoys traveling, drinking coffee, going for walks, and trying new activities.
Board Member – Jonathan Candler
Jonathan Candler was born in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1991. After spending four months in the hospital, he moved with his family to Yuma, where he grew up. He returned to Phoenix in 2012. He was primarily homeschooled, also attended public school, and attended the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind from 2010 until his graduation in 2013.
After graduation, Jonathan participated in Arizona summer programs through the Foundation for Blind Children and Saavi. In 2014, he began a 10-month independent living program at CCB in Colorado, graduating in 2015. He began studying computer science and information systems and technology in 2016 and completed his studies in 2020.
Jonathan has loved music since childhood. He learned guitar at age five and later taught himself drums, bass guitar, pedal steel guitar, and other instruments. He became involved in music at age seven and began traveling and performing around age twelve. In his late teens, he taught himself music production, audio engineering, and beatmaking.
He has performed with many bands and musicians and has produced beats and engineered recordings for pop and hip-hop artists. Jonathan hopes to continue touring and working full-time as a professional musician and producer, alongside part-time work in IT, computer programming, or web development.
Chairperson of the Board – Lauren Lieberman
Lauren J. Lieberman, Ph.D., is a distinguished service professor specializing in adapted physical education in the Kinesiology Department at SUNY Brockport. She previously taught in the Deafblind Program at Perkins School for the Blind and is co-director of the Institute on Movement Studies for Individuals with Visual Impairments or Deafblindness (IMSVI).
Lauren is the founder and director of Camp Abilities, an educational sports camp for children who are visually impaired or deafblind, with 35 locations worldwide. She has published more than 225 peer-reviewed articles and 24 books. Her memoir, “The Camp Abilities Story,” describes how she started Camp Abilities and helped develop camps around the world.
In 2019, Lauren received a Global Fulbright Scholarship from the U.S. government to promote Camp Abilities in Ghana, Ireland, and Brazil. She has received lifetime achievement awards from both the National Consortium of Physical Education for Individuals with Disabilities and SHAPE America. She continues to prepare future teachers to teach all children.
Treasurer – Mark Mellenger
Mark is deaf and sighted and lives in Arizona. He has been involved in deafblind communities through camps and conferences for more than 18 years. He is a cofounder of DeafBlind Retreat of Arizona and has worked as a deaf interpreter and support service provider (SSP). He currently serves as DBCA’s treasurer.
Social Media Coordinator
Our CoNavigators and Interpreters
Our volunteer interpreters and conavigators generously donate their time to support all of our board meetings. We hope they will also be able to support future in-person meetings.
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Melissa Hays is the program director for ASL and Interpreting at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. She has volunteered with DBCA since 2011 and has learned a great deal through that experience. She has more than 30 years of interpreting experience in community, postsecondary education, theatre, and video relay service (VRS) settings. Melissa is married and has two adult children. In her free time, she enjoys playing pickleball, crafting, and spending time with her dogs.
Secretary – vacant
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