Adam Gottdank, Ph.D.
President
Adam S. U. Gottdank is the Associate Dean for Disability Support Services (DSS) at North Orange Continuing Education (NOCE). He has been in his current role since 2017. He was President of the NOCE Academic Senate from 2014 to 2017, and DSS faculty from 2005 to 2017. Adam was the Director of Outcomes and a Manager of Service Coordination for the Regional Center of Orange County (RCOC) for most of his tenure from 1994 to 2005. Earlier in his career, Adam worked with individuals who have disabilities in a high school, a mental health facility, and in retail settings. He conducted research related to families who have children with disabilities for 7 years as part of the U.C. Santa Barbara Special Education Research Lab. Adam earned a Ph.D. in Education Policy, Special Education and Disability, and a M.A. in Psychology and Counseling. He previously served CAPED as the Southern Chair for the ID/ASD CIG for many years, and he has been part of the Conference Planning Committee for 5 years. Adam grew up with family members who have disabilities. He is a member of several regional professional associations including the Orange County Local Partnership (OCLPA) Steering Committee, the Postsecondary Education Transition Consortium (PSETC), the North Orange County Regional Consortium (NOCRC) for adult education, The UCLA Tarjan Advisory Committee, and the Orange County Disability Coalition. Adam recently published a book with two colleagues, Transition, A Conversation with Parents. A Guide for Individuals with Disabilities, their Parents, and the Professionals Dedicated to Serving Them, 1st Edition. The book provides resources and guidance on key aspects related to transition from K12 to postsecondary education, employment, and independent living (Adam S.U. Gottdank, Ph.D., Linda O’Neal, M.A., Casey Sousa, M.S.).
Poppy Fitch, Ed.D.
President-Elect
An equity-focused counselor, professor, and administrator, Poppy Fitch serves as the Dean of Wellness and Disability Support Programs and Services at the San Diego Community College District. Poppy is committed to access and outcomes equity so that all students are free to reach their fullest potential through the transformative power of education. With an ethic of love, Poppy is a strengths-focused champion for spaces of authenticity and belonging.
Poppy is a published author of A Guide to Leadership and Management in Higher Education: Managing Across the Generations, and How to Engage in Difficult Conversations on Identity, Race, and Politics in Higher Education, and is a lecturer in the department of Administration and Postsecondary Education at San Diego State University. Poppy earned her doctorate in Post-Secondary/Community College Educational Leadership and her master’s in Education with a specialization in Multicultural Counseling, both from San Diego State University.
A former foster youth whose life was shaped by access to higher education, Poppy’s research focuses on the success factors for foster youth who have persisted to college degree completion. Professionally, and in her community, she demonstrates a commitment to social justice through service to organizations including California Association for Postsecondary Education and Disability (CAPED), San Diego State University Alumni groups, and is a former Commissioner for the San Diego Commission on Police Practices.
Edina Rutland, Ph.D.
Past- President
Edina has been the Director of the Student Accessibility Services at San Jose City College since 2014. After becoming profoundly deaf at the age of 15, she dedicated her life to providing opportunities and support for people with disabilities. She taught American Sign Language and Disability Issues classes at the University of Nevada, Reno; worked with the Legislature of three different States to help shape disability policies; and worked with non-profit organizations to provide services to individuals with disabilities. Her passion has always been education. Having completed five degrees, her goal is to encourage and inspire students with educational limitations to strive for accomplishing their dreams. She strongly believes in advocacy and collaboration to ensure that the barriers students with disabilities face are overcome both on the institutional and state level.
Nathaniel Rice
Vice-President of CAPED Interest Groups
Nathaniel Rice has worked in disability services in numerous capacities, from student assistant to DSPS Director, at three different colleges, for nearly 25 years in total, with the last 13 at Chabot College. During his time at Chabot, starting as the Alternate Media Technology Specialist, he completely revamped the alternate media process, worked to bring back the annual (now once each semester) Accessibility Awareness Day, taught an accessibility software class, and has worked across his district on numerous projects, often with a technology focus. He has been the DSPS director at Chabot since the start of 2018.
A product of community college himself (Go DVC Vikings), he is deeply aware of their power for change and development in a student, their unique opportunities, and is very committed to helping college students cultivate their skills and achieve all that they can in their academic career. That belief extends to everyone he interacts with, and as such he has done a number of presentations and trainings to assist colleagues across his district, as well as now in the CMP, to share whatever he has gleaned over the years, to improve everyone’s abilities.
Scott Brown, Ed.D.
Vice-President of Development
Scott has been a CAPED member and served as a Counselor/Learning Disabilities Specialist at Riverside City College for over 25 years. Outside of his work at the college, he serves as a learning disabilities consultant and trainer for the CCCCO, and he is a partner in a group that provides low-cost learning disability assessments to rural community colleges. Scott also serves as a board member of the California Housing Foundation, which provides housing to California college students with developmental disabilities. Prior to his work at the college, he served as a special education teacher, administrator, and school psychologist. Scott holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from UCLA, and his research interests continue to be in the area of postsecondary education and disability.
Krystle Taylor, Ed.D.
Vice-President of Engagement
Dr. Krystle Taylor works to examine the experiences of disability intersections with race, culture, socio-economic status, and other identities to support students at MiraCosta College. Dr. Taylor’s experience includes supporting students with disabilities through instruction, learning disability (LD) assessments, career development, and academic counseling. In addition to leadership within Student Accessibility Services at MiraCosta College, she has served as a Learning Disabilities Eligibility and Services Model trainer with the Chancellor’s Office for the past five years. Dr. Taylor serves as the Vice President of Committees for the California Association for Postsecondary Education and Disability (CAPED), though has also served as a co-chair for the CAPED Counseling and Career Development interest group. Prior to serving at MiraCosta, Dr. Taylor worked within the San Diego Community College District for eight years and held various roles, including College 2 Career program Educational Coach and Graduate Intern, Instructor, Resource Specialist, LD Specialist, and Acting WorkAbility III Coordinator. Within these experiences, she places focus on including disability in equity conversations, disability advocacy, and analyzing student data to address equity gaps. She is committed to leading and building collaborative partnerships across institutions to meet student needs.
Prior to working in the community colleges, Dr. Taylor worked for the Department of the Air Force providing resources and services to military families with children with disabilities. Recognizing a need for continued supports and access to educational opportunities, Dr. Taylor transitioned to working to support adults with accomplishing life goals.
Dr. Taylor earned her Ed.D in Educational Leadership and M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling from San Diego State University. She also currently serves as a board member for Autism Society of San Diego.
Outside of academia, Dr. Taylor enjoys playing softball, snowboarding, road trips, and traveling.
Isabella Mayer
Vice-President of Student Input
Isabella “Bella” Mayer is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts at San Francisco State University. Her research focuses on the representation of physical disabilities in media and how adaptive sports can advance authentic disability representation. Bella earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts and Cinema from San Francisco State University after transferring from Solano Community College. A few weeks after graduating with her bachelor’s degrees, Bella became an amputee following a traumatic injury. That experience changed both her personal life and her academic interests. As a new amputee, she found community and healing through adaptive sports, which inspired her research and strengthened her commitment to disability advocacy. Continuing her education while learning to navigate life as an amputee reinforced the importance of accommodations, access, and supportive faculty for student success.
Outside of CAPED, Bella volunteers with So EveryBODY Can Move, a national initiative working to improve insurance coverage for sports prostheses, orthotics, and other adaptive equipment. She is also an adaptive athlete and a member of Team CAF through the Challenged Athletes Foundation. Bella is passionate about making higher education, sports, and community more accessible so that people with disabilities have the opportunity to thrive.
Dawn Decker, Psy.D.
Treasurer
Degrees:
Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University
M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
B.A. in Genreral Psychology from Niagara University
Dawn is a full-time CCCCO-certified Learning Disabilities (LD) Specialist at Cypress College. She has worked in DSPS as a LD Specialist for Long Beach City College, Santa Monica College, and Orange Coast College. She also worked as an intern at Santa Ana College. She has worked in disability services for 11 years. Prior to working for the California Community College system, she worked in Psychological Services at two private universities, at a community mental health clinic, at two inpatient psychiatric hospitals, and was a substance abuse counselor.
Prior to becoming Treasurer, Dawn held two other positions within CAPED. She was CAPED’s membership chair and was the Southern Co-chair for the Learning Disabilities (LD) CIG.
Non-Work Passion: In Dawn’s free time, she volunteers with dog rescue, leads her neighborhood watch, and is involved with various activities in her community. She enjoys spending time with her husband, rescue dog, and friends. They like to travel together, attend live theater, go to the movies, go out to eat, go to museums, and attend other cultural events.
DSS Counselor
Cypress College
Melinda Lara
Secretary
Dr. Melinda Lara is a disabled postsecondary leader with 16+ years of experience advancing equity for disabled and minoritized communities through education, access, engagement, and inclusion. As a relational leader, she strives to build empowered teams by leveraging individual strengths and fostering positive team cultures that enhance service to students, employees, and community partners.
She joined Southwestern College in 2023 after serving as the Associate Director and Interim Director at San Diego State University’s (SDSU) Student Disability Services. Prior to her career in education, Melinda worked for eleven years at Toward Maximum Independence (TMI), a non-profit organization serving adults and youth with developmental disabilities, where she served as the Community Outreach and Resource Specialist and as a Case Manager.
Dr. Lara was raised in Chula Vista, National City, and Bonita and has a strong affinity to South Bay. As a first-generation college student, she transferred from Southwestern College to SDSU where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology (2009) and a master’s degree in education and multicultural counseling (2010). In 2018, Melinda returned to college and earned a master’s degree in business administration from California State University, San Marcos. In 2025, she completed her Ed.D. in Community College Leadership at SDSU. Her dissertation, I’m Disabled, Now What: BIPOC Lived Experiences of Late Learning Disability Identification, earned the George Boggs Research Award and the Ron Jacobs Outstanding Research Award.
As a relational leader, Dr. Lara’s passion to serve others is not only observed through her work but also in her personal life. Her connection to the field of education and social services stems through her relationships with her family and her personal experiences with disability. In her spare time, Melinda enjoys spending time with her spouse and their growing children, traveling, photography, being in nature, cooking, creating, and dancing.
Courtnie Voet
Executive Assistant
Courtnie is the Student Services Specialist for Disability Support Services (DSS) at North Orange Continuing Education (NOCE), and she has been a part of NOCE DSS since 2015. Courtnie has supported all the innovative programs at NOCE DSS, including: Academics Relationships Independence Self-Advocacy Emotional-Health (ARISE), College 2 Career, Independent Vocational and Educational Supports (IVES), Mobility, Work Independence Self-Advocacy Education (WISE), Workability III, and the DSS classes. Courtnie is proud of her leadership in the area of promoting programs and services to better include students with disabilities in higher education and competitive, integrated employment. Courtnie earned a Bachelor of Arts in English – Literature, Criticism, and Theory, with a minor in Film Studies from the University of California, Davis. She is a volunteer with Cage to Couch Rescue. This Southern California-based non-profit helps lab-test animal survivors find loving homes and pushes to end animal testing worldwide “until the last cage is empty”.
Jericho Padilla
Fiscal Coordinator
Jericho is a dedicated and experienced student affairs professional and educator, particularly in the field of disability management and support services since 2000. Currently serving as the Support Services Coordinator at CSU Long Beach, Jericho provides invaluable disability management counseling, develops comprehensive accommodation guidelines, and effectively resolves conflicts.
Throughout Jericho’s career, strong faculty relationships have been built while providing exceptional accommodation services. Jericho’s dedication to equitable educational access is evident through thorough evaluation of disability documentation, crisis counseling, and support for students in distress across various programs.
In addition to counseling and coordination responsibilities, Jericho maintains data collection and reporting for the Bob Murphy Access Center and has created guides for faculty, students, and staff to navigate the updated AIM Database, streamlining the accommodation process. Jericho is passionate about helping disabled adults thrive in and outside of higher education, boasting one of the highest referral rates to WorkAbility IV (WAIV) and the DOR for job readiness and retention services.