Mar 30, 2022
DENVER, CO | March 30, 2022 — The Disability Law Colorado Board of Directors is very pleased to announce the selection of Carrie Griffin Basas as our new Executive Director. Carrie was chosen from a group of exceptional candidates from across the country. She brings a lifelong passion for disability rights and has, for twenty years, led cross-sector initiatives in disability justice and equity. In her own words, Carrie says, “As a disabled person, I am looking for ways to grow my impact in disability rights . . . I believe that people with disabilities and elders should have increased opportunities to live, work, learn, and thrive in our communities.” The Board of Directors agrees.
Carrie comes to Disability Law Colorado from her current position as the Director of the Washington State Governor’s Office of the Education Ombuds. She strives to improve systems and build services where people are respected and included. With Carrie’s stewardship, the Office of the Education Ombuds addressed more than 1,400 concerns annually and reached more than 250,000 community stakeholders last year. Her strategic vision and innovative leadership in community outreach, including to youth, greatly impressed the Board of Directors. She has served as a civil rights attorney and has been a law school and university professor in such fields as disability rights, ethics, and labor law. Her colleagues have praised her unwavering commitment to equity, justice, and diversity.
Carrie is a graduate of Swarthmore College (B.A. with Honors), Harvard Law School (J.D.), and the University of Washington (M.Ed.). She and her husband Fred and daughter Dasha are excited to relocate to Denver this summer and build a community of friends and colleagues. Carrie begins her work as the Executive Director of Disability Law Colorado on May 9, 2022.
“Mary Anne Harvey's retirement leaves a legacy spanning 41 years. In seeking our next Executive Director we wanted a leader who could build from her long-tenured culture of success, respecting the past but establishing a unique identity to drive our organization forward," Disability Law Colorado’s Board President, Dr. Alissa Rausch said. "We're excited to have found that person in Carrie and look forward to Disability Law Colorado’s next era."
Carrie will be introduced at Mary Anne Harvey's Retirement Party - "Celebrating 41 Years of Leadership & Legacy" on May 12th at History Colorado Center. Join us as we celebrate Mary Anne's legacy and begin a new era through Carrie's leadership. CLICK HERE to RSVP for the May 12th event.
About Disability Law Colorado: Disability Law Colorado is the Protection & Advocacy System for Colorado and host agency for the Colorado State Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, State PACE (Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) Ombudsman program, and Legal Assistance Developer for Elders program. We work to protect disability rights, elder rights and residents’ rights and improve the human, civil and legal rights of Coloradans.
