Debra Jennings is the Executive Co-Director of the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN), a non-profit organization providing comprehensive information, training, technical assistance and support for families, parent organizations and professionals in negotiating the complexities of child and family serving systems. Since 2003, Jennings has directed U.S. Department of Education-funded technical assistance centers providing coaching and consultation to increase the effectiveness and capacity of twenty (20) parent centers serving families with children with disabilities in the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania Rhode Island and Vermont, and providing universal technical assistance to almost 100 Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers across the U.S. and territories. As of October 1, 2014, SPAN has been awarded a new national technical assistance center focused on working with Parent Centers to better support individuals with disabilities and their families in achieving improved post-school outcomes, with a particular focus on increasing the attaining competitive employment. The National RAISE Center (Resources for Accessing Independence, Self - advocacy and Employment) is funded by the US Department of Education, Rehabilitative Services Administration.