Susan Y. Swart is a respected leader in nursing and healthcare, focused on improving the profes-sion and addressing healthcare challenges. With over 20 years of experience, she has worked in nursing regulation, leadership, and policy development. She serves as the Executive Director of the American Nurses Association-Illinois, the Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing, and the Illinois Nurses Foundation.

Deb is a Certified Developmental Disabilities Nurse and has worked within this field for the past 20 years. She is a credentialed Person-Centered Thinking Trainer through The Learning Community for Person-Centered Practices. Her background in IDD healthcare spans from providing nursing oversight and management to developing and delivering training across the country in various roles. She has been active in DDNA throughout her IDD career, serving as president of Central Illinois DDNA for many years and now Secretary of Illinois DDNA. She has been involved in conference and educational planning for the past 17 years through her roles. While she is “mostly” retired, she stays very active in IDDNA and The Learning Community for Person-Centered Practices.

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Dedicated and accomplished medical affairs professional with a proven track record of exceeding expectations. Innovative and patient-focused mindset with exceptional ability to uncover key scientific insights and inform medical strategy. Adept problem solver with a deep understanding of the current healthcare landscape. Strong team player known for dependability, collaboration, strategic prowess, and idea generation. Experienced across multiple medical affairs domains including strategy planning, project management, and publication development.

Crystal has been in some form of healthcare since 2001, starting as a CNA for a long-term nursing facility. She graduated with her nursing degree in 2013. Crystal has been in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities field for nine years. Over the last nine years, she worked as a Mental Health nurse, working directly with Psychiatrists, then went on to become a Nurse Trainer for the State of Illinois, most recently she was the Director of Community Support and Nursing Services, where she was responsible for five residential sites, three of which were IDD focused. Last year she completed the IARF Futures program that focuses on Person-Centered Services. Crystal joined IntellectAbility as a Clinical Support Service Rep in January of 2023.