Meet your exceptional team at Best Buddies! Our dedicated staff members are not just colleagues but passionate advocates united by a shared commitment to our mission. Their unwavering dedication ensures that every day, we move closer to creating a world of inclusion, friendship, and empowerment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

We’ve had so many amazing memories throughout our time at Best Buddies, from Friendship Walks to Ambassadors training and celebrating our participants’ successes on the job to spending time with our Citizens buddies. Read on to learn more about our team.

Molly, State Director

It has to be our first Friendship Walk back on the National Mall after the pandemic! (April 30, 2022) The excitement and enthusiasm of every one of the 1700 students and friends to FINALLY be walking together was so fun. And my son Bobby, a Best Buddies participant, had a blast making new friends! It was also the first time we had DJ 24/7 Jonathan Martin (a young man with Autism and a professional DJ) perform for Best Buddies – a perfect match!

Mary, Director of Development

I have too many to count, really! But it would have to be when I got matched with my Citizens buddy, Maggie. From the minute we met, I felt like I had made a true friend. We love eating sandwiches, stumbling on parades, and just hanging out. I loved when she joined us at this year’s Homecoming Gala and made delicious cookies. From hayrides to walks around the city and bowling, I enjoy all of the time we get to spend together.

Veah, Program Supervisor

My favorite Best Buddies memory was the 2023 Friendship Walk! It was such an electric feeling to be able to see all of our hard work come to fruition, especially with such a new team! I loved seeing so many of our participants, students, parents, volunteers and friends in the community join us for a one-of-a-kind celebration of inclusion at such a special location.

Caroline, Program Supervisor, Jobs

There are too many wonderful Best Buddies memories that stand out, but up there among them is the day that a participant on my caseload landed their dream job! As we all know, finding a job takes a lot of time, dedication, and effort, but the joy and celebration that day brought exemplified what The Jobs Program and Best Buddies are all about!

Claire C, Program Manager – Lead

My favorite memory with Best Buddies is the April 2023 Friendship Walk. I loved meeting so many of our participants in person and seeing our mission in action. Most of all, I loved seeing my son have the best time celebrating friendship, fun, and inclusion!

Claire Pascocello, Program Manager-Lead

I love promoting Best Buddies within the local community and partnering with outside organizations to develop and facilitate Ambassador trainings. One of my favorite memories is the first Ambassador training I have ever co-hosted and attended. This training was especially exciting because it took place in an awesome office space, and the presenters were encouraging and excited to teach us new professional development skills. The VA & DC Ambassadors were very engaged and enjoyed practicing their new skills with the group. Everyone walked away, having learned something new.

Erin, Jobs Employment Consultant

My favorite Best Buddies memory is of attending my first Jobs graduation event! So much joy, happiness, and pride filled that room. Celebrating the achievements of our Jobs participants is an essential part of our Jobs process!

Katie, Jobs Employment Consultant

My favorite memory with Best Buddies is the Employer Partner Celebration we had for the first time this December. I enjoyed meeting some of our employer partners and absolutely loved hearing our participants’ success stories. I was moved to tears when I heard our employers talk about how grateful they are to have our participants as their employees. I can’t wait to continue building and strengthening our employer relationships in 2024, and I look forward to next year’s Employer Partner Celebration!

Sidonia, Operations Coordinator

My favorite memory with Best Buddies is with my friend Hannah. We were matched through the Citizens program in October, and the first thing she did was convince me to go to a scary movie. We saw Five Nights at Freddy’s, and I was screaming, she was laughing! I love that Hannah gets me out of my comfort zone, and I’m excited to make even more fun memories together.

As we look back on our time at Best Buddies, it’s clear we’ve made so many heartwarming memories together. Whether it’s the excitement of Friendship Walks or celebrating our participants’ successes, each story reflects our mission of creating opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Now, as we gear up for 2024, we’re buzzing with excitement. There’s a whole new year ahead for us to create more memories, build connections, and keep doing what we love. Here’s to more great times and celebrating the inclusion revolution!