Press Release  MDDC Welcomes New Member: Sethany Griffin

Boston, MA — Boston, MA (July 2021) – Governor Charles D. Baker. Has appointed Sethany Griffin as a citizen member of the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council.

Along with holding an associate degree in Health Care Management and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from the University of Phoenix; Ms. Griffin works as the Director of Family Supports for a Boston-based non-profit and oversees both a metro-based family support center and a regionally based autism support center that together serve over 1000 families. With over 35 years of experience and a history of both personal and legislative advocacy; Sethany wants to help impact the ever-changing landscape of disability services and supports.

“Sethany will be a great addition to our Council”, said Daniel Shannon, MDDC Executive Director.  “Her tireless efforts on behalf of her son and others show her commitment to disability advocacy and she will serve the Council well.”

Sethany and Dana are parents to DJ, 22 and Karl, 20. The Griffin family have always been strong advocates for the ID/DD community.  Sethany’s youngest son lives with Autism, Intellectual Delay and Schizoaffective Disorder.  She and her 22-year-old son DJ are co-guardians for Karl and have advocated vigorously to ensure that his voice is heard.  This is their motivator and the center of conversations as Karl encounters new situations on his life’s journey.  As both a human services professional and a mother, Ms. Griffin has worked without pause to ensure that people are not overlooked, neglected, or marginalized.  She was able to witness the power of organized advocacy through her work on Nicky’s Law, one of her proudest personal  and professional accomplishments.

About the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council – The Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council (MDDC) is an independent agency funded by the federal government to work with the state of Massachusetts to better support people with developmental disabilities and their families.  MDDC’s mission is to help people with developmental disabilities have opportunities to lead successful lives in their communities; by supporting inclusive education, greater employment opportunities, and the right to make choices about where, with whom, and how they live.

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