Ande Kolp is the Executive Director of The Arc Maryland. Her career includes over 25 years of experience supporting people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and their families. Her most recent position was the Executive Director for Compass, Inc., a private non-profit organization specializing in Residential and Employment Services for people with co-occurring Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health Conditions living in Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard, and Charles Counties.
Prior to her engagement with Compass, Inc., Ande served in different administrative capacities for three Arc Chapter agencies in Maryland over a period of 13 years (Prince George’s County, Howard County, and Montgomery County).
Her experience also includes service on the Boards of Directors for The Maryland Association of Community Services and The Association of Community Services of Howard County. She is the current chairperson for the Howard County Commission on Disability Issues and had been an active member of InterACC- Montgomery, and the Prince George’s Provider Network prior to coming to The Arc Maryland. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Therapy from the University of Iowa and a Master’s Degree in Special Education with a Concentration in Severe Disabilities from The Johns Hopkins University.
Ande lives in Glenwood, MD with her husband and three children. She enjoys playing the guitar, singing and acting in her spare time.
Kathy Swanson is the Director of Education and Advocacy for The Arc Maryland. Kathy is a graduate of The University of Michigan, receiving a Juris Doctorate from the Michigan State College of Law. During more than two decades of experience in non-profit management, she worked for the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Baltimore City for twelve years with parishes that provided services to persons who were food and housing insecure as well as those effected by violence.
Kathy’s policy, training and advocacy experience for persons with disabilities include prior work for The Arc Maryland, The Arc Howard County, The Arc of York County (PA), The Arc of Chester County (PA), and The Arc of Pennsylvania. Kathy also provided consultant services to the Pennsylvania Department of Education and Department of Health and Welfare, focused on families raising children with disabilities.
Most recently, Kathy served as the Administrator of Community Partnerships for Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services where she managed programs that link county government to a wide range of non-profit organizations.
Kathy has been an advocate for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families for over three decades. She and her husband Phil are the parents of two sons; one of whom has intellectual and developmental disabilities and lives in a home of his own in Columbia, MD.
Luc Chausse is the Coordinator of Communications and Chapter Relations for The Arc Maryland. Luc is a graduate of the University of South Carolina in 2018 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, where he focused his studies in marketing and management. Immediately following his graduation, Luc, a native Marylander, began working for The Arc Maryland as an intern before moving into his current role. Luc brings his energetic spirit to The Arc Maryland team, where he works towards a long and successful career in non-profits. Being an advocate for and with people with I/DD has been an amazing new experience for Luc.
Arylon Brooks is the Program Coordinator for The Arc Maryland. He has over a decade of experience working to advance the lives of others. His experience with non profit organizations include the Arc Northern Chesapeake Region and Service Coordination. Arylon specializes in case management and coordinating special projects. Arylon has been an advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as their families for several years while participating in various events throughout Maryland. Arylon is a graduate of Frostburg State University and Strayer University. Arylon enjoys traveling & playing sports in his spare time.
Sharon Dols is the Office Manager for The Arc Maryland. Originally from Connecticut, Sharon has worked for 15 years with Middle and High School students, developing dynamic outreach and social justice programs with a primary focus in service ministry. Her most recent position was at Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn. Prior to making a lifestyle change to the non-profit sector, Sharon served in professional marketing and event planning roles in various Business-to-Business markets. She received her bachelor’s degree in communication sciences from The University of Connecticut at Storrs.
She loves to help people and volunteers with several organizations in her local community. Sharon and her husband live in Howard County. They enjoy spending time with family as well as going to the beach and traveling.
Ben Snyder is the Public Policy and Advocacy Assistant for The Arc Maryland. He graduated from Towson University in 2019 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Family and Health Science, where he focused his studies on human services. Early on, Benjamin knew he wanted to be a part of changing the conversation about disability, combating discrimination and working towards equal rights for people with disabilities.
In his spare time, Benjamin is a member of a young professional group, “The Haymakers”, whose mission is to support patients, healthcare providers and researchers in their fight to prevent and eradicate brain cancer.