NCD Welcomes Newest Member, Kamilah Oni Martin-Proctor

July 18, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Council on Disability (NCD) – an independent federal agency that advises the President, Congress, and other federal agencies on the policies and programs that affect Americans with disabilities – is honored to welcome Kamilah Oni Martin-Proctor to the agency. On October 17, 2011, President Barack Obama nominated Martin-Proctor to the National Council on Disability. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate June 29, 2012 and took the oath of office July 17.

NCD’s Chairman Jonathan Young hailed Martin-Proctor’s confirmation saying, “Kamilah Oni Martin-Proctor brings an invaluable combination of lived disability experience and a demonstrated, committed public service career to the Council. Her outreach to underserved populations with the Martin Multiple Sclerosis Alliance Foundation adds a grassroots consciousness to the national policy work NCD conducts. We enthusiastically welcome Kamilah to the National Council on Disability.”   

With the addition of Kamilah Oni Martin-Proctor, the National Council on Disability now consists of: Chairman Jonathan Young, Vice Chair Janice Lehrer-Stein, Gary Blumenthal, Chester Finn, Sara Gelser, Matan Koch, Lonnie Moore, Ari Ne’eman, Stephanie Orlando, Dongwoo (“Joe”) Pak, Clyde Terry, Dr. Fernando Torres-Gill, Linda Wetters and Pam Young-Holmes.

Biography:

Kamilah Oni Martin-Proctor is the founder and Executive Director of the Martin Multiple Sclerosis Alliance Foundation (MMSAF). Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at sixteen, Mrs. Martin-Proctor founded MMSAF in 2004 to promote symptom awareness and education about MS in historically underrepresented and underserved populations. Previously, in 2003, she was a Program Administrator for the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program at Howard University. Mrs. Martin-Proctor worked for the District of Columbia’s Government Neighborhood Services Initiative from 2000 until 2002 and has been a Staff Assistant and Legislative Correspondent for Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee and Executive Assistant for Senator Robert Menendez. Mrs. Martin-Proctor received a B.A. in Political Science and an M.A. in Organizational and Cultural Communication from Howard University.