Yes She Can Inc

Job Skill Development and Employment Opportunities for Women with Autism

  • About
    • Mission
    • Board of Directors
    • About Autism at Work
      • Temple Grandin on employment skills
      • Hiring employees with autism
    • Yes She Can in the News
    • Contact Us
  • Meet Us
  • Our Program
    • Teaching Job Skills
    • Work With Us
  • Our Store
    • Shop Online
    • Donate Your American Girl Doll
  • Blog
  • Events
    • Advocates for Adults with Autism Awards
    • Advocates for Adults with Autism Awards 2019
    • Advocates for Adults with Autism Awards 2017
    • Advocates for Adults with Autism Awards 2016
      • 2016 Awards Gallery
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Donate Dolls
    • Service Projects
    • Our Supporters
  • Donate

ADVOCATES FOR ADULTS WITH AUTISM AWARDS – MARCH 29 2019

Program

Meet our Advocates

Honorees Pat Rowan, Joy Soodik, and Paul Morris share what advocacy means to them.

Advocates for Adults with Autism Awards 2019 Highlights
Advocates for Adults with Autism Awards 2019 Highlights
Patricia Rowan receives Advocates for Adults with Autism Award
Patricia Rowan receives Advocates for Adults with Autism Award
Joy Soodik receives Advocates for Adults with Autism Award
Joy Soodik receives Advocates for Adults with Autism Award
Paul Morris receives Advocates for Adults with Autism Award
Paul Morris receives Advocates for Adults with Autism Award

Learn about our program

These videos were presented during our event.

Introducing Yes She Can
Introducing Yes She Can
Colleen discovers her job skills
Colleen discovers her job skills
Ready for work
Ready for work

Gallery

What a wonderful morning.  Thank you for joining us to celebrate and support Yes She Can.

Pat Rowan with trainees and mentors
Maki checking in guests
welcoming guests

Nancy and Steve Glenner, parents of Yes She Can trainee.
Paul Morris and his proud parents
Paul Morris, Honoree

Pat Rowan, honoree
Debbie Hilibrand and Lori Ireland

Scarsdale School District
Dani and her mom
Paul and Marjorie

Volunteer NY Executive Director Alisa Kesten
The Morris family with honoree Paul Morris
Paul, Isabelle and Marjorie

Kelli Fisher with Izzie P.
Judy Omidvaran, past honoree, with Ellen Weinstein
Liane Carter and Lisa Tidball

Doris Perez and son Emil
Girl AGain Manager Chandra Russell with Associate Dani Garrabrant
Allan and Debra

Amy Gravino
Lisa and Isobel
Yes She Can Board of Directors

Autism Science Foundation: Alycia Halladay and Alison Singer with Yes She Can Marjorie Madfis and Amy Gravino
CE George Latimer
Evan Latainer and Michael Orth

George Latimer and The Westchester Bank
CE George Latimer, Marjorie Madfis and Paul Morris
Enjoying breakfast at Arrowwood

Adovcates for Adults with Autism with CE George Latimer
George Latimer
Fund raising

Fund a need
Marjorie Madfis
Westchester County Commissioner for Community Mental Health Michael Orth

Pat Rowan and MIchael Orth
Alisa Kesten
Adovate Joy Soodik

Celebrating
Celebrating
Celebrating

Paul Morris with Alison Singer
Advocates

Thank You Sponsors

ADVOCATES FOR ADULTS WITH AUTISM AWARDS

Thank you to our generous sponsors

Honorees

Meet our Advocates for Adults with Autism

Joy Soodik

Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer, Clarfeld Financial Advisors

As Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer, Joy developed the infrastructure that enables Clarfeld to deliver its core commitment to quality client services.

Since joining Clarfeld in 1992, as the number of wealthy family and executive clients grew, and the total number of professional staff more than doubled, Joy managed the increasing demands of this position while shaping the culture of the firm.

Joy’s responsibilities include SEC compliance and reporting, risk management, human resources and administration, professional licensing supervision, strategic alliances, and mergers and acquisitions development. Recently, she played an integral advisory role on Citizen’s Financial Group’s acquisition of the firm.

Joy is a long tenured member of the firm’s Executive Committee and given the diversity and breadth of her experience also sits on the leadership committee responsible for the integration of the Citizens Financial Group deal.

She retains full supervision over the firm’s Technology, Human Resources, Compliance and Facilities departments. Her diverse expertise in a variety of crucial business functions makes her an integral part of the Clarfeld management team and one of the most senior representatives of the firm.

Joy’s take-charge style, mixed with her warmth and enthusiasm, make her a valued colleague and leader at the firm. She is a point of entry for the firm’s talent acquisition process, manages startup operations and provides consulting services to key clients.

She is a tremendous resource for the firm’s most highly regarded clientele as her solutions oriented mindset enables her to provide unique and successful resolutions for complex and multi-faceted UHNW client requests.

Joy is a frequent panelist for Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade on matters of Compliance, Cyber Security and Human Capital.

Joy and her wife Susan enjoy spending time with their dogs Lulu and Bebe both in their Chelsea home and at their retreat on Long Island. She is also a fine wine enthusiast and collector.

Patricia Rowan, LMSW

Therapist, Advocate, Trainer, and Consultant for Parents, Teens and Adults on the Autism Spectrum

Upon graduation from Hunter School of Social Work in 1996, Pat launched her career working with individuals with autism. She served for six years as director of the TEACCH program for students with autism in kindergarten through age 21 at the Hallen School in New Rochelle, NY.

Pat then entered private counseling practice with a focus on families, teens, and young adults. She coaches and advises students who are transitioning from high school to adulthood and their families. She led many social groups for children and teens.

Realizing there was a lack of opportunities for young adults to meet and socialize, in 2007 Pat founded Opening Doors, a young adult group that met at ARC of Westchester. She facilitated the group for 10 years. This group runs coincidental with the Families of Adults with Asperger’s-High Functioning Autism. Recently Pat transitioned the leadership of Opening Doors to colleagues on upon her retirement.

In 2013, Pat joined Marjorie Madfis as a program adviser and coach for Yes She Can’s job skills training program. She served as a volunteer, coaching young women with autism at Girl AGain boutique. She also helped to develop the training curriculum and the assessment tools.

Pat is a founding and active member of the Westchester County Autism Advisory Committee, reporting monthly to the County Commissioner of Community Mental Health.

Prior to pursuing a career in social work, Pat had a successful 23-year career in business. She and her husband founded R & R Medical Transcription Service. They transcribed medical records for New York City Hospital and beyond.

Paul Morris

Paul was diagnosed as a child with an autism spectrum disorder and was non-verbal until age 5. He received interventions and services and graduated from high school. He then participated in the College Internship Program, which helped launch his path to independence.

Paul is now living independently in his own apartment in Westchester, NY. He holds several part-time jobs and takes the bus to work.  Paul loves all sports and is a movie maven.

Paul is a sought-after speaker due to his ability to reflect on his experiences with charm and honesty. Paul is aware of his challenges as well as his strengths. And he especially enjoys explaining this and creating awareness and understanding of people with autism. He advocates for inclusion of children at school and for adults in our community.

Donate!

Newsletter Signup

Sign up for our newsletter about our job skills development program.

Blog Topics

  • #LillyPulitzer
  • Advocacy
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Coaching
  • Community
  • Development
  • Disability Rights
  • Employment
  • Events
  • Fundraising
  • Guests
  • Newsletter
  • Program
  • Trainees
  • Volunteers
  • Yes She Can Team

Recent Posts

  • Me and My Autism
  • Welcome Claudia Castaneda to Yes She Can
  • A Breath of Fresh Air by Vanessa
  • Hooray! I am fully vaccinated! By Selina
  • My Love for Ireland and Irish People, by Sarah F.

Welcome to Yes She Can Inc

Yes She Can Inc., a non-profit founded in 2013, is dedicated to helping young women with autism and related disabilities develop transferable job skills and workplace social skills – through authentic work experience.  We serve teen girls in transition from high school to adulthood and young women with autism spectrum disorders in an inclusion setting at Girl AGain boutique. Read more

Newsletter Signup

Visit Our Store

Girl Again
4 Martine Avenue, Store 2B
White Plains, NY 10606
914-358-1460

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Work With Us

We are a start-up and given the demand for what we do we really need more help! Read more

From Our Blog

Me and My Autism

Welcome Claudia Castaneda to Yes She Can

Help young women with autism fulfill their potential.

Your generous donation will support Yes She Can's job skills development program.

© 2021 Yes She Can Inc.