Nick Burton is the principal at his company, N. Burton Consulting. He has over 24 years working in the field of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) focusing on programmatic design, implementation, and evaluation. Nick believes in the value of person-centered planning to ensure all people with disabilities can build a life that is important to them. He's committed to equity, equality, social justice, and ensuring that people have what they need to be their most successful. Mr. Burton has graciously been welcomed into the disability community first by family and then as a career path. His journey began as a direct support professional working with adults and children in the community. Through is career he has been a case manager, agency leader, and most recently a senior executive in Maryland state government overseeing the programmatic support and services to people with developmental disabilities. His life has been focused on ensuring underrepresented communities have a seat at the table and voice in the fight. Nick grew up in Montana and has had the opportunity to live in other states such as Illinois, Oregon, and Maryland which has given him a unique perspective on Long Term Supports and Services (LTSS) across the county and how states implement Home and Community Based Supports (HCBS). He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Montana and a master’s degree in public administration from Portland State University. Currently, he lives in the great city of Baltimore with his husband Thomas, and two cats, Gary and Lois.