Arizona Center for Disability Law

Henry G. Watkins Named Executive Director of the Arizona Center for Disability Law

Organization to Celebrate 10 Year Anniversary on October 20, 2005

Phoenix, Arizona.... The Board of Directors of the Arizona Center for Disability Law (Center) announced today the appointment of Henry Watkins as its new Executive Director effective November 14, 2005.   A Phoenix native and Arizona State University graduate, Watkins has worked in private practice in Phoenix and for the federal government in Washington, D.C.  He served as a Special Assistant and Immigration Judge for the U.S. Department of Justice and Assistant General Counsel for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.  Much of his career has been involved with disability law.  Most recently he served as Social Security’s Regional Chief Administrative Law Judge with responsibility for the eight-state Southeast region.  The judges and staff under Watkins leadership adjudicated disability and Medicare issues.

“This is a critical moment in the history of protecting and advocating for people with disabilities,” said Watkins.  “Courts continue to struggle with the interpretation of laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act.  We must be advocates in this process to ensure equal opportunity, dignity and independence for people with disabilities.  I am honored to work with an organization that plays a leadership role in confronting these challenges and promoting alternative legal and policy solutions.”

The Board of Directors of the Center will announce Watkins’ appointment at the organization’s 10^th anniversary celebration in Phoenix on Thursday, October 20.  The event will celebrate the founding of the Center as Arizona’s only non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to protecting and advocating for children and adults with disabilities.  The celebration will take place at the Phoenix law offices of Perkins, Coie, Brown and Bain, 2901 North Central Avenue, and will feature a silent auction.  The event is free and will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Watkins replaces Leslie Cohen, who has served as Executive Director of the Center since its founding in 1995.  Cohen will step down from her position on October 21, 2005.

“The Center, through Leslie’s leadership, has been at the forefront of expanding rights and opportunities for people with disabilities in Arizona,” said Mary Slaughter, Board President.  “Her dedication and commitment to people with disabilities has been key to the Center’s role as an effective protection and advocacy system in Arizona.”                                                                        

With offices in Tucson and Phoenix, Watkins will lead a staff of 36 with a budget of $2,887,000 million dollars.

“The Center’s mission is to protect the rights of individuals with a wide range of physical, mental, psychiatric, sensory and cognitive disabilities,” commented Slaughter.  “We have accomplished so much over the last 10 years thanks to a remarkably talented staff and a dedicated Board of Directors.  I am proud that Henry Watkins will inherit a strong organization that is well-positioned to continue to lead the fight for equality and independence for people with disabilities in Arizona.”

-30-

The Arizona Center for Disability Law is a not for profit public interest law firm, dedicated to protecting the rights of individuals with a wide range of physical, mental, psychiatric, sensory and cognitive disabilities.  The Arizona Center for Disability Law is authorized under various federal statutes to ensure the protection and advocacy of all individuals with disabilities in the state.