ALLY ADVOCACY CENTER ON PAXTON CAMPUS NAMES DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY

Leesburg, Virginia- July 9, 2015- The Board of Directors and staff of The Arc of Loudoun on the PAXTON CAMPUS are thrilled to announce the appointment of Melissa Heifetz as the Director of Advocacy for the ALLY “A Life Like Yours” Advocacy Center.
The ALLY Advocacy Center’s goal is to fill the unmet needs of the community by providing free information on disability rights, providing support and events for families and caretakers of those with disabilities, as well as the professionals who work with them.
“It is exciting to have someone of Melissa’s caliber as the Director of Advocacy to continue to push forward ALLY’s mission”, said Jennifer Lassiter, Executive Director of Paxton Campus. “Melissa is an irreplaceable gift to Paxton, and we are so lucky to have her talent, passion and expertise on our team.”
As the Director of Advocacy, Heifetz will continue to expand ALLY’s advocacy
program which currently includes special education consultations, advocacy
services for adults and community outreach programs and trainings for families.
This will mean more clients served at the Advocacy Center and more attention in
the community to the rights of individuals with disabilities.
Heifetz received her undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland,
College Park and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Baltimore,
School of Law, where she graduated magna cum laude. After graduation, she
worked as a Staff Attorney in New York City’s Legal Aid Society, Juvenile Rights
Division, where she advocated for children in Bronx Family Court. She later
received a fellowship to work in the New York University School of Law’s Public
Interest Law Center. She is currently the Vice Chair of Communication for the
Loudoun County Special Education Advisory Committee.
Paxton Campus is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization that advocates for and
provides direct service to adults and children with disabilities, as well as their
families and caretakers, through its many programs: The Aurora School, Open
Door Learning Center, ALLY Advocacy Center, STEP Up and Maggie’s
Closet. Paxton’s very low 3.6% overhead costs mean that almost 97 cents
of every donated dollar goes back to our programs.