About Us

The Kennedy Willis Center on Down Syndrome is a national resource providing best practices, training, research, and program development to families, professionals, and to the disability community at large, with the ultimate goal of creating meaningful lives for children and adults with Down syndrome and related intellectual disabilities.

Since its establishment in 1996, the Center has acted as an incubator for service innovation and organizational best practices for Pathfinder Village and other human service organizations. Over the decades, we have cultivated dynamic relationships with a vast network of academic institutions, research affiliates, government entities, healthcare networks, community-based organizations, advocacy groups, and businesses of all sizes.

The Center’s impact grows when individuals, partners, and supporters amplify its mission—by sharing resources, participating in educational trainings, collaborating in research, and championing inclusive practices in their own communities.

Meet Our Board

• Margaret Savoie, Chair Family Advocate; Realtor
• 'Hut' Holahan Beall Family Advocate & Research Analyst, (retired) Mount Holyoke College
• Michael J. Garrity, MD Primary Care Physician (retired), Massachusetts General Hospital
• E. Adel Herge, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA Professor & Program Coordinator, BS OTD Program, Thomas Jefferson University
• Stephanie Patrick Community Volunteer, Pathfinder Village Trustee
• Martha M. Winsor Public School Administrator (retired), Community Volunteer
• Karen Knavel President & CEO, Pathfinder Village