Our Board

Dr. Sofia Vergara joined the Board of Directors in 2021 and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board and Chair of the Governance Committee. Dr. Vergara spent nearly 20 years at New Roads School, where she served as a Spanish teacher, Curriculum Coordinator for the Spanish division, and later as Modern Language Department Chair. She is also an alumna of the school and returned to work there after graduating from University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Political Science and minors in both Spanish and Disability Studies. She also earned a Master’s degree in Secondary Education and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice from Loyola Marymount University.

In 2017, Dr. Vergara was invited to join LMU’s School of Education as a lecturer, where she has taught undergraduate and graduate courses focused on disability and multiculturalism in special education, specifically in the areas of educational supports for students with disabilities (FBAs, IEPs, and 504 Plans), IDEA, Universal Design for Learning, and transition planning.

Dr. Vergara also served as both a member and Chair of the Board of Directors for Westside Regional Center, whose mission is to empower people with developmental disabilities and their families to choose and access community services. These educational and professional experiences, along with her passion for advocacy and inclusion of individuals with disabilities, also inspired Dr. Vergara and a colleague to co-found Bridges to Inclusion in 2020, an organization that provides training and support to educational institutions, organizations, families, and individuals with disabilities.

Beginning in May 2025, Dr. Vergara joined Disability Rights California as PULSE Unit Manager within the Office of Clients’ Rights Advocacy, supporting efforts focused on self-determination, rights education, and advocacy for individuals with disabilities.