Staff
Peter Moore
President and CEO
Over the past 25+ years Pete has been dedicated to improving the lives of people with IDD and the front-line professionals who serve them. His experience in the IDD system is diverse and has included working as a DSP, Case Manager, Director of Adult Services, Behavior Support Consultant for the State of Ohio, Chief of Staff for the Ohio Association of County Boards and an Administrator for ICF facilities. He is the co-founder of the Good Life Network. Pete is recognized by his peers for his abilities to exude principled leadership, build strong relationships, provide exceptional training and tackle complex problems with passion. Pete has a Master of Arts in Counseling from Heidelberg University and a BA from the University of Pittsburgh.
Read More >Scott Marks
Vice-President
Scott currently serves as OPRA’s Vice-President and is the lead contact for issues related to day and employment services. Scott manages various OPRA initiatives including C3PO, The OPRA Friday 5, and is the liaison for the Day Array, Day Service, and Employment Service committees. He also advocates for members' priorities in several state workgroups including the Single ISP, Blueprint for Adult Services, and BEST Implementation. He has a Master's in Social Work Administration from the Ohio State University and and lives with his family in Granville, Ohio.
Read More >Christine Touvelle
Director of Advocacy
Christine began her career in the system at 17 working as a day camp counselor at a summer camp for youth and young adults with developmental disabilities. After her work at this camp, she started to see how policy could impact the types of services available to Ohioans with developmental disabilities and sought out opportunities to learn more about the policymaking process. As a social work student intern, she spent her her senior year field placement at ORPA and was hired full-time after graduating in 2016. Now as Director of Advocacy, Christine helps coordinate OPRA's advocacy efforts at a state and federal level, monitors the rules and laws from various state and federal agencies, helps coordinate member feedback on the changes, and helps educate members on what the changes may impact their business. Christine leads our Advocacy Army advocacy training series and works closely with OPRA's contract lobbyists to influence legislation important to OPRA Members. Christine helps support all of OPRA’s committees, provides technical assistance on rules and regulations, attends state stakeholder meetings on behalf of OPRA Members, and helps coordinate OPRA's government relations efforts. Christine has her Bachelors of Science in Social Work from The Ohio State University, a Masters of Legal Studies with a specialization in healthcare law from the University of Oklahoma, and is currently attending night law school at Capital University Law School.
Read More >Rachel Hayes
Director of Residential Resources
Rachel comes to OPRA as our Director of Residential Resources after spending a majority or her career in the provider world. Most recently she was the Director of Adult Day Services with ARC Industries. Prior to that she served as the Director of Programming for Heinzerling Community. Rachel has extensive experience in the field of Developmental Disabilities in both day programming and residential services. She has a BA in Psychology and an MA in Leadership. In her spare time she can either be found watching her 17 year old son play soccer or binge watching some of her favorite shows. She is a self-avowed Game of Thrones fan fanatic who also enjoys historical and political biographies.
Read More >Sonya Summers
Member Communications Manager
Sonya Summers joined OPRA in April, 2016. Sonya currently serves as OPRA’s Member Communications Manager and is the lead contact for your membership questions. She is responsible for managing the OPRA membership database, OPRA website and various aspects of OPRA’s administrative needs. She helps support the OPRA Board and OPRA Governance Committee. She also co-chairs on the OPRA Member Services Committee. Sonya brings over 30 years’ of professional service experience to the OPRA Team. Before joining OPRA, Sonya worked 5 years as the Administrative Assistant to the League Commissioner for GameTimeSportz and Jr. NBA Basketball League in Pickerington Ohio. A non-profit organization that promoted leadership and teamwork activities for children ages 3-13.
Read More >Melissa Fannon
Events Manager
Melissa joined the OPRA team in February 2020, where her role as a Certified Meeting Professional showcases her extensive track record of orchestrating highly successful meetings, events, and conferences, making her a valuable asset to the team. Melissa's responsibilities encompass overseeing OPRA's Spring and Fall Conferences, managing partnerships, OPRA Training, spearheading Special Events, and orchestrating OPRA PAC Fundraisers. In addition, she plays a pivotal role in crafting and implementing our social media strategy. Beyond her professional pursuits, Melissa finds joy in traveling, volunteering, and cherishing quality moments with her husband and two wonderful daughters.
Read More >Gina Weisshaar
Operations & Outreach Manager
Gina Weisshaar joined the OPRA team in February 2022. She has an MA in Conflict Management and a BA in Human Development from Antioch University Midwest. Her prior experience, as a staff member of the Ohio Association of County Boards, includes managing Bridges to Transition, a statewide grant program that supported transition youth with DD to prepare for and obtain competitive, integrated employment. Gina is also trained as a mediator, and served as an elected executive board member with the Ohio Mediation Association. Sharing a love of travel, Gina and her husband particularly enjoy discovering quirky restaurants and sights that are off the beaten path.
Read More >Pete Thompson
Accountant
Pete Thompson joined OPRA in November 2013. In addition to his bookkeeping work for OPRA, Pete performs part-time accounting work for other non-profit organizations in central Ohio, and he is a Business Broker. Pete began his career at Coopers & Lybrand in Columbus. Later, was the Controller and CFO for several central Ohio companies. Pete was born in Wisconsin, and grew up in New York State. He went to Ohio University, and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Accounting, and a minor in Interpersonal Communication.
Read More >