Board & Staff

Megan has been the Executive Director of Family Matters Parent Training Center since 2023. She was most recently a member of the Ligas Family Advocate Team at the Arc of Illinois. Megan is a 2023 graduate of the Illinois Partners in Policymaking Program and a 2020 graduate of the LEND Program at UIC, where she participated as a Family Fellow. Additionally, she is a Charting the Life Course Ambassador. Megan's core interests focus on person-centered planning, family and school collaboration and family engagement.
Megan completed both her BS and MA in Human Development and Family Studies. She spent many years as a member of the Pediatric Supportive Care Team at Children’s Hospital of Illinois, where she focused on patient and family-centered care.

Abbi Mars is the Transition Facilitator at Family Matters PTIC, supporting families statewide with Secondary Transition services. She serves on the Illinois Statewide Transition Steering Committee and is a Charting the LifeCourse Ambassador and Facilitator. Abbi is passionate about empowering self-advocates in their educational planning. She volunteers as a Special Olympics coach, Scouts BSA merit badge instructor, and Educational Surrogate Parent. Abbi holds a B.S. in Human Services and brings lived experience as a parent navigating adult services for her son, who has a profound disability.

Rachel Maroon has served as the Data & Fiscal Manager for Family Matters PTIC since 2022. In this role, she oversees financial systems, data reporting and analysis, grants billing, and the internal infrastructure that supports organizational effectiveness and accountability. Rachel was formally the Community Support Systems Respite Coordinator, where she supported families across 11 south and central Illinois counties by coordinating respite services.

Elizabeth (Liz) Apple is the Administrative Assistant at Family Matters Parent Training and Information Center (FMPTIC). Liz brings a strong professional background in data entry, office support, social media management, and advocacy related to Autism and disability rights. As a self-advocate and individual with a disability, she is passionate about empowering others to learn and practice self-advocacy. Elizabeth has a bachelor’s degree in Spanish.

Lynn Betts is an Educational Support Coach at Family Matters PTIC. She previously served as Assistant Director at the Family Resource Center on Disabilities (FRCD) in Chicago for 16 years, where she worked on the Family Support and Youth Advocate Projects, provided transition services, and connected families to essential resources. Lynn also delivers Special Education Rights training seminars across schools, Head Start programs, social service agencies, and parent organizations.

Tiffoni T. Stepney is an educational support coach at Family Matters PTIC. She is a retired elementary & special educator with 13 years of teaching experience in the public school system. Her passion is empowering individuals with disabilities & their families with resources that improve their quality of life & educating them how to best advocate for themselves. Tiffoni holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, a Master of Arts in Curriculum & Instruction, & a Master of Science in Special Education which carries an endorsement in grades kindergarten to age 22.

Bridget is an Educational Support Coach for Family Matters PTI with over ten years of experience supporting families of children with disabilities. She loves coaching parents, sharing practical strategies, and working closely with school teams to help students succeed in learning and communication. She combines real-life experience, hands-on guidance, and collaboration to empower families to advocate confidently for their children.

Zoubida Pasha is an Educational Support Coach at Family Matters PTIC. She previously served as a Bilingual Parent Mentor at the Family Resource Center on Disabilities for over 12 years and worked for 4 years with the Parent Educators Partnership (IL-PEP) project through the Illinois State Board of Education and Chicago Public Schools. Zoubida actively serves on various Task Forces and Councils across Illinois to advocate for families impacted by Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD). She is also proficient in both Arabic and French.

Paula is the Educational Surrogate Program (ESP) Coordinator with Family Matters PTIC, where she oversees the statewide ESP program in partnership with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Previously, Paula served as outreach coordinator and certified project manager with the Family Resource Center on Disabilities (FRCD). Active in statewide and local initiatives, she has served on the Illinois Statewide Transition Conference Planning Committee since 2013, partnered with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, and served as Vice President of the Illinois TASH Chapter