Shelly Christensen and Graciano Petersen

Shelly Christensen, MA, FAAIDD, is the Senior Director of Faith Inclusion at RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community.

In 2019 Shelly was awarded the prestigious Reimagining Spirituality Leadership Award from the Religion and Spirituality Network of AAIDD in recognition of her inspiring leadership, innovation, and outstanding contributions in the field of disability and mental health inclusion.

Shelly is the author of From Longing to Belonging—A Practical Guide to Including People with Disabilities and Mental Health Conditions in Your Faith Community. She is a popular keynote speaker, training professional, and consultant. In 2020, in response to the pandemic, Shelly co-created the web series, “Everyone’s Welcome-A Fresh Conversation About Disability,” in which guests from diverse faiths, practices, interests, and lived experiences share their stories and their work.

Graciano Petersen is the Senior Director for Training, Culture, and Leadership Development at RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. Graciano is dedicated to advancing equity across all sectors and providing accessible opportunities for upskilling and advancement. Graciano holds an MA in Second Language Acquisition from Tulane University, is fluent in Spanish, and is working towards fluency in Brazilian Portuguese.

Prior to joining RespectAbility, Graciano worked in adult education and school leadership. He has over 13 years of Adult Education experience and is passionate about making education accessible to all types and levels of learners. Graciano is currently on the Board at the Adult Numeracy Network as the Equity Officer where he focuses on working with board to make sure there is equity across the inner workings of the board and its committees.”