Meet the Board

Founder/President

Maria (“Ria”) Lopez, the Special Needs CommUNITY of Northern Nevada’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer, is a proud Indigenous and Latinx woman who is also a loving mother to two autistic children. Ria’s life has been shaped by her experiences as a neurodivergent person and being the mother of children with special needs. Her dedication to her family and her community has inspired her to become a powerful advocate for disabled individuals and their caregivers.

Ria’s journey as an advocate began when she realized the lack of support and resources available to families like hers. Frustrated by the system’s inability to meet the needs of her family and others like them, Ria took matters into her own hands and founded the Special Needs CommUNITY of Northern Nevada. This nonprofit organization provides a safe and supportive community for disabled individuals no matter their ability and also provides another layer of support for caregivers. It also serves as a platform for advocacy, raising awareness about the challenges faced by disabled individuals and their families.

Ria’s advocacy work has not gone unnoticed. She has become a respected leader in her community, working tirelessly to ensure that the voices of disabled individuals and their caregivers are heard. Her efforts have led to significant improvements in disability services and increased awareness of the challenges faced by disabled individuals and their families.

Despite the many challenges she has faced, Ria remains committed to her family and her community. Her dedication to making a positive impact in the lives of disabled individuals and their caregivers has earned her the admiration and respect of those around her. Ria is a true inspiration, demonstrating the power of love, dedication, and advocacy in the face of adversity.

Vice President – Pam Berek

Pam Berek is a dedicated disability advocate, caregiver, and community leader based in Reno, Nevada. She brings both professional experience and deeply personal insight to her work supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Pam is a founder of a nonprofit organization focused on building connections between families, service providers, and community resources to expand opportunities for neurodiverse individuals. She is also a shared living provider and personal care assistant, supporting individuals with complex needs in daily life.

Before becoming a full-time advocate and caregiver, Pam spent more than 25 years helping manage her family’s business. As she likes to joke, in a previous life she wore just about every hat imaginable. Her experience included hiring, training, and supervising staff; scheduling; inventory purchasing; advertising and marketing; social media promotion; customer relations; and layout and design. These experiences provided a strong foundation in leadership, organization, communication, and problem-solving.

As the mother of an adult son with drug-resistant epilepsy and cerebral palsy, Pam has spent over two decades navigating healthcare, education, and disability support systems. This lived experience fuels her advocacy at both the local and state level, where she works to protect and improve access to critical services such as Medicaid, inclusive education, and community-based supports.

Pam is committed to promoting dignity, inclusion, and meaningful opportunities for all individuals, regardless of ability. She is passionate about helping teens and adults with disabilities become active members of their communities through social, recreational, and educational opportunities that foster connection, confidence, and belonging. She is dedicated to ensuring that the voices of individuals with disabilities and their families are heard and valued.

This blend of professional experience, personal advocacy, and community involvement makes Pam a strong and passionate advocate for the disability community and the mission of Special Needs CommUnity of Northern Nevada.

Secretary

Kasey Mattice (she/her) is the newly appointed Secretary for the Special Needs CommUNITY of Northern Nevada. A mom of 4, Kasey was born and raised in California and relocated to Reno in 2021.

Kasey is the Assistant Director and lead 4s-5s teacher at a local preschool, and a full-time student, set to graduate in May with her Associate’s Degree in Human Development and Family Studies. In the fall, she plans to continue her education at UNR, pursuing a degree in Education, with a subspecialty in Special Education. Her dream is to open an inclusive preschool center that specializes in providing high-quality early education opportunities for families with children with higher needs.

Outside of work and school, Kasey spends the majority of her time with her kids, Journey (11), Skye (7), Ben (6), Jak (5), and her husband, Kevin. Ben has ADHD, and Jak is on the Autism spectrum. Kasey herself is neurodivergent and draws on her own experiences for inspiration. She loves animals and has several: a dog, 3 cats, and a bearded dragon. When they have free time, you can usually find Kasey and her family on the Little League fields, Camping, or competing in escape rooms.

Grant Writer

Marisol Lizaola, Grant Writer of the Special Needs CommUNITY of Northern Nevada, has years of experience in managing, overseeing, and evaluating grants. Most recently, her role at the Reno Police Department involved coordinating multiple grant efforts that focused on the dangers and misuse of opioid abuse in our local community. Through a comprehensive multidisciplinary action group, multiple goals and objectives were reached such as providing prescriber education trainings, increasing access to Medicated-Assisted Treatment, and spearheading a mass-reach health communication campaign to increase awareness and resources available in the community with one goal in mind: to help those affected by the opioid crisis in our local community.

Beyond the completion of her Master’s Degree, she has also received hours of training in Advanced Behavior Analysis (ABA), a therapy based on the science of learning and behaviors. For those that may be unfamiliar, ABA therapy is a widely used and effective form of behavior modification designed to help individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other related issues and disabilities learn new skills, modify existing behaviors, improve communication, and promote academic success. 

As the grant writer, her focus primarily resides in persuasively communicating SNCNN’s needs, goals/objectives, programs, and missions to potential donors. Additionally, she is responsible for finding ways to secure essential funding to support SNCNN through research, writing, communication, and project management skills.

She is also a mother of two beautiful boys who inspire her every day to keep pushing forward and to help others in need. She is a passionate, hard-working individual who eagerly volunteers her time and efforts for SNCNN and the community.