Meet the Team
Cassy Beckman, CESP
Cassy Beckman, CESP, began her career in the field of customized employment at Community Involvement Programs in Minneapolis, MN, serving in several roles including the Employment Manager. Ms. Beckman became involved with Griffin-Hammis Associates’ Discovering Personal Genius work, sharing her expertise at conferences locally and nationally. In 2013, she was the recipient of APSE’s Wendy Wood Award for Emerging Leaders. She later accepted a position as Director of Customized Employment and Community Supports with Ardmore Enterprises in Bowie, MD, where she facilitated a sheltered workshop closure project. Ms. Beckman was responsible for relaunching the Maryland State APSE Chapter, where she served as president until her return to Minneapolis in 2015 and she has been published in scholarly journals. In 2016, she was hired by National APSE as their CESP Director and later moved into the role of Director of Membership and Chapter Relations from 2017 to 2019. Today Ms. Beckman holds the role of Co-Founder, COO, and Chief Weirdo with Stop Making It Weird™, LLC.
Jolene Thibedeau Boyd, MS, CESP
Jolene Thibedeau Boyd, MS, CESP, is Co-Founder and CEO of Stop Making It Weird™, LLC. She is a consultant and trainer, sharing her passion and more than two decades of experience in leadership development and disability services with leaders, teams, and agencies across the country. Ms. Thibedeau Boyd served as Chief Service Officer at Community Involvement Programs (Minneapolis, MN) for 3 years and acted in other leadership positions at CIP for 13 years prior to that. She has facilitated transitions from outdated, segregated programs to innovative community-based services for people with disabilities. Her leadership experience includes facilitation of strategic planning, implementation of organizational change, and development of values-based cultures. Her work has been published in scholarly journals and online magazines. Ms. Thibedeau Boyd served as an officer with MN APSE from 2006-2017 and was a founding member of the Minnesota Employment First Coalition, facilitating the progress of innovative policies and practices within Minnesota. She has presented at local and national conferences and workshops and has mentored service providers and state agency leaders. Ms. Thibedeau Boyd holds Bachelor’s Degrees in Psychology and Human Services from the University of Minnesota and a Master’s Degree in Psychology from California Southern University. She is a Certified Practitioner of the MBTI® Step I™ and Step II™ Assessments and is a Certified Employment Support Professional.