CADRE is honored to recognize Diana MTK Autin, JD, as the 2022 Anita Engiles Key to Access recipient. Diana recently retired as Executive Director of the SPAN Parent Advocacy Network in Newark, NJ. A longtime collaborator with CADRE, she champions collaborative approaches to resolving conflict, and shares her extensive knowledge of inclusion, cultural humility, and stakeholder engagement with all she meets.
Diana’s lifelong contributions to creating a better and more just world for families and children with disabilities embodies the values of the Key to Access award. She uses her legal knowledge to help train and support parents and parent leaders as advocates for their children and families as they navigate the education, health, mental health, and child welfare systems. She brings the voices of parents, families, and communities to the table on a number of state and national advisory committees on health and education.
Diana is a graduate of University of Michigan Law School, and was a Columbia University Revson Fellow and a Wasserstein Public Interest Fellow at Harvard Law School. Diana is a fierce advocate and proponent of bringing justice, equity and respect to policy. She’s participated in several national leadership programs, including serving as an Advocacy Institute Senior Leadership Fellow. She is the adoptive mother of four children from diverse cultures and a proud grandmother. A Cajun and Native American, Diana is deeply committed to cultural reciprocity and language access. Her tireless advocacy empowers CADRE and many others to continually strive to make a more just world for our children, and makes her a worthy recipient of this award.