Regional Center of Orange County Appoints Two New Board Members

Self-Advocate Yvonne Kluttz (Anaheim) and Service Provider Rick Perez (Lake Forest and Fountain Valley) to Serve One-Year Terms

SANTA ANA, Calif., July 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Regional Center of Orange County has appointed Anaheim's Yvonne Kluttz to serve a one-year term beginning July 1 and continuing through June 30, 2023. In addition, the organization's Vendor Advisory Committee (VAC) elected Rick Perez to serve as the VAC representative on the Board, from June 2 through May 31, 2023. Both are unpaid volunteer positions and the VAC position is a non-voting role.

Yvonne Kluttz, a self-advocate who receives services from RCOC, has cerebral palsy and an intellectual disability. She also serves on the Consumer Advisory Committee for the California Department of Developmental Services and has served on Orange County's local Area Board XI and on the State Council on Developmental Disabilities. She was honored with RCOC's Spotlight Award in the Self-Advocate category in 2013 for her dedication to ensuring a voice for people with developmental disabilities and for advocating for others who may not be able to speak for themselves.

Rick Perez, whose role on the Board is to represent the hundreds of local service providers RCOC works with to meet the needs of people with developmental disabilities and their families, is President and Program Director of Abilities Unlimited, a day program for adults that has offices in Lake Forrest and Fountain Valley. He has worked with individuals with developmental disabilities for over 16 years and received his Master's degree in Counseling with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis from California State University, Los Angeles. He is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).

About Regional Center of Orange County: Regional Center of Orange County is the private, nonprofit organization contracted by the State of California to coordinate lifelong services and supports for more than 23,000 Orange County residents with developmental disabilities and their families. The Regional Center is the first stop for those seeking to obtain local services and supports to help them live safely and with dignity in the community. Developmental disabilities include intellectual disabilities, autism, epilepsy and cerebral palsy. Learn more at www.rcocdd.com.

SOURCE Regional Center of Orange County