Members Info

Betsy Cunningham

City of Knoxville ADA Coordinator
865-215-3100
[email protected]


Hilary Brooks

Brooks has worked with individuals with disabilities for over twelve years, specifically with intellectual disabilities and autism. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Special Education from UTK and taught in both elementary and secondary settings. She has a strong desire to improve outcomes for youth with disabilities by advocating for seamless transitions to life after high school and full inclusion in the Knoxville community.

Currently, Brooks works as an Employment Coordinator at Sertoma Center where her position focuses on facilitating competitive employment opportunities for graduates of the Project SEARCH program and persons who are supported by Sertoma’s vocational rehabilitation program. Her community involvement includes membership participation on the Project SEARCH Steering Committee and the Knoxville Area Employment Consortium.


Jackson Cain

Jackson Cain is a staff attorney for Legal Aid of East Tennessee practicing in the areas of elder law, Medicare and Medicaid, and Social Security Disability Benefits. Since starting his legal career, Mr. Cain has been committed to expanding access to justice for people with disabilities. From his roles with Disability Rights Tennessee and Legal Aid of East Tennessee, he has devoted his work to furthering equity and autonomy for individuals with disabilities in his local community.

Currently, Mr. Cain assists people with disabilities navigate the Social Security, Medicaid, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s appeals processes and aids Knox County seniors with estate planning. Outside of this, Mr. Cain participates in programs with the Knox County Community Action Committee (“CAC”) including the Public Information Committee and the Affordable Medicine Options for Seniors committee. Mr. Cain is also a Tennessee native and a graduate of the University of Tennessee and Belmont University College of Law.


John Eldredge

John Eldredge graduated in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies from Summit University (Baptist Bible College). In 1989, Eldredge was diagnosed with MS. Starting in 1990, he was instrumental in sales and marketing for PSINet, a commercial Internet Service Provider, which was one of the first of its kind.  Eldredge shifted to be  PSINet’s Director of Contracts from 1993 through 2000. From there he became an independent consultant for Xerox until 2008 when he was approved for SSDI and retired. In 2014 Eldredge moved to downtown Knoxville, living close to market square for 3 years, then in assisted living for 3 years before settling into his uniquely designed home in North Knoxville.


Joel Simmons

Joel Simmons has a BS in communications from Middle Tennessee State University and a MS in rehabilitation counseling from the University of Tennessee. He worked as a flight attendant both domestically and internationally for 23 years at Northwest Airlines. This experience exposed Joel to multiple cultures and people from all walks of life. He took early retirement in 2009 to work in the insurance industry full-time. In 2010 Joel had an automobile accident resulting in quadriplegia. He earned his master’s degree after his accident. He was 48 years old at the time of the accident and 52 years of age when he went back to school. Joel did his initial therapy at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta and continued outpatient therapy at Patricia Neal here in Knoxville. He is one of the founding members of the spinal cord support group, Able and Wheeling and has volunteered in this capacity since 2012. Able and Wheeling is a peer support group at Patricia Neal for newly injured SCI patients. Joel serves as a board member for the disABILITY Resource Center as well. He is also a volunteer speaker for the Roane State OTA and PTA classes on a regular basis. Joel worked for East Tennessee Technology Access Center from January 2016 until May 2019. He performed intake and assessments for vocational rehabilitation clients and help develop and implement programs assisting individuals and families affected by disabilities. Joel represented ETTAC at the Knoxville Area Employment Consortium meetings. KAEC actively tries to pair businesses with people who have disabilities. This type of inclusion results in positive outcomes for both parties. After leaving ETTAC he continues to volunteer with KAEC.


Stacy Spangler

Stacy is the Disability Resource Coordinator and Ticket to Work Program Administrator for CAC where she ensures The American Job center is ADA compliant and assists individuals with all types of disabilities with their job search and accessing accommodations. She also works with SSDI recipients to ensure that they have a full understanding of their Social Security Benefits. She was the Former Lead Job Coach for The Project Search Program UTMC site that is staffed by Autism Breakthrough of Knoxville, and a Workforce Development Manager for The Emory Valley Center. Stacy is an active member of the Project Search Steering Committee and Chair of The Knoxville Area Employment Consortium.


Lauren Ziegler

Ziegler is a cultural anthropologist with a background in human rights, disability advocacy, and social justice. She has collaborated with numerous institutions of higher education and nonprofits to develop impactful equal access initiatives and programs. Lauren previously worked as a coordinator at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and was chosen for the Chancellor’s Commission for Disability. She is a former research fellow and scholar through the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of State, focusing on human rights violations.

At Pellissippi State, Lauren serves as the Accessibility Compliance Coordinator, developing and leading procedures and policies related to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. She also provides workshops focused on disability awareness, accessibility, and neurodivergence.