Board

Oliver Moss

The Potomac Exchange

Oliver has worked in the banking industry for 35 years, currently serving as the Executive Director of the Potomac Exchange, a private membership organization of executives from global firms providing opportunities to meet with recently accredited foreign ambassadors. Prior to this, Oliver was the Director and Market Executive of Bank of America’s Global Government Division where he was responsible for the oversight and management of relationships with international organizations, embassies, consulates, and related diplomatic institutions in the United States, and with international government entities throughout the world. Additionally, he oversaw the management of U.S. government agencies with international activities. In previous positions at Bank of America, Oliver was a Client Manager in the same division, managed Bank of America’s Commercial Loan Administration Group in the Mid-Atlantic region for two years, managed the sales coordination and marketing function for the Commercial Group in Maryland and the International Department for two years at Sovran Bank/Maryland, a predecessor to Bank of America. Prior to joining Bank of America, Oliver worked for Hessische Landesbank and Westdeutsche Landesbank in New York.

Oliver is a recipient of the Order of Merit from the Federal Republic of Germany. A graduate of Leadership Montgomery, Oliver also serves as Treasurer of the European Institute, Treasurer of the German American Business Council in Washington, D.C., and Treasurer of the Endowment Committee for the Emanuel Lutheran Church.

Lori Golden

Ernst & Young

Lori serves as Ernst & Young’s Abilities Strategy leader, driving efforts to build an enabling and inclusive work environment for people of all abilities. She consults on accommodations and career development issues for EY staff working with differing abilities, and advises the firm’s AccessAbilities professional resource network, which includes over 900 people from across the organization’s geographies, ranks, and functional groups. Lori leads initiatives to enhance ergonomics and accessibility in EY offices, communications, meetings, trainings, and technology and to educate EY people on abilities-related issues.

Lori is a member of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Circle of Champions and serves as Secretary/Treasurer of the U.S. Business Leadership Network Board of Directors. She’s been with EY 16 years.

Carmen Rojas

Hispanic Business Foundation

Carmen Rojas currently serves as the Director of Development for the Hispanic Business Foundation in Bethesda, Maryland. She also coordinates most of the activities of the HBF’s youth programs. She serves as a liaison between the small and mid-sized business community in Montgomery County, particularly the Hispanic and other minority groups owned businesses, and young adults looking for internships and jobs.

Daniel Samek, Esq.

Born and raised in Maryland, I am a performance and results-driven professional with a diverse background in Information Technology, Cyber Security, and Law. My education and professional background include a Master’s Degree in Cyber Security and hands-on experience with a prominent technology company in Rockville, MD.

After gaining several years of professional and business experience, I enrolled in law school to combine my IT training and skills with the knowledge of law. In 2020, I received my Juris Doctor degree from University of Baltimore School of Law and by 2021 I was admitted to practice law in the state of Maryland.

I currently work as a corporate and business attorney for Samek, Werther & Mills LLC, a law firm located in Rockville Maryland.

In my spare time, I enjoy mastering new recipes, spending time with my dogs, and traveling.

Ronald Drach

Drach Consulting Services

Recovering Warrior Task Force

After losing a leg as a result of combat in Vietnam, Ron Drach left the U.S. Army in 1967 with a Purple Heart and was medically retired and soon focused his life working to help his fellow disabled veterans. After some time with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, he joined the staff of the Disabled American Veterans in 1970, eventually becoming the organization’s national employment director. In this role, he established the reputation he maintains today as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on employment issues affecting veterans and others whose lives have been affected by disabilities. Ron’s responsibilities led him to provide significant input into America’s response to the needs of veterans affected by post-traumatic stress disorder, homelessness, racial and gender discrimination, and other socio-economic issues. He became a leading voice on efforts to remove barriers that impede the lives and employment of persons with disabilities. Many times throughout his career, Ron has appeared before Congressional committees, offering expertise and recommendations for legislative change. After leaving the DAV, Ron was employed by the Labor Department’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, and now, as President of Drach Consulting, LLC.

Over the years, Ron served on many commissions established by the VA, Labor Department, congressional committees, and others involved in enhancing the lives of disabled veterans and other people with disabilities. He has also served on the governing boards of the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, the National Coalition of Homeless Veterans, the National Resource Directory and others. Ron also serves on the boards of United Spinal Association and the Amputee Coalition. He is a coauthor and coeditor of the Warrior Transition Leader Medical Rehabilitation Handbook written for the Army’s Wounded Warrior Program’s leadership. Ron lives in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., with his wife, Carolyn, a retired financial analyst for the Federal Reserve. They have two adult daughters, Tiffany and Amber and two grandchildren.

Tom Klein, Treasurer

Formerly President of T.R. Klein & Company for 40 years. The accounting firm specialized in not-for-profit auditing. We were known as the friendly and helpful auditors. Currently President of Friday’s Child Early Learning Center run by my daughter in Baltimore City. Currently reside in Florida with my wife and enjoy pickleball and RunDisney events in Walt Disney World.

Edward Sheehy

Edward Sheehy’s introduction to the field of employment disability issues was personal: his son, Charlie, has autism and a cognitive disability.  When Charlie finished school and wanted to work, Edward and his wife contacted CEO in Milwaukee and in a remarkably short time Charlie found employment.  His Job Developer and Coaches were instrumental and essential in his success.  Years later, when Edward decided on a career change, this experience led to a few conversations with Laura Owens and resulted in his joining CEO as a Job Developer.

Earlier, Edward had spent fifteen years as a small business entrepreneur and many other years purchasing and sales positions. There he acquired the skills that allowed him, as a Job Developer, to approach and convince small businesses to hire CEO/TransCen clients and help them succeed.

Now retired, Edward enjoys travel, walking, golf and coaching Special Olympics.  He’s an accomplished singer and songwriter and has also recorded a CD of original music.

As a parent, businessman and CEO Job Developer, Edward brings a well-rounded range of experience and is happy to rejoin TransCen in a challenging new capacity.

Bob Rudney

Bob Rudney is a disability activist, defense and international security specialist, fledgling novelist, accomplished oil painter, and devoted weight trainer. Until retirement in August 2012, he served as Senior Advisor (political appointee) in the U.S. Department of the Air Force, where he focused on humanitarian assistance, resilience and suicide prevention training, and wounded warrior policy and programs. He also launched the HQ AF Disability Employee Resource Group, the first such group in DoD. For his accomplishments, he received the USAF Outstanding Civilian Service Award at his retirement.

Bob worked previously for the international consulting firm of Booz Allen Hamilton (2001-2009), where he managed intelligence analysis projects. In 2008-2009, he received a Kennedy Foundation Congressional Fellowship, serving in the office of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), where he worked on defense, disability, and other legislative issues.

Bob received his Ph.D. in French History from Michigan, defending a thesis entitled “From Luxury to Popular Tourism: The Transformation of the Resort City of Nice.” He also has a B.A. from Dartmouth and an M.A. from Oxford. He has co-authored four books on international security and nonproliferation and published over 50 professional articles (including op-eds in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Le Monde). In April 2012, he published his first novel, Lovers Lame, on the lives and loves of people with disabilities.

For 15 years (1994-2009) as a volunteer, Bob led the EXCEL! Networking Group, an employment support group for job seekers with disabilities in the Washington area. He was named ‘National Disabled Employee of the Year’ in 2007 by Careers and the Disabled magazine, while serving as an intelligence analyst at Booz Allen. In December 2011, he was selected USAF National ‘Outstanding Employee with a Disability.’

Bob previously served as Board Secretary for the DC Center for Independent Living and as Board Chair for Jane Franklin Dance Group. He is married with three grown children and lives in Washington, DC.

William Borten, Ph.D. (hon.)

CEO, Atlantic Research Corporation (retired)

William, a co-founder of TransCen served as President and CEO of the Atlantic Research Corporation from 1985 to 1989, a Virginia-based company involved in the design and manufacture of solid propellant rocket motors and electronic systems for military and commercial applications. Prior to this role, he served as Director of the Finance, Space, and Electronics Division at Fairchild Republic Corporation, a Maryland-based aerospace and aircraft manufacturing company. From 1959 to 1963, he was the comptroller at Avien, Inc., a New York-based avionics company.

Mr. Borten devotes an extraordinary amount of time to the community. He has been a board member at TransCen since 1989. He also served on Adelphi University’s Board of Trustees from 1980 to 1989, and was chairman of the finance committee from 1988 to 1989. He has been inducted into Adelphi’s Academy of Distinguished Alumni and Delta Mu Delta, Beta XI Chapter (National Honor Society in Business Administration). He has been honored by the National Business Society, and is a member of the Corridor of Distinguished Business Alumni.

Margaret Roffee, M.A.

U.S. Business Leadership Network – Retired

Maggie has over 40 years of disability policy and program experience as well as disability community involvement. Her professional managerial positions have been with the Planning Office at the University of Maryland, the Trauma Counseling Team at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, the Montgomery County Maryland Disability Resources Division, the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. Since retiring from the federal government in 2010, Maggie has served as a senior consultant with the U.S. Business Leadership Network. In the past, Maggie served on advisory boards to the disability offices at the University of Maryland and Montgomery College and was on the executive board committees for the Spinal Cord Injury Network of Metropolitan Washington, H.O.W., and Independence Now. Since 2010, she has served on TransCen’s board.

Maggie resides in Gaithersburg, Maryland with her husband, Larry, a combat-injured disabled Vietnam veteran who has been a wheelchair user for 45 years. She and Larry delight in their two children and their five grandchildren.

Roger Samek, Esq.

Samek, Werther, Mills, LLC

Roger has been in practice for more than 30 years as a corporate and business adviser – initially as a tax accountant/consultant and most recently as a business attorney. He is a founding and managing partner of his law firm. As a founding and managing partner of his law firm, he has a unique firsthand experience to make business decisions that required management of the delicate balance of return vs. risk.

Andrew “Drew” Davis

Scheer Partners

Andrew “Drew” Davis is an Associate at Scheer Partners, a commercial office real estate firm. There, he is responsible for cultivating and maintaining tenant and landlord relationships. Mr. Davis began his professional career in Boston, working in the private banking industry for Brown Brothers Harriman before moving to the Washington, DC Metro Region. In his free time Drew enjoys being outdoors. From golfing to hiking. Drew is also a self-proclaimed foodie, trying new restaurants and attempting to cook the perfect meal.

Margit Meissner

Margit was instrumental in the founding of TransCen, and empowered thousands of Montgomery County, Maryland residents to triumph over adversity. Born in Austria and raised in Prague, Margit fled to France when the Nazis annexed Czechoslovakia. After a hair-raising escape from the Nazis, she came penniless to the United States. She eventually settled in the Washington D.C. suburbs where she worked for 20 years for the Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) system. When she retired, she was saluted as an outstanding advocate for children with disabilities. She founded a countywide program that coordinates PTA Special Needs Committees throughout MCPS and provides support for parents of children with disabilities. As an MCPS employee, Margit shed light on equal opportunity for students with disabilities. She introduced programs for gifted students with learning disabilities and cleared obstacles to the first MCPS curricula for students with autism. As MCPS transition coordinator, she developed a model that continues to provide support to special education students as they prepare for life after graduation. Upon her retirement from MCPS in 1992, she worked with the school system to implement compliance activities associated with the Americans with Disabilities Act. In this role, she produced an award-winning public service video designed to reduce the stigmatization of persons with disabilities. Many organizations have saluted Margit as an outstanding advocate for children with disabilities and the including the Maryland Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, the Maryland Arc. In 2003, MCPS presented her with a Distinguished Service Award and named her as “Pioneer Individual” for significantly impacting the successes of special education curricula in the county.

Margit lived an exceptional life. She decided—at the age of 80—that it was time to write a book, Margit’s Story, about her experience as a Holocaust survivor. In the 12 years since the publication of her autobiography, she shared her story with many visitors to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, where she volunteered as a guide and was an original museum donor.

More on Margit’s life and experiences can be found in the links provided below. We encourage you to check them out and share them with others. As the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum posted on their Facebook page, “Remember Margit by sharing her story and listening to her advice about standing up, taking risks, and being curious.”

Washington Post Obituary

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum First Person video

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum “Meet Holocaust Survivors”

Bethesda Magazine “My Two Cents: Margit’s Story.” Written former TransCen Board Member Joseph Hawkins

Margit’s Story on Amazon Books

Judith Borten, Ph.D. (hon.)

Judy, a co-founder of TransCen, devoted her life as an advocate for children and adults with disabilities and their families. In addition to her work with TransCen, Judy served on the board of the Ivymount School in Rockville, Maryland, a non-public school serving students with autism, developmental disabilities, communication disorders, learning disabilities, and health impairments. She previously served as an executive board member of the Learning Disabilities Association of Montgomery County, Maryland. She also served on the advisory committee to the Superintendent of Special and Alternative Education of Montgomery County Public Schools, the advisory committee to the Office of Special Education in the Maryland State Department of Education, the advisory committee to the Office of Special Student Services at Montgomery College, and the advisory committee of Montgomery County Public Schools’ Department of Staff Development. In recognition of her work for individuals with disabilities, Judy received the Montgomery County Volunteer Activist Award, the Montgomery County Public Schools Recognition Award, and Honorary Life Membership from the Maryland Congress of Parents and Teachers.

Though Judy Borten’s physical being succumbed to a several-year struggle with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease on September 16, 2019, her keen intellect, amazing athleticism and love for family and cherished friends lives on. Judy touched hundreds of lives during her 81 years, including family, friends, colleagues, and students. She will be dearly missed by her husband/best friend/devoted life-long partner (they met when Judy was just 14 years old) Bill Borten, her sister Adrienne (who Judy idolized) and brother-in-law Martin Zausner, her three sons, Jeff (wife Jill), Dan (Katie) and Matt (Cathy), five grandchildren Ariel (Steven), Jeremy (Darcy), Michael, Holden and Yardley, her new great granddaughter Abigail, and the treasured friends she amassed and with whom she diligently kept in contact throughout her life.