Janet Sharkis
Executive director
Janet Sharkis, MS, LPC has a diverse background that spans nonprofit, government, and corporate sectors.
Janet serves as Executive Director of the Texas State Independent Living Council. Her experience includes public policy, corporate training, fundraising, marketing, consulting, research and advocacy.
Inspired by childhood experiences, Janet’s passion for supporting people to reach their potential has been the driving force of her life. She launched this journey by obtaining a bachelor’s degree in special education and a master’s degree in counseling. She is licensed as a professional counselor. To strengthen her business savvy, she studied at Columbia University, Graduate School of Business, where she earned her Executive MBA focused on Executive Nonprofit Management.
Janet’s background includes significant contributions as a principal investigator at the Texas Center for Disability Studies at The University of Texas at Austin, and as executive director at the Texas Office for Prevention. Additional roles she has held in include special education teacher, development director, coalition director, and program director. She has been immensely grateful for multiple opportunities to mobilize consumers and stakeholders to join together in building inclusive policies and practices that honor the rights of people with disabilities to chart their own path and define the lives they seek.
A resident of Austin, she is privileged to serve on the board of Mission Capital and volunteer at Any Baby Can. She has the joy of sharing her life with two daughters, grandson, a life partner, and many friends. Amazingly, they inspire her, make her laugh and smile, and keep her grounded, all at the same time. Additionally, fitness is a passion of hers as is serving her demanding pets
Pamela Clark, M.S.
Director of Special Projects
Mrs. Pamela Clark has worked as a professional in Case Management for over twenty-eight years in different capacities.
Pamela is married to Reginald Clark Sr., and they have three beautiful young adults currently in college: Shacira, Reggie Jr., and Will. She has worked as a professional in Case Management for over twenty-eight years in different capacities, such as: System Navigator, Case Manager in HCS and TxHmL, Counselor with the contracting office of HHSC as a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist, as an Administrative Navigator with Community Health Core, and as Manager at Fort Bend Centers for Independent Living.
She also had a historical Board placement with the gubernatorial office of Governor G. Abbott with the State Independent Living Council as a former Board Member. She is currently a Public Health Project Specialist for the Texas SILC and is an adjunct professor at University of the People.
She is also a doctoral candidate in Human Services, focusing on promoting individuals with disabilities pursuing higher education.
“My compassion for working with individuals with disabilities in various communities and gaining access to universal needs provides a sense of purpose for me and hope for others to respect individuality within the parameters in which individuals with disabilities choose to live.”
Clarence E. Shepard
Director of Program Development
Clarence has been a social services program practitioner and administrator for nearly 30 years.
He is a native of St. Louis, Mo who moved with his family to Dallas at a young age. Because of an analytical mind and predisposition to dismantle and fix things, he once thought that he’d become an architect or engineer. While attending the University of North Texas, he got jobs running afterschool and summer feeding programs. The work became so instinctive and comfortable that he never left the field. He attributes his experience as an AmeriCorps Member as having solidified his career path.
His professional experience includes, case management, volunteer management, grant writing/management, and program administration. Clarence is passionate about emotional well-being and social justice issues and causes. Aside from his work, he enjoys all types of music, cooking, DIY projects, and finding time to binge TV shows.
Maria Elena Salazar
Director of Financial and Strategic Operations
Maria Elena Salazar is an experienced Director of Financial and Strategic Operations, fluent in both English and Spanish.
With a strong background in budgeting, fundraising, and day-to-day office operations, Maria is deeply committed to creating positive change and improving outcomes for underserved populations.
A solution-focused leader, Maria excels in identifying opportunities for growth and efficiency, while maintaining a dedication to serving individuals with disabilities and the broader community. With a passion for community development and a proven track record of managing complex financial operations, Maria ensures that resources are maximized to meet the needs of the people served.
Maria’s commitment to social impact is demonstrated through their work in creating sustainable strategies that drive success, foster inclusion, and promote equity in every aspect of operations.
Jake Stukenberg
Project Coordinator / Emergency Preparedness
Jake is a Project Coordinator focusing on disaster resilience and disability inclusion in emergency preparedness planning.
For the last three years, Jake has served as a Rural Health Specialist at the State Office of Rural Health (SORH) in the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). He served as a grant manager and technical assistance provider over 160 rural hospitals, with a focus on 31 hospitals in North Texas. During his tenure at the SORH, he monitored and managed millions of dollars that hospitals could apply for to help pay for capital projects, medical equipment purchasing, renovations to existing structures, and quality improvement trainings. He also developed several projects related to farmer/rancher health, border healthcare access, and hospital emergency preparedness.
Jake attended the Texas A&M University School of Public Health and obtained his Masters of Public Health in May of 2023. His program focused on health promotion and community health sciences, and he served as a graduate research assistant for the Center for Community Health and Aging during his studies. His projects included conducting focus groups and research development for a nine-county community health needs assessment and developing guiding recommendations for the start up of the Bastrop County Health Department based on wildfire preparedness and response. Along with his studies and assistantship, Jake served as a Finance Committee Co-Chair in Texas A&M University Graduate and Professional Student Government’s Board, where he managed $20,000 of research scholarships awarded to graduate students to present their research at conferences across Texas, the United States, and internationally.
He found a deep passion for serving people living with disabilities independently while serving as a Community Support Specialist at Community Living Connections in Platteville, WI during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was a caregiver and support specialist for nearly 20 clients, living as their neighbor and their friend in the apartment complex most of the clients inhabited. He helped his clients develop independent living skills and ensured they were given the tools to thrive in their own homes. Jake hopes to bring these skills to the SILC to ensure all Texans are treated equitably in emergencies and natural disasters.