Kitty Brietzke – 7/24/10
Executive Director of San Antonio Independent Living Services
I was born in 1956 in San Antonio, Texas at the Army Post Fort Sam Houston. I have lived in San Antonio most of my life although I do travel throughout the United States whenever I have the opportunity. I am a wife and mother to two grown children, Melanie and Freddie. I also have three beautiful grandchildren.
I always begin the formal introduction of myself by stating that I am a high school dropout with a Juris Doctor (law degree). I was thirty years old before I stepped into a college classroom and soon learned that I wanted to earn a Bachelor’s degree. Immediately after earning the degree, I applied for and was accepted at St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas. I graduated in May of 1996.
My previous employment has been very broad and varied for many years. In fact, I have approximately fifteen years of private sector and public sector management combined; I have been a retail manager; sales manager; job developer and coordinated a welfare-to-work program. Initially I thought I would become an attorney and open my own practice. Eventually I realized that I wanted to pursue other challenging avenues and discovered the nonprofit world.
Today I am very proud and pleased to be the Executive Director of San Antonio Independent Living Services (SAILS), a federally designated independent living center that assists persons with disabilities. SAILS has been in San Antonio for twenty-nine years. We have a great “SAILS team” who work hard every day to help the lives of people with disabilities.
Finally, I understand the challenges that people face when there is a person with a disability in the family. Three people in my family have disabilities. The stigmas about persons with disabilities are prevalent in society. As an Executive Director of a disability organization, I find it is so much easier to help educate the community and to spread the truth about disabilities. I am truly fortunate to be given this wonderful opportunity.
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