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Sharon Gomez

Sharon Gomez is the Quality Enhancement Officer for Evergreen Presbyterian Ministries, Inc.; a faith-based, not-for-profit, multi-state agency providing supports to people with developmental disabilities. She has a Bachelor’s Degree from Louisiana State University. She previously served as the Director of Evergreen Presbyterian Ministries, Inc. Southwest Louisiana Community Services Division from its inception. She also served as a Program Supervisor for Evergreen as well as a Court Monitor for the District Court of Louisiana in the matter of Gary W. et al vs. the State of Louisiana. Sharon was instrumental in introducing the concept of Person Centered Planning to Evergreen and has traveled extensively in the United States teaching people the value of this philosophy as well as the tool.

She joined the staff of The Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL) in 2002 as a Quality Enhancement Specialist. Through her work with CQL, Sharon has worked extensively with organizations throughout the United States and most recently in Ireland in developing person centered approaches to service delivery. CQL is an international not-for-profit organization dedicated to being the leader for excellence in the definition, measurement and evaluation of personal and community quality of life for people with disabilities and people with mental illness. She has authored a chapter in the AAIDD Publication entitled Contemporary Issues in Administration: Leadership and Organizational Excellence; the chapter is entitled “Factors Defining An Excellent Community Provider” and co-authored a second chapter in the same publication entitled “The Partnership of Person Centered Planning and Outcomes Measurement.” She also co-authored an article that appeared in the March, 2003 issue of Exceptional Parent Magazine entitled, “One Organization’s Multi-Dimensional Approach to Quality Enhancement.

She has held numerous positions in the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities including President of the Louisiana Chapter, President of the Region V Chapter, President of the Community Services Division of the National Chapter, and a member of the National Board of Directors on two separate occasions. She became a Fellow in AAIDD in 2000. In 2003, she was selected as one of 34 individuals who have made the most significant contributions to enhancing quality of life for individuals with intellectual disabilities across the 20th century in a five state area (Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri.)