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ALEXANDRIA, VA – The National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) is pleased to announce Willow Baer (NY) as the newest board member-at-large elected by the membership. Commissioner Baer is filling the opening left by the retirement of NASDDDS board member, Julie Foster Hagan of Louisiana.
Willow Baer currently serves as Commissioner at the New York Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) where she leads the second largest state agency with more than 19,000 state employees and oversees services delivered by over 400 not-for-profit service agency partners.
Willow has held several executive-level human service posts in New York state government, including serving twice as Assistant Counsel to Governor Kathy Hochul, along with overseeing legal priorities and legislation across the fields of Human Services and Mental Hygiene. Additionally, she previously served as General Counsel to OPWDD, General Counsel and Deputy Commissioner for the Office of Children & Family Services, and as Counsel to the New York State Justice Center.
Willow was named one of PoliticsNY and amNY’s Metro 2024 and 2025 Power Players in Health Care and was presented with the 2025 Distinguished Public Service Award by the New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation.
Willow has spent her entire career working to protect and advocate for underrepresented populations. She will continue the agency’s work to ensure that New York is a state that is inclusive, supportive, and one in which those with developmental disabilities live with meaningful choice and are proud to call home.
“We are pleased to welcome Willow to the board,” said NASDDDS Executive Director Mary Sowers. “Her executive leadership experience and deep understanding of developmental disabilities services will be invaluable to NASDDDS and our national efforts to support member states.”
The NASDDDS Board of Directors is responsible for administering the affairs of the association and establishing organizational policies.. All board members are elected by the association membership. The officers serve concurrent two-year terms, while the board members-at-large serve staggered, three-year terms. See the current NASDDDS Board of Directors list below.
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