APRIL Announces New Executive Director: Brandon Brown

After conducting a rigorous national search facilitated by the disability-led firm, Bender Consulting Services, Inc., receiving 160 applications from well-qualified candidates across the country, and holding multiple stages of interviews, the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the hire of Brandon Brown, as our new Executive Director.  

Since 2015, Brandon served as the Executive Director of Empower TN, a thriving Center for Independent Living in Nashville, TN. Prior to working in the Independent Living field, Brandon was the Director of Emotional Health and Practical Health at a premier HIV education and support organization, also in Nashville. Brandon’s business acumen, leadership skills, passion, drive, and commitment to disability and social equity, as well as his lived experience as a rural American who is gay and has disabilities, advanced his candidacy, and led to his ultimate hire.

Brandon shared, "I am proud to lead APRIL into the next phase of its growth and to support its efforts to achieve equitable experiences for people with disabilities. I believe that the organization is an important voice in the Independent Living movement, and I look forward to a vibrant future in which people with disabilities are heard and respected."  

Dan Kessler, current APRIL Interim Executive Director, who will assist with Brandon’s transition to the Executive Director role, stated, "It's been a privilege serving as APRIL's Interim Executive Director, working alongside amazing staff, board members, partners, and membership. All have been supportive, and have a strong sense of ownership and passion for APRIL's programs, traditions, and mission."

"The Board of Directors extends our utmost appreciation to Dan Kessler for coming out of retirement after serving over 30 years at a Center for Independent Living and after 6 months post-Kidney transplant. Dan served APRIL for nearly a year with nothing but love, dedication, and commitment to Independent Living," noted Kimberly Tissot, APRIL’s Board President.  

"Independent Living has faced difficult challenges over the past several years, but I see hopeful signs, including a desire for increased collaboration among our partners in IL. I hope to see our members’ voices and those of all people with disabilities elevated. I also hope to see the day when our members have the resources needed for their important work. All of this will require Independent Living speaking with a unified voice," Kessler shared. "I hope to see APRIL's continued growth and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, because I have been told that APRIL is a place where people feel they belong, and that is something we must never lose," he said.   

"As a self-identified 'country boy from north Alabama', who has multiple disabilities, it means a lot to me to lead APRIL with its focus on rural Independent Living. I can understand how different the experiences of people with disabilities living outside of urban centers are, and I want our organization to be the champion of these differences and to be a distinct voice within our movement," Brandon stated. "I'm also proud to be APRIL's first openly gay Executive Director. The intersection of sexuality and disability deserves recognition and a voice. It is my goal to be a leader who represents these marginalized communities and to be an ally with those who experience their disability in other diverse ways," he shared. 

"We are confident that under Brandon’s leadership, the organization, and the Independent Living Movement will flourish," said Kimberly Tissot, APRIL’s Board President.  

Please join us in welcoming Brandon Brown to the APRIL family on July 10, 2023.