Wola Nani is a non profit, behavior focused day program that is built on evidence based practices. Our program provides structured routines with therapeutic, recreational and life skills activities. Our goal is to assist individuals in learning independent living skills, emotional regulation, social, and communication skills, behavior support, redirection, and other skills. We have designed a few different rooms specifically to help with the various needs of our participants.
Meet our team
We are a team of individuals who believe people with disabilities deserve the same opportunities as the rest of society. We have decided to make those opportunities a reality through the services we offer. Our team will go above and beyond to make certain each enrolled individual attains their goals. We are determined to help our participants with their daily living skills. We accomplish this through a person-center approach. Our team believes that participants are a very vital and integral part of society. Our team will make sure all participants are interacting and staying involved. Our team will further assist participants in developing, social and life skills to gain the confidence needed to successfully function in society.
Debra Howard
(CEO)
As the CEO and owner of this amazing organization, I believe I am uniquely positioned by God to offer an environment where individuals can be themselves and to be in a space where respect and dignity is paramount. It is my daily goal to allow everyone enrolled to have a voice and to be the leader in their daily program activities. I believe their day should be designed around their choices and not dictated but instead decided upon by their likes and preferences. I have a responsibility to help each of them build upon their unique abilities and to ensure their independence. It is our responsibility as an organization to help each enrolled participant develop their abilities through social engagement, community integration, inclusivity, life skills development, educational growth, and vocational opportunities.
Arrion Howard
(Program Director)
Arrion has served as the lead of the Wola Nani Behavior Program for the past three years and has over 13 years of experience as a Direct Support Professional. He brings extensive competency-based expertise in functional analysis, behavior intervention plans (BIPs), data collection, and the ABCs of behavior modification. He has also received continuous Behavioral Skills Training (BST) through
Evolution Behavior Consultants, our BCBA training partner for over 12 years. As lead of the Wola Nani program, his role includes observation of support staff and ensuring each participant enrolled in the behavior program receives quality and consistent safe and personal care. Trained in functional analysis and being CPI certified, Arrion has proven his ability to calmly handle any aspect of this program and showed this ability in the face of a life and death situation in which a participant was choking. Mr. Arrion followed procedure to assist the participant by quickly administering CPR to the participant who was turning blue and was unconscious before the paramedics arrived. He was able to calmly respond to the requests of the emergency medical personnel and provide the necessary background and health information for the participant which resulted in saving the participant’s life. Arrion’s calm demeanor along with his training in functional analysis and CPI allows him to demonstrate consistent patience with this population through his amazing ability to de-escalate most situations have proven to be invaluable in his more than 13 years of working with the behavior population.
Eric Wilson
(Assistant Program director)
Eric started an integral part of Life of Liberty (the parent program of Wola Nani) since March of 2017 as a paid volunteer during his college breaks before becoming a full-time student. Once Eric graduated from San Diego State in 2021, with his degree in general studies and sociology, he returned to LOL to continue his journey of serving the population whom he was already familiar with. In November of 2024, Eric accepted the position and was promoted to Asst. Program Director. As Asst. Program Director, Eric is responsible for full supervision of the floor, conducting observation of support staff and ensuring the care, safety and welfare of each participant enrolled in Wola Nani. Eric is the boots on the ground person that will monitor the staff and participants during our programming hours. With his more than 7 years working with the IDD population he is equipped to address the needs of our population with both knowledge and practical experience.
Board of Directors
Mark Wertz
(Chief Operating Officer)
LOL-Life of Liberty (LOL) and Wola Nani Management (WNM) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Wertz as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO). Mr. Wertz brings with him more than two decades of leadership experience in healthcare administration, operations, and strategic management.
Mark’s focus will be on fostering collaboration, business growth, teambuilding and aligning best practices across all entities in all locations.
Josette Findlater
(Board Member)
I am excited to be asked to join this organization as a volunteer board advisor. My position will give me the pleasure of offering suggestions and advice that will help the operation to grow and exceed in its services to those in the community with developmental disabilities. I strongly believe that disability does not equate to inability.
Valencia Saadat
(Managing Advisor)
I am thrilled to be an advisor for such an amazing organization. I am positioned to offer my many years of experience as a law enforcement lieutenant and current police chief to propel the organization to be the best that it can be. I am accustomed to critical thinking, working with facts, and objectivity. I am honored to be an aid in what I consider a much needed service to such a special group of individuals.