Chris J. Hilderbrant

Male, 44 years old

chris hilderbrant
Chris Hilderbrant is CDR’s first Chief Operating Officer (COO), managing all of the day-to-day operations of offices in Rochester, Corning, Geneva and Albany. The creation of this new position is in direct response to CDR’s rapid growth and promising future. “Chris is a mission-focused, strategic, and process-minded individual,” said Bruce E. Darling, CDR President/CEO. “His fierce commitment to our mission, our organization, and the civil rights movement we are a part of has been evident throughout his career with CDR.” First and foremost, Hilderbrant sees CDR as a civil rights organization that is nationally recognized for its unique fusion of advocacy and services on behalf of people with all types of disabilities, so that they may live independently and reach their potential. With this mission as his focus, Hilderbrant’s short list of priorities includes enhancing the organization’s quality of services and exploring new service and funding opportunities. Since 2003, Hilderbrant has served as Director of Advocacy. As a person with a disability due to a spinal cord injury at the age of 14, he has used his personal experience over the past two decades to guide the organization’s advocacy efforts on behalf all people with disabilities, which is representative of CDR’s peer model of advocacy and services. He has led non-violent, direct action efforts for the rights of people with disabilities throughout New York state and the country, including being arrested for committing civil disobedience. One of the most significant accomplishments during his tenure in advocacy has been the enactment of legislation to develop the Nursing Facility Transition and Diversion Waiver in order to ensure that New Yorkers with disabilities, regardless of age or type of disabilities, can access services needed for life in the most integrated setting. With Hilderbrant providing dynamic, consistent and motivational leadership to the CDR staff on the home front, Darling will be freer to focus on the organization’s expanding policy and advocacy influence on the statewide and national level. While in his senior year in college, Hilderbrant began what he thought would be a one year “gig” as a part-time residential habilitation staff person providing in-home support services under the OMRDD waiver. After completing his degree in sociology from Nazareth College in 1999, he became a full-time staff person and eventually managed all community support services for CDR. During this time he became nearly fluent in American Sign Language and developed strong relationships with many in Rochester’s Deaf community. Eleven years later, Hilderbrant’s starting a new chapter at CDR. “I enjoy seeing people with disabilities empowered,” he said. “Whether it’s individually through services that enable people to be more in control of their lives, or through participation in a successful protest, it’s really amazing to see people that have been pushed to the margins throughout their lives suddenly have a glimmer of the understanding of the power that they have.”    Outside of CDR, Hilderbrant has shared his time and talents serving on numerous committees, councils and boards, including the County of Monroe/City of Rochester Council for People with Disabilities; the Advisory Committee to the Robert E. Duffy Transition Team, City of Rochester; the Advisory Committee to the Rochester Housing Market Study; the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley, Board of Directors; Monroe County Library System, Coordinated Outreach Committee; St. Mary’s Downtown Community Forum, Advisory Board; and most recently, the New York State Help America Vote Act Task Force. read more ...
  • activism
  • sociology
  • parenting
  • class of 1994
  • covenant
  • stanley kubrick
  • the daily show
  • Dansville High School
  • Nazareth College Of Rochester
  • Rochester
  • Various
  • Chief Operating Officer
  • Board Member
  • Public Policy
  • Center For Disability Rights

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