About Sheri Ann Farinha
Sheri Ann Farinha is a former NAD Board officer and nationally recognized civil-rights advocate who has served as CEO of NorCal Services for Deaf & Hard of Hearing for more than 33 years. Holding a BA and MA in Special Education from Cal State Northridge, she has dedicated her career to ensuring language access, educational equity, and communication access for Deaf and hard of hearing children and adults. As Director of the LEAD-K national campaign, Sheri co-led passage of California’s 2015 LEAD-K law—the first state legislation to explicitly emphasize ASL and English as languages of instruction to be assessed and tracked during the critical 0–5 early learning years—and helped expand LEAD-K to 23 states in partnership with Deaf communities and parents. Since 2020, she has served as the first nonprofit Deaf Principal Investigator for HRSA-funded LEAD-K Family Services at NorCal, connecting families to early intervention after newborn hearing identification. Her legislative and policy work includes testifying before Congress, securing Deaf-access support across California state agencies, advancing 911 accessibility from the 1994 LAPD/DOJ settlement to statewide text-to-911 deployment, and co-creating California’s Disaster Response Interpreter curriculum. Known as a collaborative taskmaster, she brings community leaders, government, and service systems together to protect language rights and ensure meaningful access for Deaf people nationwide.
About Andrew J. “Andy” Imparato
Andrew J. “Andy” Imparato is a disability rights lawyer and policy professional who has worked inside and outside government for more than 30 years to advance policies and practices that improve opportunities and outcomes for people with disabilities. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Disability Rights California, a $51 million legal services and policy advocacy organization based in Sacramento with 25 offices across California. His perspective is informed by his lived experience with bipolar disorder. He previously spent more than two decades in Washington, DC working on national disability policy and advocacy. Since 2024, he has served as Chair of the National Disability Advisory Council for Centene, a Fortune 50 healthcare company. He has also been an advisor on disability inclusion and accessibility to a number of other major companies and businesses, including Walmart, Verizon, AT&T, Microsoft, IBM, Walgreens, and SAP.
About Fred Michael Beam
Fred Michael Beam is a Black Deaf artist, dancer, actor, poet, choreographer, and visual storyteller whose work lives at the intersection of culture, identity, and movement. Born in Georgia and raised in Florida, Beam became deaf at the age of three—an experience that would shape not only his path, but his purpose. His work centers Black Deaf history and lived experience, using the arts to amplify stories too often left unseen. A graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT/NTID), Beam has performed on stages across the United States and internationally, bringing a distinct visual and physical language to every space he enters. His theater credits include productions such as Othello, and he made history as the first deaf choreographer in Washington, D.C. to work on a theater production—expanding access and visibility within the performing arts. Beam is also a builder of institutions and communities. He co-founded the all-male Deaf dance company Wild Zappers and later directed the National Deaf Dance Theatre, helping to shape the future of Deaf performance. His leadership extends beyond the stage: he served as president of the National Black Deaf Advocates from 2007 to 2009 and directed Invisible Hands International, where he promoted deaf awareness through the arts on a global scale. Committed to education and mentorship, Beam has worked as an outreach coordinator for Sunshine 2.0 at NTID, guiding and inspiring the next generation of Deaf artists. He currently serves as a Transition Coordinator at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, where he supports Deaf students in preparing for life beyond school through career readiness, mentorship, and community connection. His creativity also spans visual art, with exhibitions at venues including the Dyer Arts Gallery and the Kentucky Deaf Festival. Beam’s contributions have earned national recognition, including Essence magazine’s “Real Men of the Year.” In 2026, he brought his artistry to one of the world’s largest stages, performing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” in American Sign Language at Super Bowl LX—a powerful moment that reflected both his journey and his impact. Through movement, visual art, and advocacy, Fred Beam continues to tell stories rooted in Black Deaf identity—stories that carry history, resilience, and pride.
About JAC
JAC—often known as a “JAC of all trades”—is a dynamic Master of Ceremonies, auctioneer, and ASL & Accessibility Consultant with nearly 30 years of experience in theatre, film, keynote, training, education in LGBTQIA+, and live events. Known for commanding the stage with warmth, wit, and cultural fluency, JAC has emceed national programs, galas, and fundraisers including the NAD ASL Literacy Night and Miss Deaf America / Ambassador programs.
JAC made history as the first ASL (dubber) performer featured in Marvel’s Ant-Man and has since served in creative leadership roles including Director of Artistic Sign Language (DASL), Quality & Assurance Supervisor, and translator for productions.
As the founder and CEO of Velvet Hands, an ASL theatrical & performance interpreting company celebrating its tenth year, JAC currently serves as Sales & Marketing Strategist for Keystone Interpreting Solutions, Adjunct Theatre Faculty at Community College of Baltimore County, and a freelance Deaf interpreter.
A proud alumni of Gallaudet University, JAC lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for 25 years before moving to Maryland to live with life partner Rosa Lee Timm, two bonus children, and four cats.
JAC is thrilled to return as Entertainment Coordinator for the #NAD2026 Cultural Extravaganza and Conference Bash/Closing Celebration in the Bay Area—a place that has never left JAC’s heart.