Stephanie Smith Lee has over thirty-five years of experience in public policy, including serving in senior Congressional staff positions, as a foundation administrator, and as a nationally recognized disability parent leader. Since her daughter, Laura, was born with Down syndrome in 1982, she has organized and led many successful bipartisan, collaborative efforts to improve special education and disability policy in Virginia and at the national level. As the Director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in the US Department of Education, from 2002 through March 2005, Ms. Lee directed the policy development, program planning, monitoring, evaluation, research and implementation of the Federal special education law. In that capacity, she focused the work of OSEP on improved transition and postsecondary opportunities for all students with disabilities, and on new opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities, among other initiatives.

Currently Ms. Lee is the Senior Policy Advisor for the National Down Syndrome Society’s Policy Center. She provides policy analysis and advice on a wide range of education and disability issues.