Mark Starford is the founding director and key consultant of The SCILS Group, a non-profit community inclusion consulting group originally founded in 1977.  The SCILS Group dedicates its consulting and coaching efforts to ensuring people with developmental disabilities are provided opportunities to become active members of natural communities, decision makers and participate in the policy making process.

In 1996, Mark identified a specific need and established The Board Resource Center (BRC) brcenter.org, an organization that provides best-practice leadership facilitation for non-profit organizations, community advocacy groups and government agencies that advocate or serve people with diverse abilities. Mark Starford is widely known for his “plain language” technical planning materials and Board of Directors retreats aimed at adapting complex governance procedures for diverse community members who serve as volunteer members.

His work over the past thirty years spans being an inclusive elementary teacher, Founder and leader of a fully included non-public school, public speaker and advocate. Additionally, Mark has created plain language pictorial material adaptations for California Regional Centers, Department of Developmental Services, People First of California, Advocacy Groups, Service Providers, Developmental Disabilities Area Boards, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, public and non-public schools, individuals and families. He is passionate about his work, a systems change agent, school reform consultant and expert in developing cutting edge adaptation of complex ideas and concepts into accessible pictorial materials.

Mark’s work for people with developmental disabilities began as a Montessori teacher with an inclusive group of elementary age students. After years of teaching he founded a non-profit school that demonstrated the effectiveness of a learning community and inclusive teaching. The school was among the first group of schools to be recognized nationally by the U.S. Department of Education as exemplary for effectively including children with developmental disabilities in typical school classes, thus creating a “real community of learners”.

Since 1990, Starford has focused his efforts around facilitating people with developmental disabilities to become active members in their communities and to seek housing, employment and leadership opportunities that create meaningful self directed lives.  Mr. Starford holds a Bachelors of Art in Human Development, Montessori teaching credential and Masters in Education.