March 20, 2025 By CDHD Meet our new CAC Chair and Vice Chair The Idaho CDHD Community Advisory Committee (CAC) has undergone a few recent changes. All in an effort to make sure the CAC has what they need to continue to guide the CDHDs mission, vision and goals. This includes appointing a new Chair and Vice Chair. Recently, the CAC held a vote to appoint Mike Gates and Noll Garcia in the roles respectively. The two are existing CAC members and self-advocates. In their new roles, they will help guide Committee meetings and ensure that people with disabilities and family members have a prominent role in advising the CDHD. They will bring these voices, lived experiences and invaluable input to the forefront. We’re excited to welcome Mike and Noll to their new roles. Both were kind enough to answer a few of our questions to get to know them and find out more about their vision for CAC. Mike Gates, CAC Chair Mike is originally from Spokane, Washington. He’s now living in Moscow and for the past three years has been working part-time as a Door Dash driver. He loves going to church and being with his friends. In fact, these are the three things that are most important in his life, along with sports. In his spare time, he’s watching movies, going to the gym and working on his growing collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia. Two of his proudest achievements (so far) include going through the Partners in Policy Making program and doing Bloomsday every year for the last 20 years. How long have you been involved in the CAC? Mike: Three years And what drew you to get involved? Mike: I am interested in what the Center does, and I like that I can voice my own opinions and work to make things better for people with and without disabilities. Why do you want to be the Chair of CAC? Mike: I look forward to bettering myself as a leader. There is always room to improve in life, and it’s a chance to help other people. I like it! And what do you hope to accomplish during your time as CAC Chair? Mike: Learn how to come up with good ideas for the Center and our state. I also want to have even better CAC meetings. Thanks, Mike! We’re looking forward to seeing you grow as a leader. Noll Garcia, CAC Vice Chair Noll is originally from Buhl, Idaho but now lives in Meridian. He’s currently working with Idaho VR on employment development and is looking at completing his GED. He’s interested in going back to school to study psychology. Noll loves to fish and drink beer, with his favorite fishing spot being CJ Strike Reservoir. His family is an important part of his life, as is his advocacy work. He considers the latter one of his greatest accomplishments – advocating for others who may not be able to advocate for themselves. How long have you been with CAC, Noll? Noll: Two years And what drew you to get involved with CAC? Noll: It is a way to continue in advocacy in the state. Why do you think CAC is important? Noll: Because the Center's work does a lot of great things. I like to provide input, and I also learn a lot, like they have helped connect people with assistive technology. The CAC definitely plays an important role in making these great things happen. What drew you to put yourself forward for Vice Chair? Noll: It’s a new experience and it helps grow my advocacy skills. What do you hope to accomplish during your time as Vice Chair? Noll: Hopefully, I will be exposed to new skills and experiences I can use in my life. Great! What are you looking forward the most about the coming year in CAC? Noll: Hopefully, we will get together in person at least once. That would be pretty awesome. Thanks, Noll! We’re looking forward to working with you as Vice Chair. For more information about the Idaho CDHD CAC, please visit our CAC webpage, or contact Jen Magelky-Seiler at jmagelkyseiler@uidaho.edu.