Our Team
Who We Are
Cindy Bentley
Founder & Executive Director
Cynthia “Cindy” Bentley is the executive director of People First Wisconsin and a fearless advocate for people with disabilities. She is an African American woman with an intellectual and developmental disability and a survivor who endured institutionalization to go on to become a leader in Wisconsin. Cindy leads other self-advocates across the state of Wisconsin in making
our communities more accessible. She is passionate about voting rights, long-term care, community inclusion, mental health, employment, sexual violence prevention, and accessible transportation. Cindy is a highly decorated Special Olympics athlete and a Global Messenger. Cindy received her honorary doctorate degree from the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee in May 2025. You can learn more about Cindy by watching this video that was featured at the 2025 Wisconsin Film Festival.
Nancy Gapinski
Operations Manager
Nancy Gapinski,Operations Manager, has worked with people with disabilities for over 30 years and as an independent contractor for People First Wisconsin since 2021. She is a proud graduate of BPDD's Partners in Policymaking and a founding member of Save IRIS.
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Sydney Badeau
Advocacy and Outreach Specialist
Sydney, who has been with People First since 2022, is a graphics guru, helping out with graphics for social media, conference ads and other important things. Sydney also is a great connection builder and resource finder. She speaks at many conferences and talks about things we are working on at People First such as Plain Language and direct communication.
Priscilla Battle
Intern
Priscilla is a self-advocate leader who has worked on a variety of grants for People First Wisconsin including the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities' (BPDD) Living Well Project and the DHS Sexual Violence Prevention Grant. She is currently completing an internship with PFW through BPDD. She is also participating in an internship as a peer mentor with ODC.
Jenny Benjamin
Grant Writer and Educator
A novelist and poet, Jenny Benjamin joined People First Wisconsin as an independent contractor in September 2022. She mentors the Plain Language Team, researches and writes grant applications, and supports team members.
Felicia Clayborne
Outreach Advocate
Felicia Clayborne lives independently in Wauwatosa, WI and is an Outreach Project Team Member at People First Wisconsin. She has been advocating for over 30 years. She is a Partners in Policymaking graduate of 2022. She advocates for transportation, healthcare, and more. She is a board member on the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities (BPDD). She is a graduate of Wisconsin Family Leadership Institute (WiFLI) of 2023. She has demonstrated leadership skills through her various roles within the disability community.
Meara Holmberg
Executive Assistant
Meara has been working for People First Wisconsin since 2022 doing administrative work. She's passionate about ventriloquist. She's excited to be a part of the team.
Nathaniel Lentz
Outreach Advocate
Nathaniel has advocated for people with disabilities since 2007, presenting nationally and serving on multiple boards and coalitions. He has influenced policy at the state and federal levels and is Program Director for The Arc-Dane County. A University of Wisconsin-Whitewater graduate, he is also a Contributing Editor of Disability, Intersectionality, and Belonging in Special Education.
Erin Miller
Advocate Specialist
A public speaker and writer, Erin joined People First Wisconsin in 2019 and is thrilled to watch People First grow and change. She runs the People First Wisconsin facebook page, is a member of the newsletter team, and supports team members.
Stephenie Mlozdik
Sexual Violence Prevention Grant Project Manager
Stephenie has an extensive background in advocacy, relationship building, and fund development. She
has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Augsburg College (now Augsburg
University). Stephenie has brought her unique voice and perspective to various community and state forums, including WisconSibs Inc., People First Wisconsin, WCASA, Families Matter, Kimberly High School, the BPDD Board (currently serving her
second term), various state and national conferences, and Disability Advocacy Day. She is a graduate of
Partners in Policymaking.
