Claudia was born and raised in West Islip, New York, where she graduated from West Islip High School. She graduated with a BA in Political Science in 1988 from The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. After college, she did an internship in the Suffolk County Executive's Office. She attended The National Center for Paralegal Training in Atlanta, Georgia and later earned her Certified Legal Assistant status. She worked in law firms on the East Coast for the next 6 years.
In 1997, after her first two children were born, her family moved to San Antonio, Texas. For a year, she volunteered with The Chromosome 18 Registry. In 1999, she was asked to join The Registry's staff as The Registry's first Executive Director. Her efforts continue to focus on raising money and awareness for The Chromosome 18 Registry and individuals born with chromosome abnormalities. In 2000 and 2008, she chaired The Chromosome 18 International Family Conference for The Registry in San Antonio. In 2004, she chaired and helped orchestrate The World Congress for Chromosome Abnormalities, which was the first conference of it?s kind. In her role as Executive Director, she has helped raise awareness in and around San Antonio about The Chromosome 18 Registry and its important work through media relations, social functions and various fundraisers. She has presented to local groups around San Antonio, attended educational meetings and has hosted nine golf tournaments to date with the tenth being planned for Spring, 2010. She has served on both her church and public school boards.
Claudia will continue to seek out new and innovative ways to educate people and raise money to help those born with a chromosome 18 change, or any chromosome abnormality. Claudia's current goals are to use her role as Executive Director of the Chromosome 18 Registry to communicate to people in San Antonio and everywhere the following points:
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That this can happen to anyone
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That those born with a chromosome abnormality can and should lead happy healthy and productive lives
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That making advances in research to help towards this goal requires money
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That everyone can help make a difference in the lives of these individuals and many future generations.