Amy Westling is the Executive Director of the Association of Regional Center Agencies (ARCA), which works with all of California’s 21 regional centers that collectively serve more than 430,000 people with developmental disabilities. This work is supported through a combination of state and federal funding that exceeds $14 billion annually. The goal of ARCA is to advance and uphold California’s Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, which is the state’s legal framework that guarantees those served by the system the lifelong services and supports they need. California is the only state in the nation with this true entitlement to services.
Ms. Westling joined ARCA in 2012 and through her policy work and legislative advocacy has advanced services statewide for those who rely on regional center services and has been instrumental in securing additional funding for the system. Prior to that, she worked for Alta California Regional Center, serving ten counties in Northern California, coordinating the movement of individuals with developmental disabilities from institutional to community settings and for Central Valley Regional Center, located in the state’s agricultural heartland, overseeing service coordination for school-aged children in rural counties. She previously worked as an advocate directly assisting those with developmental disabilities and their families with dispute resolution with various governmental programs.
Ms. Westling earned both her bachelor’s degree in social work and her Master of Public Administration from California State University, Fresno.