Staff

Headshot of Matt Cherry

Matt Cherry (he/him) | Director of Philanthropy

During three decades building movements for social change, Matt Cherry learned the power of philanthropy to multiply the impact of all the talent, passion, and hard work within civil society.

Matt spent 13 years as an executive director in the humanist movement and served three terms as president of the United Nations NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief. In 2013, Matt moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to become executive director of Death Penalty Focus. There, he raised more than $7 million for a ballot initiative to abolish the death penalty in California.

While working at the UN to protect the fundamental right to communicate, Matt’s twin daughters were diagnosed with Autism. His work for Ability Central helps provide the practical support that many people, including his daughters, need to realize their right to express themselves.

Matt has spoken at hundreds of meetings; interviewed extensively for print, radio, and TV; and his writings have appeared all over the world, including in The Guardian, LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Washington Post. He is the co-author of four books, including an Amazon bestseller.

Alyah Thomas is centered on a light gray background in a tightly cropped photo. Alyah is a mixed-race, Black-presenting young woman in her late twenties. She has a light-to-medium complexion, dark brown, back-length curly hair, and deep brown eyes. Her curls are pulled back on the side closest to the camera, with bangs cascading over the other, exposing a smiling face wearing bright red lipstick. A diamond necklace rests on her chest among the unbuttoned collar of the white dress shirt she wears.

Alyah Thomas (she/her) | Accessibility and Partnerships Manager

Alyah [ah-lee-yuh] Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree in Deaf Studies from California State University, Northridge and is an accredited Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies through the International Association of Accessibility Professionals. With over a decade of experience working with diverse disabled communities, she is committed to disability justice and co-creating an equitable future in which everyone’s right to communicate and reliably receive information is realized.

Her current role as the Accessibility and Partnerships Manager reflects her commitment to empowering others through intersectional, person-centered strategies and community building. She manages the annual grant cycle and any requests to support others on their journey to be more accessible and inclusive of people with disabilities. Additionally, she bridges gaps between programs, serves as a subject matter expert, and arranges speaking engagements to promote the work of our grantees and accessible practices within various sectors.

Outside of Ability Central, Alyah exemplifies her dedication to advocating for disability rights. As evidenced by her efforts funding blindness and low-vision services in Northern California with the Peninsula Endowment, raising awareness and promoting accessibility within the professional hockey and Bay Area pro sports community as a member of the San Jose Sharks Foundation’s Young Professionals Board, and promoting disability-inclusive dropout prevention and youth-violence intervention services at Champions in Service of San Fernando Valley.

Headshot of Grant Barringer

Grant Barringer (he/him) | Communications Manager

Grant Barringer is the Communications Manager for Ability Central. He leads general communications for the organization, providing direction and support in key areas including marketing, design, brand development, and public outreach. He develops accessibility and disability educational materials and maintains accessibility standards throughout Ability Central’s various initiatives.

Most recently serving as the Creative Manager for the Bar Association of San Francisco and the Justice and Diversity Center, Grant has extensive experience with nonprofit organizations nationwide, partnering with community leaders to increase impact in climate and wildlife conservation, legal advocacy, the arts, and more.

Informal headshot of Maggie May. They stand outside overlooking a waterfront street, looking up and smiling into the camera. Maggie is a young white femme with short brown hair swept across her forehead to one side.

Maggie May (they/she) | Content Coordinator

Maggie May is the Content Coordinator for Ability Central. Their work includes creating, editing, and curating content that elevates the profile of Ability Central programs and projects.

As an established writer and journalist within the nonprofit sector, Maggie brings more than six years of communications experience to Ability Central. Her award-winning research and reporting work can be found in literary journals, on multiple foundation blogs and websites, and in the online feminist giving magazine, Philanthropy Women. Maggie holds a B.A. in Creative Writing & English from the George Washington University, where they were a Lannan Literature Fellow.