Our Board Members
The Ms. Wheelchair California Leadership team is comprised of advocates and leaders committed to improving the lives of everyone living with disabilities. Lean more about our board by clicking on their images below.
Ms. Wheelchair California Board Members
Dr. Alette Coble-Temple
MWCA President
Dr. Alette Coble-Temple is an associate professor at the University of San Francisco with 19 years of teaching within a clinical psychology doctorate program and 21 years of experience serving as a forensic evaluator for the state of California. Her cultural-responsive leadership style promotes innovative academic and training structures to strengthen accessibility and effectiveness. Dr. Coble-Temple mentors from a developmental perspective with an emphasis on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Her research and advocacy is in the public interest areas of criminal justice reform, racism, disability, assessment, and healthcare disparities leading her to serve on multiple boards and committees at the national and state level. Currently, she is a member of the Policy & Planning Board for the American Psychological Association incoming chair of the Committee on Sexual Orientation & Gender for the National Council for Schools and Professional Programs in Psychology. Crowned Ms. Wheelchair America 2016 for her lifetime advocacy efforts for people with disabilities, her professional awards include the 2022 NCSPP Advocacy Leadership Award, the 2019 APA Presidential Citation, the 2018 CPA Distinguished Humanitarian Contribution Award, and the 2015 JFKU Harry Morrison Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award.
Kathleen Barajas
MWCA Vice President and Treasurer
Kathleen has been an advocate her entire life, first for herself and, more recently, for the disability community. She was born with cerebral palsy, and due to the severity of her disability, she has had to learn to live in a world where differences are not easily accepted.
In 2010, Kathleen got involved in her first disability organization, and has become increasingly active as the years proceed. As accessible transportation is her passion, Kathleen is on Metro’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, and holds the position of First Vice Chair. She is involved with numerous committees and councils, and this year got appointed to the Board of Directors of Disability Rights California.
In 2016, Kathleen was crowned Ms. Wheelchair California, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ms. Wheelchair America 2017 pageant. Kathleen’s platform topic was “Improve the way society views individuals with more severe disabilities through acceptance, interaction, and respect”.
In 2019, Kathleen founded Project AIR, a nonprofit organization which builds on her platform topic. The organizational mission is to “To educate communities in the appropriate treatment and accommodation of individuals with speech impairments and more severe disabilities.” Kathleen’s dream is to get Public AIR known to business entities who interact with individuals with disabilities daily. Learn more at https://project-air.net/.
Christine Burke
MWCA Secretary
For as long as she’s been able to talk, Christine has never been afraid to speak her mind. This passion quickly morphed into advocating for the disability community. For over twenty years, Christine has fought to help people discover the strength of their voice through the conduits of education, performance, and public speaking. You’re liable to find Christine on or near a stage, traipsing The Happiest Place on Earth, writing away on her blog, and attending various musical theatre and geek conventions from California to New York. She is beyond humbled and thrilled to have served as Ms. Wheelchair America 202 title to help put disability back in diversity.