John Stewart is the Project Manager for the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services’ Real Pay for Real Jobs, an EPIC Model. Over the past 30+ years, John has worked with people with disabilities to help them find greater independence and empowerment in their lives. Prior to working for DARS, John provided employment supports to individuals in both sheltered and community-based settings through private and public providers. John then worked in school settings both as a teacher in self-contained classrooms and as a Transition Coordinator, assisting students, families, and IEP teams to build effective Transition plans, and building Work-Based Learning programming. John served as the publicity chair for VADCDT from 2017 to 2021 and served as a panelist for the 2016 Government Accountability Office‘s expert panel on Youth with Autism Transitioning to Adulthood.