Whit Downing is the Vice President of Policy and Programming for the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities (KCDD). As an autistic person with mental health needs and lived experience, Whit brings both personal insight and professional leadership to her work. She previously served as a behavioral health consultant for the Council, a LEND Trainee, and a board member for HeadQuarters Kansas, where she focused on suicide prevention and the 988 crisis system. Whit is passionate about ensuring neurodiverse people are included in every conversation about mental health, crisis response, and systems change. She has shared her story with policymakers in both Kansas and Washington, D.C., and co-leads statewide efforts like We All Matter, which is a mental health support group for teens & adults with IDD. Whit takes pride in being a lifelong learner, she believes in the power of self-determination, and says that working for KCDD is a dream come true!