ADA & 504 Services

Megan Buxton is a member of the Coordinator & Director Services Team within the ADA/504 Team at Grand River Solutions. Megan provides strategic support, guidance and adoption of best practices to institutions of higher education and K-12 environments. This work includes facilitating trainings and delivering ADA/504 consultation and coordination services, including direct client support through service as an institution’s ADA/504 Coordinator. In this role, Megan also oversees institutional ADA and 504 Compliance, supervises and mentors ADA office staff, conducts trainings, revises policies and other relevant documentation, consults regularly with campus partners on accessibility and accommodation concerns, and creates processes to support institutional compliance efforts with the ADA and the interactive accommodation process.

Megan brings almost two decades of experience and expertise in ADA and Section 504 compliance and best practices. Megan’s years in the higher education setting and in private practice at an education law firm contribute to her robust background and wealth of knowledge that allows her to effectively address the needs of university communities. Prior to joining Grant River Solutions, Megan spent eight years as the Director of Accessibility at a private liberal arts University in the Northeast. During her time there, Megan was responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the disability office while also leading larger accessibility initiatives across campus. Through trainings and collaborative initiatives, Megan promoted accessibility awareness and efforts across campus to remove barriers for individuals with disabilities. Megan also developed policies and procedures and responded to, investigated, and resolved student complainants regarding accessibility or accommodations. As the director of a high volume, multi-faceted, and fast paced office, Megan consistently provided creative solutions to complex issues, all while establishing relationships with students and faculty and adhering to best practices. Megan has also served as an Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) mentor, providing leadership and support to new professionals in this field.

Before her work in higher education, Megan practiced as an education law attorney at a law firm in Connecticut. In this capacity, Megan collaborated closely with clients to navigate complex legal matters relating to special education, disability, and Title IX related matters. Megan also provided extensive professional development trainings on these issues and assisted school districts with responding to Office of Civil Rights, Department of Justice, and state level administrative complaints. During this time, Megan developed expertise in special education and disability law. Megan’s deep understanding of the legal landscape as well as her time spent in higher education allows her to think strategically and creatively to provide practical solutions and recommendations to navigate complex issues.

Megan received her juris doctorate from University of Connecticut School of Law. Always a scholar athlete, Megan graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s in science  and economics from Quinnipiac University while also being a member of the women’s basketball team.

Crystal C. Coombes is the ADA/504 Practice Team Lead at Grand River Solutions.

Crystal has more than 40 years of experience in private and public industry, higher education, compliance, crisis management, program development, mental health services, and disability management. Crystal previously served as ADA/504 Coordinator and Title IX Coordinator in addition to her role as the Assistant Vice President of Equity and Access Services with the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at George Mason University. During her extensive career, she has developed, implemented and managed several inaugural programs and services, including that of a multi-campus division of Student Affairs.   

Crystal has an extensive background in mental health and crisis assessment and management, equity and access services, disability and workers compensation, compliance and risk management, and investigation. She holds various professional certifications including licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia and as a national mediator.  

She received her Bachelor of Social Work and her minor in psychology and English from Virginia Commonwealth University. Crystal holds a Master of Education, Counseling from the University of Virginia and a second Master of Arts in English from National University. In addition to her administrative duties, Crystal taught various specialized subjects in the humanities at the postsecondary level. She has written numerous poems, short stories, works of music, and is the author of the Lucille Garcia Mystery Series including All Things Equal. 

Jessica Nagle is the Director of Coordinator & Director Services at Grand River Solutions.

Before joining Grand River Solutions, Jessica served as the Title IX Coordinator at Boston University. Prior to that role, she investigated allegations of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation involving staff and faculty. She also investigated similar allegations involving students at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Before her career in higher education, Jessica conducted investigations for the Massachusetts Trial Court and mediated disputes. Additionally, she served as a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem for the Massachusetts Trial Court, representing K-12 students in matters related to special education and disability law.

Jessica has a robust background in civil rights, Title VI, Title IX, equal employment opportunity (EEO), student conduct, employment law, special education, investigations, and behavioral intervention protocols. Jessica has experience collaborating with faculty, staff, and students in both public and private higher education institutions. Jessica has extensive experience in developing and implementing sexual assault prevention initiatives and training programs, including topics related to equity matters, field programs or study abroad, and safeguarding minors on campus.

Jessica earned her Juris Doctor degree from Suffolk University Law School and holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Public Policy from Suffolk University.

Kate Palumbo is a member of the Coordinator & Director Services Team at Grand River Solutions. In her current role, Kate supports universities and colleges with ADA/504 compliance efforts.  

Kate brings over two decades of ADA/504 compliance work with private and public universities, community college, state service, and non-profit sectors. She is an accomplished leader in accessibility services with extensive expertise in program and policy development, grant writing, education and training, promoting pedagogical best practice, and fostering institutional change.

Kate’s passion for education extends to the classroom, where she enjoys serving as adjunct faculty. In her professional roles, Kate has been a trusted advisor to faculty, staff and administrators, offering training on equitable access and barrier removal for students with disabilities, developing curricula, ensuring compliance with legal standards, and enhancing opportunities for students.

Kate holds a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling, Administration & Postsecondary Education from San Diego State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Marist College. She enjoys volunteering in therapeutic recreation activities including teaching swim lessons and coaching adaptive sports for youth with disabilities. When not working, Kate enjoys watching her kids play hockey, play baseball, dance, and swim. She also enjoys spending time in the garden and at the beach.

Karen Pettus is a member of the Coordinator & Director Services team at Grand River Solutions. Karen provides expert consulting services to support the ADA/504 team in her work with institutions of higher education and K-12 environments. Her work includes providing ADA/504 consultation and coordination services across higher education and K–12 environments, facilitating staff development and training, providing guidance on recent policy and procedure development, assessing offices for compliance, continuing improvement efforts, and using data in decision making. 

Karen brings over 30 years of experience and expertise in compliance and best practices in creating more inclusive student life environments. She served as the director of student disability resource centers at public and private four-year institutions and the technical college system. During Karen’s teaching career she focused on integrating students with disabilities into all aspects of a school’s curriculum rather than segregating students into separate classrooms and programs. Her desire to see students included in all aspects of life led her to disability services at the University of South Carolina, where she provided education and training for faculty and staff on the importance of providing appropriate accommodations that promote inclusion for college students in all aspects of university life. Karen focused on program assessment, continuous improvement efforts, and use of data in decision making to lead schools’ more inclusive student life environments.     

Karen served on numerous campus committees geared toward student success and retention, including a strategic planning committee, CARE teams, the South Carolina Technical College Disability Services Committee, and the SACS accreditation committee on diversity and inclusion. She chaired the Student Veteran’s Committee and the Disability Affairs Committee. She served on the advisory board for the rehabilitation counseling master’s degree program and the advisory board for the South Carolina Department of Education, Office of Exceptional Children for 10 years. Karen was a member of the South Carolina Department of Education External Review Team for seven years. She conducted several external reviews for colleges and universities in the southeast United States.  

Karen was the co-principal investigator for a grant to begin the Carolina LIFE program for students with intellectual disabilities on campus and a career training grant for students with disabilities from the South Carolina Governor’s office.  She won the Student Affairs Diversity Award at the University of South Carolina in 2020. Karen served as an Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) mentor, providing leadership and support to new professionals in the field. She was named an AHEAD Research Fellow and was selected for an AHEAD Evidence Based Practice Award (2020). 

Karen has conducted numerous presentations, pre-conference workshops, and webinars for AHEAD and other organizations. She also co-authored “Accessible tailgating: An examination of ADA requirements and implications associated with tailgating activities” (Gillentine, Grady, Miller, Pettus, 2016) in the Journal of Legal Aspects of Sport. 

Karen is a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a B. S. in Special Education. She completed a master’s degree in adult education and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Research from the University of South Carolina.

Judith Risch, J.D., Ph.D., is the Title IX & Equity/Access Services Special Advisor at Grand River Solutions. Judy brings over two decades of invaluable experience from her tenure at the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the U.S. Department of Education. Judy’s role at Grand River Solutions involves partnering with senior leadership in business, healthcare, government, and educational systems in areas of disability discrimination related to equity, access, and technology, ensuring best practices and compliance with federal civil rights laws, including Title IX, Title VI, Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Judy Risch is nationally recognized as a foremost expert in digital accessibility, having served as a senior attorney at the Department of Education, where she co-led the Office for Civil Rights National Digital Accessibility Team. Her role involved overseeing a team of attorneys and investigators across 12 regional offices, enforcing digital accessibility policies and advising educational institutions and business leaders on compliance with federal disability discrimination laws.

While at OCR, Judy provided expert technical guidance during the development of the new ADA Title II amendments that cover digital accessibility. She also contributed her expertise to updating the 2024 Section 504 Regulations regarding digital accessibility for the Department of Health and Human Services, OCR. Judy regularly advises and presents to educational institutions and business leaders throughout the country about how to effectively comply with federal civil rights laws, especially those that relate to disability discrimination, access, and technology.

Judy has advised senior leadership in businesses and state and local educational systems to ensure compliance and provide them with forward-looking guidance. Judy is in high demand as an expert speaker and educator on civil rights laws, presenting to organizations such as the national and state chapters of AHEAD, NACUA, EDUCAUSE, major university and community college systems, and CIO’s (Chief Information Officers) across the country.

Judy graduated from Miami University with a bachelor’s in special education and earned a law degree (JD) and a doctorate in educational administration (PhD) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Andrea Stagg is the Director of Consulting Services at Grand River Solutions. Andrea also serves as a training facilitator.

Andrea has served in various legal and compliance roles at public and private colleges prior to joining Grand River Solutions. As Deputy General Counsel and Director of Government Relations & Compliance at Barnard College she oversaw all legal and compliance matters. Before joining Barnard, Andrea was counsel to three colleges within the State University of New York and provided SUNY-wide Title IX compliance advice. At SUNY, Andrea co-coordinated a working group that created the policies that evolved into New York Education Law Article 129B, a groundbreaking state law providing fair and transparent practices to prevent and respond to sexual and interpersonal violence on campus. Andrea worked in federal higher education lobbying for Rutgers University before attending law school.

Andrea is an active member of the University Risk Managers and Insurance Association and the National Association of College of University Attorneys, through which she has authored several peer-reviewed publications and facilitated education sessions during conferences and webinars. Most recently, she co-wrote a chapter on the Clery Act and Title IX for  Convergence of Litigation, Policy, and Standards: Building the Informed Practitioner in Education Abroad Risk Management  (Pollard & Priebe, 2024).

In 2014, Andrea was awarded the Commissioner’s Award from the State University Police, and in 2019 she received the First Decade Award from the National Association of College and University Attorneys. She graduated from Rutgers University and The George Washington University Law School.

Aniya Sutton Ward is a member of the Coordinator & Director Services team at Grand River Solutions. Aniya supports the team by providing strategic guidance and compliance support in ADA/504 services, helping institutions navigate the complexities of accessibility laws and implement inclusive practices. In her current role, she delivers ADA/504 consultation and coordination services across both higher education and K–12 environments, focusing on equitable access, policy development, and the implementation of individualized accommodations. Her work promotes institution-wide alignment with federal disability regulations while centering on the needs of diverse student populations. 

Aniya previously served as the Title IX Coordinator and EEO/Title IX Investigator at Winston-Salem State University, where she oversaw day-to-day operations of the compliance office and conducted investigations involving faculty, staff, and students. She was instrumental in transitioning the Title IX function from Student Affairs and Human Resources to a standalone unit under Institutional Equity, where she led efforts to create a more robust and transparent policy infrastructure. Prior to that, she served as ADA Counselor and Title IX Investigator at Lenoir Community College and as an adjunct instructor in liberal arts. 

Aniya brings over a decade of experience in compliance and student services, with specialized knowledge in ADA/504 policy implementation, accessibility planning, and civil rights investigations. She has served on policy development committees, coordinated campus-wide training programs, and successfully led university initiatives recognized by the National HEED Award for Diversity Excellence. Aniya also partnered with community agencies, such as Forsyth County Family Services, and secured the North Carolina Against Sexual Assault (NCASA) HBCU Grant to enhance campus prevention programming. 

She holds a Master of Counseling from Liberty University, a Master of Adult Education from Walden University, and graduate certifications in women’s and gender studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She earned her B.A. in Political Science and English from Winston-Salem State University. Aniya is currently pursuing her Doctor of Education in higher education leadership at Clark Atlanta University. 

Outside of her professional life, Aniya is a committed wife, mother and active community volunteer, engaged in scholarship, service, and leadership development programs for youth and families. 

Myra Waddell is a member of the Coordinator & Director Services team with over 30 years of experience in higher education.

Myra served as the Director of Disability Services at Winston-Salem State University, and a Special Education Resource Teacher in Franklin County Schools, Virginia. She also served as an itinerant teacher to Greensboro City Schools and Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools, in North Carolina.

At Winston-Salem State University, Myra was responsible for providing accommodations to faculty, staff, and students, providing educational opportunities to the university ,and assisting with maintaining ADA compliance. Myra facilitated trainings and led presentations for faculty, staff, students, academic departments, and residence life. Her trainings and presentations were also implemented during open house events and orientation sessions for new and transfer students, as well as bi-weekly new hire sessions.

Myra received her Master of Science Degree in Adult Education and Distance Learning from the University of Phoenix, and a Bachelor of Science from Winston-Salem State University in Special Education.