At TransCen, we believe disability should never limit opportunity or potential. We work to help individuals discover their strengths, build meaningful connections, and pursue careers that align with their goals. Our mission is grounded in the conviction that employment and active community participation are attainable for all people, regardless of disability or perceived barriers.
Improving the lives of people with disabilities through meaningful work and community participation.
A world where disability never limits employment or full participation in community life.
Person-Directed Employment & Transition
Training and Capacity Building
Research-to-Practice Solutions
Systems Alignment and Partnerships
Policy Leadership and Systems Change
Impact Evaluation and Knowledge Sharing
Established nearly four decades ago, TransCen, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization originally established to improve the transition from school to work for youth with disabilities. The name “TransCen” reflects our roots as a transition center and our enduring commitment to connecting education, employment, and community life.
Over time, our work expanded beyond school-to-work services to address broader workforce development and systems change efforts. Today, TransCen is nationally recognized for advancing disability employment, and our work continues to be informed and strengthened by the lived experiences of the communities we serve.
Built on resilience, advocacy, and unwavering commitment, TransCen was shaped by founders who devoted their lives to expanding opportunity and dignity for people with disabilities. Their impact laid the foundation for the work TransCen continues to advance.
Be part of a movement that promotes equity, opportunity, and full participation for people with disabilities.
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Margit was instrumental in the founding of TransCen, and empowered thousands of Montgomery County, Maryland residents to triumph over adversity. Born in Austria and raised in Prague, Margit fled to France when the Nazis annexed Czechoslovakia. After a hair-raising escape from the Nazis, she came penniless to the United States. She eventually settled in the Washington D.C. suburbs where she worked for 20 years for the Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) system. When she retired, she was saluted as an outstanding advocate for children with disabilities. She founded a countywide program that coordinates PTA Special Needs Committees throughout MCPS and provides support for parents of children with disabilities. As an MCPS employee, Margit shed light on equal opportunity for students with disabilities. She introduced programs for gifted students with learning disabilities and cleared obstacles to the first MCPS curricula for students with autism. As MCPS transition coordinator, she developed a model that continues to provide support to special education students as they prepare for life after graduation. Upon her retirement from MCPS in 1992, she worked with the school system to implement compliance activities associated with the Americans with Disabilities Act. In this role, she produced an award-winning public service video designed to reduce the stigmatization of persons with disabilities. Many organizations have saluted Margit as an outstanding advocate for children with disabilities and the including the Maryland Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, the Maryland Arc. In 2003, MCPS presented her with a Distinguished Service Award and named her as “Pioneer Individual” for significantly impacting the successes of special education curricula in the county.
Margit lived an exceptional life. She decided—at the age of 80—that it was time to write a book, Margit’s Story, about her experience as a Holocaust survivor. In the 12 years since the publication of her autobiography, she shared her story with many visitors to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, where she volunteered as a guide and was an original museum donor.
More on Margit’s life and experiences can be found in the links provided below. We encourage you to check them out and share them with others. As the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum posted on their Facebook page, “Remember Margit by sharing her story and listening to her advice about standing up, taking risks, and being curious.”
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum First Person video
Judy, a co-founder of TransCen, devoted her life as an advocate for children and adults with disabilities and their families. In addition to her work with TransCen, Judy served on the board of the Ivymount School in Rockville, Maryland, a non-public school serving students with autism, developmental disabilities, communication disorders, learning disabilities, and health impairments. She previously served as an executive board member of the Learning Disabilities Association of Montgomery County, Maryland. She also served on the advisory committee to the Superintendent of Special and Alternative Education of Montgomery County Public Schools, the advisory committee to the Office of Special Education in the Maryland State Department of Education, the advisory committee to the Office of Special Student Services at Montgomery College, and the advisory committee of Montgomery County Public Schools’ Department of Staff Development. In recognition of her work for individuals with disabilities, Judy received the Montgomery County Volunteer Activist Award, the Montgomery County Public Schools Recognition Award, and Honorary Life Membership from the Maryland Congress of Parents and Teachers.
Though Judy Borten’s physical being succumbed to a several-year struggle with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease on September 16, 2019, her keen intellect, amazing athleticism and love for family and cherished friends lives on. Judy touched hundreds of lives during her 81 years, including family, friends, colleagues, and students. She will be dearly missed by her husband/best friend/devoted life-long partner (they met when Judy was just 14 years old) Bill Borten, her sister Adrienne (who Judy idolized) and brother-in-law Martin Zausner, her three sons, Jeff (wife Jill), Dan (Katie) and Matt (Cathy), five grandchildren Ariel (Steven), Jeremy (Darcy), Michael, Holden and Yardley, her new great granddaughter Abigail, and the treasured friends she amassed and with whom she diligently kept in contact throughout her life.
Vice Chair Bob Rudney is a disability activist, defense and international security specialist, fledgling novelist, accomplished oil painter, and devoted weight trainer. Until retirement in August 2012, he served as Senior Advisor (political appointee) in the U.S. Department of the Air Force, where he focused on humanitarian assistance, resilience and suicide prevention training, and wounded warrior policy and programs. He also launched the HQ AF Disability Employee Resource Group, the first such group in DoD. For his accomplishments, he received the USAF Outstanding Civilian Service Award at his retirement.
Bob worked previously for the international consulting firm of Booz Allen Hamilton (2001-2009), where he managed intelligence analysis projects. In 2008-2009, he received a Kennedy Foundation Congressional Fellowship, serving in the office of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), where he worked on defense, disability, and other legislative issues.
Bob received his Ph.D. in French History from Michigan, defending a thesis entitled “From Luxury to Popular Tourism: The Transformation of the Resort City of Nice.” He also has a B.A. from Dartmouth and an M.A. from Oxford. He has co-authored four books on international security and nonproliferation and published over 50 professional articles (including op-eds in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Le Monde). In April 2012, he published his first novel, Lovers Lame, on the lives and loves of people with disabilities.
For 15 years (1994-2009) as a volunteer, Bob led the EXCEL! Networking Group, an employment support group for job seekers with disabilities in the Washington area. He was named ‘National Disabled Employee of the Year’ in 2007 by Careers and the Disabled magazine, while serving as an intelligence analyst at Booz Allen. In December 2011, he was selected USAF National ‘Outstanding Employee with a Disability.’
Bob previously served as Board Secretary for the DC Center for Independent Living and as Board Chair for Jane Franklin Dance Group. He is married with three grown children and lives in Washington, DC.
Carmen Rojas currently serves as the Director of Development for the Hispanic Business Foundation in Bethesda, Maryland. She also coordinates most of the activities of the HBF’s youth programs. She serves as a liaison between the small and mid-sized business community in Montgomery County, particularly the Hispanic and other minority groups owned businesses, and young adults looking for internships and jobs.
Born and raised in Maryland, I am a performance and results-driven professional with a diverse background in Information Technology, Cyber Security, and Law. My education and professional background include a Master’s Degree in Cyber Security and hands-on experience with a prominent technology company in Rockville, MD.
After gaining several years of professional and business experience, I enrolled in law school to combine my IT training and skills with the knowledge of law. In 2020, I received my Juris Doctor degree from University of Baltimore School of Law and by 2021 I was admitted to practice law in the state of Maryland.
I currently work as a corporate and business attorney for Samek, Werther & Mills LLC, a law firm located in Rockville Maryland.
In my spare time, I enjoy mastering new recipes, spending time with my dogs, and traveling.
Edward’s introduction to the field of employment disability issues was personal – his son, Charlie, has autism and an intellectual disability. When Charlie finished school and wanted to work, Edward and his wife contacted Creative Employment Opportunities (CEO) in Milwaukee and in a remarkably short time Charlie found employment. His Job Developer and Coaches were instrumental and essential in his success. Years later, when Edward decided on a career change, this experience led to a few conversations with Laura Owens and resulted in his joining CEO as a Job Developer.
Earlier, Edward had spent fifteen years as a small business entrepreneur and many other years in purchasing and sales positions. Through these experiences, he acquired the skills that allowed him to approach and convince small businesses to hire CEO/TransCen clients and help them succeed.
Now retired, Edward enjoys travel, walking, golf and coaching Special Olympics. He’s an accomplished singer and songwriter and has also recorded a CD of original music.
As a parent, businessman and CEO Job Developer, Edward brings a well-rounded range of experience and is happy to rejoin TransCen in a challenging new capacity.
Megan is an audit executive with more than twenty-five years of experience advising leading financial services organizations, including registered investment companies, hedge funds, investment advisors, and broker-dealers. As an Audit Managing Director at Ernst & Young LLP, Megan oversees complex audit engagements for asset management clients, guiding multidisciplinary teams and ensuring the delivery of high-quality, strategically informed work.
In addition to her client work, Megan plays several key leadership roles within EY. She serves as the Executive Sponsor for Experienced Management in the Mid-Atlantic region, partnering with regional leaders to address critical resource and workforce needs. She is also the Executive Sponsor of EY’s Greater Washington Abilities Professional Network, supporting initiatives that promote inclusion and accessibility in the workplace.
Megan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting, with a minor in Leadership Studies, from Marietta College, and is a Certified Public Accountant in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She resides in McLean, Virginia.
Oliver is the Executive Director of the Potomac Exchange. The Potomac Exchange is a private membership organization of executives from select, leading global firms that provides unique opportunities to meet and talk with recently accredited foreign ambassadors. Throughout the year, members host a recently credentialed foreign ambassador at a private off-the-record luncheon to discuss priorities, initiate business relationships, and network. Prior to this, Oliver was the Director and Market Executive of Bank of America’s Global Government Division where he was responsible for the oversight and management of relationships with international organizations, embassies, consulates, and related diplomatic institutions in the United States, and with international government entities throughout the world. Prior to joining Bank of America, Oliver worked for Hessische Landesbank and Westdeutsche Landesbank in New York.
Oliver has been on the board of TransCen since 1992 and served both as Treasurer for 15 years and as Chair for 13 years. He is a recipient of the Order of Merit from the Federal Republic of Germany. A graduate of Leadership Montgomery, Oliver is on the Church Council of Emmanuel Lutheran Church and serves as Treasurer of the Endowment Committee for the Emanuel Lutheran Church.
Tom is the former President of T.R. Klein & Company, an accounting firm specializing in not-for-profit auditing, where he served for 40 years. The firm was widely known for its “friendly and helpful” approach to working with nonprofit organizations. He is currently the President of Friday’s Child Early Learning Center, led by his daughter, in Baltimore City. Tom and his wife reside in Florida, where he enjoys playing pickleball and participating in RunDisney events at Walt Disney World.
Julie Harter is a retired EY Strategy Partner whose career blended strategic insight with a genuine commitment to people. Known for her calm leadership and thoughtful mentorship, she helped clients navigate complex challenges while always keeping humanity at the center of the work. During her years leading EY’s AccessAbilities Team, Julie became a driving force for disability inclusion, championing accessibility and shaping programs that made the firm more welcoming and equitable for professionals of all abilities.
Colleagues remember her as someone who listened deeply, led with clarity, and elevated those around her. Even in retirement, Julie continues to share her voice and experience, advocating for inclusive design and encouraging organizations to build environments where everyone can thrive. Her legacy lives on in the leaders she supported and the culture of inclusion she helped strengthen.
Lori serves as Ernst & Young’s Abilities Strategy leader, driving efforts to build an enabling and inclusive work environment for people of all abilities. She consults on accommodations and career development issues for EY staff working with differing abilities, and advises the firm’s AccessAbilities professional resource network, which includes over 900 people from across the organization’s geographies, ranks, and functional groups. Lori leads initiatives to enhance ergonomics and accessibility in EY offices, communications, meetings, trainings, and technology and to educate EY people on abilities-related issues.
Lori is a member of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Circle of Champions and serves as Secretary/Treasurer of the U.S. Business Leadership Network Board of Directors. She’s been with EY 16 years.
