Abel Young was born and raised in Phoenix, where he lives, happily married, and raising two children. He is a Hispanic male, who has had a long interest in working with youth. Prior to starting his career, Abel spent several years working for the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department, and it was during this time that he realized the importance of setting a strong foundation for the youth in our communities. Specifically, while working in lower income communities, Abel helped guide many of the recreation center regulars down paths that led to their success, by providing them with the information and resources they needed to make more successful decisions.

Abel considers every day a learning experience, and his career path has been rich with opportunity to do just that. He started as a Support Coordinator with the Division of Developmental Disabilities, and transitioned to working as an Employment Specialist there. After which, he moved to the state Vocational Rehabilitation program, and now serves as the Statewide Transition Coordinator, where he found his passion: assisting youth and organizations that serve youth, in realizing the importance of employment as a future goal. Abel has surrounded himself with experts in many different fields, whose influence encouraged him to become a better advocate for transition aged youth. He serves as a volunteer Board Member for the Arizona Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) Chapter, an organization that promotes Employment First principals, which are a belief that employment should be the first consideration and priority for any person who has a disability.

Abel takes his work very seriously, yet strives to create balance between work and his personal life. Watching his kids grow up is very rewarding, and being present for them is extremely important to him. Abel’s interest in becoming more involved with Diverse Ability Incorporated, by serving as a Board Member, stems from how inspiring he finds the youth leaders. Every time he has an opportunity to work with one of the youth leaders, or to experience them presenting, it reinforces how important the work of Diverse Ability Incorporated is.