Advocacy Trust's Chief Fiduciary Counsel, Kelli Gardner, JD, has been selected as the newest member of the Special Needs Alliance (SNA). “I am honored to join the Special Needs Alliance,” said Kelli Gardner. “Every family’s situation is unique, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share ideas and best practices with other professionals who are equally committed to improving the lives of those we serve.”

Established in 2002, the Special Needs Alliance (SNA) is a national, non-profit collective of many of America’s leading disability and public benefits attorneys. Currently, in 48 states, SNA members work to secure Medicaid and other public benefits for individuals with special needs. SNA’s mission is to help enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities by coordinating private resources with public benefit programs through special needs planning and trusts.

Membership to SNA is selective and competitive and is extended by invitation only. Attorneys must meet specific criteria to ensure that SNA clients are served with the utmost professionalism and compassion. Criteria include a minimum number of years of practice in the special needs area and proven involvement with disability advocacy organizations.

Kelli Gardner is a trust and estate attorney with nearly twenty years of experience handling complex trust and estate administration matters. As Chief Fiduciary Counsel of Advocacy Trust, she oversees all fiduciary legal matters and their tax program, drawing on a background that includes leadership roles in fiduciary management and legal counsel for national and regional financial institutions. Earlier in her career, Kelli practiced law in New England and the Midwest, focusing on estate planning, tax, trusts, elder law, and special needs planning. A graduate of the University of Vermont and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Kelli is an active member of several professional organizations, including the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), and frequently speaks on estate and special needs planning topics. She is admitted to the bar in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Maryland.

“Kelli’s membership selection as a member of the Special Needs Alliance is a well-deserved honor, and we are incredibly proud,” said Kathryn Maloney, President of Advocacy Trust. “Her work embodies our mission to empower families through trust and advocacy. We are confident she will make a meaningful impact within this respected national community.”

Gardner joins a select group of attorneys who comprise the SNA—members who serve on the boards of national, state, and local organizations serving the disability community. They are current, former, or incoming executive members of prominent legal and advocacy organizations, including the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the American Bar Association, the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel, and the bar associations of their respective states. For more information, visit www.specialneedsalliance.com.