Members Profile

Sarah Michaud is the Executive Director for New Vistas, a Center for Independent Living serving northern New Mexico. She graduated with a Masters of Education degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Missouri and has worked in the disability field for over 20 years. Her work experience includes an emphasis on multicultural service provision, program management and educational and employment support services. Before coming to New Vistas, Ms. Michaud worked for the Pueblo of Jemez Vocational Rehabilitation Program for 10 years, where she moved up to serve as the Program Manager for 8 years of her tenure. In this role, she was responsible for vocational rehabilitation service delivery to tribal members with disabilities, as well as the development and maintenance of two intertribal agreements for the provision of VR services to previously unserved tribal communities. Ms. Michaud joined the team at New Vistas in 2015 as the Deputy Director and then took over as the Executive Director in 2017. Ms. Michaud currently oversees the agency’s three main programs which include Early Intervention services providing services to children birth to three who have or are at risk for developmental delays, Disability Support and Advocacy services providing independent living supports to individuals living in nine counties in norther New Mexico, and a Microbusiness that fills production contracts as part of the agency’s resource development effort. Working together with her team, Ms. Michaud directs agency and program systems to ensure that services for people with disabilities across the lifespan are provided across New Vistas’ service area. In additional to her VR work, Ms. Michaud assists with disability advocacy efforts in New Mexico - serving on the NM DVR State Rehabilitation Council, the NM Statewide Independent Living Council, the New Mexico Public Education Department’s Career Technical Education Advisory Council, and the Interagency Coordinating Council.