Samantha Alloway is the Executive Director of The Arc of Illinois and a passionate, results-driven leader in disability rights, government relations, and strategic advocacy. She currently serves as Chair of the HFS Autism Work Group within the Medicaid Advisory Committee and was appointed by Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch to the Illinois Commission on Poverty Elimination.

Samantha’s leadership is deeply rooted in personal experience. A mother of three, her advocacy took on new urgency when her middle son was diagnosed with autism at age three. That moment ignited her lifelong commitment to amplifying the voices of individuals with disabilities and transforming policy at both the state and federal levels to drive meaningful change.

One of her proudest moments this year was being quoted in Governor J.B. Pritzker’s Executive Order protecting Illinois from the creation of an autism registry - a moment that held deep personal significance. For Samantha, this wasn’t just policy, it was about protecting the rights, dignity, and future of her own child, and every family like hers across Illinois.