BackNew Board Member, Kelle DeBoth Foust
Posted March 27, 2026 in Press Releases
LEAP is proud to introduce Kelle DeBoth Foust as one of our new board members. She is an Associate Professor in Occupational Therapy at Cleveland State University, Co-Director of Transdisciplinary Health in the College of Health, Sciences & Technology PhD Program, and Managing Director of the CSU TECH Hub. Ms. DeBoth Foust recently answered some questions so that we can get to know her better. Here are her answers.
- How did you initially hear about or get involved with LEAP?
I worked with Beth Glas in a couple of capacities – I believe I was first introduced during the Barrier Free Cleveland project, and then she has been an integral part of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Traineeship award that CSU received in 2022 as a community advocate and advisor. Working with her really opened my eyes to the needs of different communities in Cleveland, and her passion really inspired me to become a part of the work she is leading.
- Why is it important for you to be a part of the board?
I feel as though being an official member of the board, rather than an enthusiastic community member who attends events, provides me the opportunity to be a part of real change-making. I also believe that as a faculty member from CSU, I have additional resources and connections that I can bring to LEAP to help accelerate their mission and endeavors.
- Is there a service that LEAP provides that especially interests you? Why?
The social events for the community are of particular interest for me. People with disabilities often have access to a plethora of services – healthcare, social services, etc. – but one thing that is often lacking is the community-social connectedness. These types of events allow all people of all abilities to enjoy each other and community spaces together and for me that fills an essential missing piece.
- Is there anything that has surprised you as you have learned about LEAP, the board, our staff, or our services?
I do not believe that anything has surprised me, however, seeing the very diverse board has inspired me and gives me more motivation to work with this exceptional group for transformational community change and support.
- What are you passionate about (personally or professionally)?
I am passionate about helping people with disabilities – people with all abilities – live their best lives and have access to all of the community to enjoy. I recognize as an occupational therapist of 20+ years that barriers to access continue to persist and are a significant challenge. These barriers are not just physical, but also social, psychological, in additional to environmental – and I am passionate about findings ways to better promote participation and engagement.
I am also very passionate about working with communities and developing authentic partnerships. This is a central piece of my work, my research projects and how I view myself as an occupational therapy clinician and educator.
- What goals do you have moving forward as a member of the board?
For my first year, I’d really like to gain a better understanding of all of LEAP’s functions and activities and figure out where I can best plug in and provide value.
- What is something interesting that you would like to share about yourself for people to get to know you better?
I have a wonderful family including my husband, son, daughter and stepdaughter. I love to play tennis, have captained many summer women’s tennis teams over the years. I also love to cook and my specialty would probably be seafood entrees.