Vernon interviews Bob Allnutt, and Leslie Nordin. Vernon and his guests Bob and Leslie will discuss how co-ops are solving housing needs for their adult children with special needs, Bob and Leslie also introduce The Neighborhood of Maryland, Inc, and the Big Wave Project, two programs they have established as a vehicle for their efforts.
Bob Allnutt is a real estate broker and developer in Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. Bob and his wife Amy are parents to three children, daughters Elizabeth and Emma, and their son Jack. Non-speaking and autistic, Jack learned to communicate via typing at age 10 and was mainstreamed in the public school system. Now 21, Jack has graduated from high school and will start college to pursue his interest in finance and the stock market. Jack was one of the stories featured in the 2017 documentary Far from the Tree, based on the Andrew Solomon bestseller.
Bob has used the knowledge and contacts accumulated from over 40 years of real estate experience – supplemented by zealousness, passion, and urgency created by the needs of Jack and his peers – to make progress in creating a community for which there was no perfect template to be found. Bob has a degree in finance from Virginia Tech and an MBA from The George Washington University. Before launching his own commercial real estate practice in 1995, Bob was a vice president at Boston Properties. Bob enjoys sports, outdoors, and music, playing harmonica and singing in a local blues band.
The Neighborhood of Maryland, Inc. was established in 2021 as a charitable non-profit to facilitate the creation of a community focused on addressing the requirements of special needs adults. The Neighborhood of Maryland has been shaped by the myriad of applicable laws and regulations, and in its current form is two distinct entities. The public benefit, non-profit will build and own a regional community center catering to the special needs population in general. The privately funded housing cooperative comprising primarily of special needs parents, will develop and own the adjacent residential community.
Leslie Nordin is an attorney and mother to Sawyer, who will be a future resident of Big Wave. Since Sawyer’s birth in 2004, Leslie has been actively involved with the work of various non-profit organizations. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of Perkins School for the Blind, Leslie has acted as a public spokesperson for multiple organizations that benefit children and adults with disabilities, including autism and visual impairment.
Leslie’s perspective and experiences parenting a child with special needs have been featured on the radio and in print. In 2009, Leslie ran the Boston Marathon blindfolded in an effort to inspire Sawyer and raise awareness of the abilities of people who are blind or visually impaired. Her blindfolded marathon run was highlighted in local media, and appeared in Runners World magazine and the book, Boston, Inspirational Women.
Leslie and her husband, Dayton, are passionate about the mission of Big Wave. They believe that Big Wave will provide Sawyer and many others with an environment where they can establish friendships, engage with their community, and live life at their highest potential. Leslie and Dayton were particularly drawn to the diversity of residents at Big Wave and the level of commitment that all families share.
Leslie has a B.A. in Political Science and a J.D. from Duke University School of Law. Dayton and Leslie are also parents to a daughter, Riley, who is Sawyer’s true best friend. The family loves to enjoy the outdoors together, including hiking, fishing, kayaking, and much more.
