Parent Representive
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Marquitha Gilbert's journey is intertwined with a profound dedication to her children and a commitment to advocacy in the disability community. As a mother of two children with special needs, she discovered her life's purpose early on:
“My job is not only to prepare them for the world,” she says. “But to prepare the world for them.”
For Gilbert, serving on the OSB board is an avenue towards fulfilling that personal mission, which began in 2009 when her daughter Mari, navigating the transition from early intervention services to a day school, found a supportive environment at OSB. Impressed by the school's inclusive atmosphere and holistic approach, Marquitha recalls how Mari, now 17, thrived under OSB's care, progressing from needing extensive physical therapy to confidently using a single forearm crutch for support.
“We just fell in love with OSB,” says Gilbert. “I was impressed at how everyone spoke so highly of the school, from support staff to the maintenance crew. It was just such a family-like atmosphere.”
It was an easy call then when Marquitha was asked to join the OSB Board in 2020. In addition to her parental perspective, she has been a tireless advocate for a disability-confident workplace. She has more than 20 years of experience in sales execution, global learning, launch excellence, and strategy integration, and as a capABILITY Network Global coLead at Merck, she set and led the strategies, global priorities, and executional efforts of a volunteer leadership team with a focus on mental wellbeing and hiring people with disabilities.
In her current role at Merck as Virology Regional Community Liaison Leader West, she heads up a team primarily focused on establishing, building and maintaining relationships with critical HIV/AIDs service organizations and community-based organizations within the US and globally.
“I think my work helps me look at OSB from a few angles,” she says. “One is branding. What can we do differently with our brand, so people [not only] know who we are but want to contribute to our growth. I also want to help further OSB’s global potential.”
Gilbert’s personal commitment to the disability community is unwavering. She is also a parent-partner with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Nemours Dupont, providing critical accessibility feedback to both institutions.
“We want people to feel comfortable bringing their full selves to work,” she says.
A self-labeled, “glutton for achievement,” Gilbert’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Norfolk State University and a master’s in public health from Tulane School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine. To balance her many priorities, Gilbert who says she has always been “a student of the arts,” enjoys painting, singing and has even sold some of her pieces and has penned original songs and poetry.
During the pandemic, she taught herself how to refinish furniture to cope with the lockdowns.
Gilbert has been married to her husband Derrick for 23 years. They live in Phoenixville with their two children. As she looks forward at her board service, Gilbert said what drives her is clear.
“I recognize how much impact OSB has had on Mari,’’ says Gilbert. “How much she has grown as a student, and as a person. I want to share this story however I can.”
