Chair of the Board
Jillian Copeland is the Founder and Executive Director of Main Street in Rockville, Maryland, a first-of-its-kind inclusive, accessible and affordable apartment building and community center serving people of all abilities. She developed the idea for Main Street with her husband, Scott, when they were searching for long-term housing choices for their son Nicol, who has developmental disabilities. After visiting places around the country, they discovered that there was a dire need for high-quality, inclusive living options with opportunities for community engagement. Main Street, which opened its doors in the summer of 2020, has since become a national model.
Prior to starting Main Street, Jillian spent 10 years as an educator, staff trainer and technology coordinator for Montgomery County Public Schools before founding The Diener School for children with learning differences in 2007. Since Diener’s inception, the school has worked with more than 300 families. Jillian served as the Head of School from 2007 to 2013 and Chair of the Board of Trustees for the following six years. She now serves on the Board of Trustees and is the Honorary Chair of the 2023-2024 Capital Campaign.
Jillian’s passion is to help people rise. She motivates people of all stages, ages and backgrounds to find their purpose and passion. A tireless advocate for people with disabilities, she has proudly served on the University of Maryland’s Transition Hub, the Disability Inclusion Committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, the Developmental Disabilities Administration Supported Living Advisory Committee and Jubilee’s Housing Task Force. She is co-chair of the Maryland Inclusive Housing Montgomery County Chapter.
Jillian has received several honors and awards from local organizations, including the Community Leadership Award from Jewish Women International (JWI) in 2009 and the Abe Pollin Humanitarian Award from the Bender JCC in 2016. Jillian and Scott were honored with the Melvin Cohen Humanitarian Award from the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes (now Makom) in 2018, and Adapt’s Humanitarian Leadership Award in 2020. Jillian was inducted into the Montgomery County Business Hall of Fame in 2023. She is also a proud graduate of Leadership Montgomery’s Class of 2013.
Jillian and Scott reside in Rockville and are the parents of Danny (28), Jack (26), Nicol (24) and Ethan (22). They are excited about their latest initiative, The Epilepsies Action Network (EAN), created to support surveillance, research and funding for those with epilepsy.