Board of Directors
The Council of Autism Service Providers Board of Directors is responsible for establishing the organization’s mission and vision and for overseeing its management. Elected directors serve a three-year term and may be reelected. Directors, who must come from senior management of member organizations, serve in an unpaid, volunteer capacity. Some members are elected by the membership of CASP, and others are elected by the Board of Directors. Additional information about the Board of Directors is available in the CASP bylaws.

The Faison Center, President and CEO
Current Board Term Ends: June 2023
Born and raised in Richmond, Brian earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the College of William & Mary and graduated from the William & Mary School of Law, where he was a member of Order of the Coif, Law Review, and Moot Court.
Brian is extremely proud that the Faison Center provides a life span model of services to individuals with autism unlike anything in the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is dedicated and driven to better the lives of all individuals with autism and their families through a model of services unlike anything in the country.

Melmark, Inc., President and CEO
Current Board Term Ends: June 2022
Rita has been recognized by the Commonwealth Institute and Boston Globe, on the organizations’ list of Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts for the past two years (#35 in 2018 and TBA in 2019). She is dedicated to creating opportunities for skills growth and advancement for women in the field of human services. Rita does this through her work with CASP (Council of Autism Service Providers), for which she and Melmark are founding members; her leadership role as a board member of maaps (Massachusetts Association of Approved Private Schools); and her vital role in WIBA (Women in Behavior Analysis), for which Rita volunteers her time and expertise as a mentor.
Rita received her Master of Public Health degree from Boston University’s School of Public Health in the School of Medicine. Most important, she holds the heart of Melmark’s mission at the core of her professional standards. She is dedicated to every child, adult and family served at Melmark, as well as every member of Melmark’s professional staff.

New England Center for Children, Director of Enrollment and Family Support
Current Board Term Ends: June 2023
Bethany holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Mississippi, a master’s degree in special education from Simmons College and a law degree from The New England School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts.

Kadiant, CEO
Current Board Term Ends: June 2021

Current Board Term Ends: June 2022

Current Board Term Ends: June 2022

Joanne teaches courses in autism as well as communication disorders at Temple University and the Penn State World Campus. She has authored several articles and book chapters as well as Co-Editor of the book ABA for SLPs: Interprofessional Collaboration for Autism Support Teams. Joanne has been an invited speaker at conferences in Ireland, Sri Lanka, China, Cyprus, Australia, and Canada.
Joanne has been the past president of the New York State Association for Behavior Analysis as well as the Interagency Council of NY. She was a founding board member of the Council of Autism Service Providers, serving as the first board president. Joanne is the Vice Chair of the Scientific Advisory Council for the Organization for Autism Research.
Joanne has been recognized for her work in autism as well as her work in her local community with numerous awards and honors. These include the Lou Miller Business Leadership Award, the Albert V. Maniscalco Community Service Award, the Autism NJ Distinguished Provider award, to name a few.

Current Board Term Ends: June 2021
Dr. Howard is also Professor Emeritus (Psychology) at California State University, Stanislaus in Turlock, California, where she taught graduate courses in behavior analysis and child clinical psychology and founded and directed its on-campus pediatric clinic.
Dr. Howard is the co-author of several outcome treatment studies in peer-reviewed journals such as Research in Developmental Disabilities, Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, and The Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. In addition to being a contributor at professional meetings, at the national level, Dr. Howard has been an invited speaker at conferences in China, Russia, South Korea, Italy, and Brazil.
She currently serves on the Board of the Council of Autism Service Providers, has previously been on the Board of Directors for the California Association for Behavior Analysis, and is the Past President of the Board of Directors of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.

Current Board Term Ends: June 2023

Current Board Term Ends: June 2022

Current Board Term Ends: June 2021

Current Board Term Ends: June 2021