How did you become an executive in the health care industry? Did you always have an interest in health care? 

I always wanted to be a psychologist and work with children. During my graduate studies I worked with children and adults with all kinds of disabilities and became fascinated by autism, which was becoming better known and more widely researched at that time. When I finished my post-doctoral fellowship, I recognized an opportunity in the market to provide services to families of children with autism focusing on superior clinical outcomes and addressing the needs of the entire family and ecosystem.

Due to the increased awareness surrounding autism, the need for services grew rapidly and what started out as a boutique consulting firm grew into a large business serving thousands of families. I followed the typical entrepreneurial path of starting a business at my dining room table and experiencing all the growing pains of “flying the plane while building it”. From starting out working directly with families and supervising clinical staff, I grew into the role of CEO as the business scaled.

You have made significant contributions towards advancing and empowering the autism services industry. What accomplishment are you most proud of? 

I am most proud of the thousands of families we were able to help and are still helping today, and the space we created for extremely talented professionals from around the country to share their expertise and talent as members of our team. We were one of the pioneers in the provision of in-home and in-school autism services and developed a clinically rigorous program with excellent professional training standards and quality assurance. I am also extremely proud of all the women I personally mentored to become leaders in the field.

What can the rest of the healthcare industry learn from the behavioral health sector to improve their long-term response to COVID-19? 

Telehealth has been rapidly adopted in our market, as in other areas of healthcare. But the outcomes and efficacy of telehealth for autism services remains to be seen in the data and outcome measures. The lessons are still forming but a critical aspect is the delicate balance between utilizing telehealth for service delivery and maintaining personal touch and in-person intervention that is required in services, especially for families who need enormous support in helping their children learn and thrive.

You sit on a number of boards and will be attending the WBL Board Program this October. If you could go back in time, what’s one piece of advice you would give to yourself when first pursuing board service? 

Take classes and courses to develop your skills in board service to hone your specific areas of contribution and take advantage of the programs and organizations that support board participation. There are many more resources available today than in the past, especially in the promotion of women to boards.

Your experience conducting due diligence for potential investors in behavioral health companies must be useful when considering board opportunities. What tips do you have for fellow WBL members when conducting due diligence prior to joining a board? 

There are three main areas to evaluate before joining a board. For me, one of the most important aspects is the culture of the board. How a board conducts itself, the shared values and the agreements around culture and conduct will determine the effectiveness of the board and will positively or negatively impact your experience. Next, get to know the existing board members, the skills they bring, and what gaps may be present to help determine how you can best contribute. Third, learn as much as you can about the business to understand the strengths and challenges of the company and the markets in which they operate.

Personally or professionally, what might the WBL network be surprised to know about you? 

I love designing and creating beautiful succulent gardens and living walls. I am also passionate about gems and crystals, and crystal jewelry. I have a side business collecting and selling unique and beautiful statement crystal and gem pieces.