BOARD OF DIRECTORS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SungWoo Kahng

SungWoo Kahng, Ph.D., BCBA-D

President

SungWoo Kahng, Ph.D., BCBA-D is Chair of the Department of Applied Psychology, Director of Academic Programs in Autism and ABA, and an associate professor at Rutgers University. Prior to his current position, he was an associate professor at the University of Missouri (MU) where he was also the chair of the Department of Health Psychology, the Founding Director the MU Graduate Programs in Applied Behavior Analysis, and Director of the Applied Behavioral Intervention Service of the MU Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. He was also a faculty member in the Department of Behavioral Psychology and a senior behavior analyst on the Neurobehavioral Unit  at the Kennedy Krieger Institute as well as an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Kahng graduated from Kalamazoo College with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and received his Ph.D. in behavior analysis from the University of Florida. He was an Associate Editor for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis where he also served on the Board of Editors. Additionally, he is on the Board of Editors for Behavioral Intervention and Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. He is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Dr. Kahng is the President of the Board of Directors of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and a member of the Scientific Council of the Organization for Autism Research. Dr. Kahng is the recipient of the 2003 B.F. Skinner New Researcher Award given by Division 25 of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Kahng has co-authored over 90 peer reviewed articles and chapters. The focus of his research and clinical work has been on assessing and treating severe problem behaviors exhibited by individuals with developmental disabilities. He is also interested in a broader research agenda, which includes topics related to employment and college supports for adults with autism spectrum disorder as well as obesity and aging. Finally, he has mentored numerous undergraduate, master’s level, and predoctoral students as well as post-doctoral fellows.  (Term Ends: June, 2023)

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Patrick Progar, Ph.D., BCBA-D

President-Elect

Patrick R. Progar, Ph.D., BCBA-D currently serves as Chief Clinical Officer for Brett DiNovi and Associates. Patrick also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Rider University. Previous to this he served as the Executive Director of Princeton Child Development Institute for several years. Patrick also served as the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Applied Behavior Analysis at Caldwell College (now Caldwell University). Patrick received his BA degree from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and his MS and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. Patrick has served as a faculty member at several colleges and universities and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in developmental disabilities and applied behavior analysis at Children’s Seashore House of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Clinical and research interests involve staff training, functional assessment and functional analysis, choice behavior, behavioral economics, self-management, and a general interest in translational research.  (Term Ends: June, 2023)

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Robert LaRue, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Past-President

Robert LaRue, Ph.D., BCBA-D,  is a Clinical Professor at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. He earned a dual doctorate in biological and school psychology from Louisiana State University in 2002. He completed his predoctoral internship with the Kennedy Krieger Institute at Johns Hopkins University and a postdoctoral fellowship with the Marcus Institute at Emory University. He currently serves as the Director of Behavioral and Research Services at The Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center, where he supervises several doctoral students and staff providing behavioral consultation to programs within the Center. He has authored articles in peer-reviewed journals, written several book chapters, and presented at national and international conferences. His research interests include the assessment and treatment of maladaptive behavior, staff and teacher training, and behavioral pharmacology.  (Term Ends: June, 2023)

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Meghan A. Deshais, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Treasurer/Finance Chair

Meghan A. Deshais, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Meghan A. Deshais, Ph.D., BCBA-D is an assistant professor in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. She earned her doctorate in the experimental analysis of behavior from the University of Florida in 2018. Prior to joining the faculty at Rutgers,
she was an assistant professor in the Department of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and a clinical supervisor at the Center for Autism and ABA at Caldwell University. She has held
clinical positions at a variety of programs for children with developmental disabilities including the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the New York Center for Autism Charter School. Her research interests include establishing critical skills in children with disabilities, group contingencies, and the application of behavior analysis to novel areas. She has published research in a number of peer-reviewed journals and co-authored several textbook chapters. (Term Ends: June, 2023)

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Lindsay Keker, MAT, BCBA

Secretary

Lindsay Keker, MAT, BCBA is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and the co-founder and Executive Director of Positive Pathways Behavior Services, a private practice which delivers home based ABA services, supervision and training, and school consultative services. Lindsay has over 10 years of experience practicing in the field. She received her Masters of Arts in Teaching from New Jersey City University and went on to complete her coursework and experiential hours towards her BCBA at Rutgers University. Lindsay began her work as a fieldworker at the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center during her undergraduate studies and returned as a teacher at the center after receiving her Master’s degree. She has taught special education at Freehold Township public schools. Lindsay has extensive experience working with clients with a variety of needs, training other professionals and collaborating on multidisciplinary teams. Currently, Lindsay provides home based services, serves as a consultant in New Jersey school districts and provides supervision and training for prospective Behavior Analysts. Lindsay has presented her clinical work at the Autism NJ Annual Conference in 2017. Her primary interests lie in spreading knowledge on and awareness of best practices in Behavior Analysis through parent training, teacher training, and increasing accessibility of services for clients throughout the state. (Term Ends: June, 2023)

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Eric Eberman, M.S.Ed.

Government Affairs Chair

Eric Eberman, M.S.Ed is the Public Policy Director at Autism New Jersey where he is responsible for the planning, implementation, supervision and evaluation of the agency’s public policy activity.  In his role, he has helped lead successful advocacy efforts for the licensure of behavior analysts and Medicaid coverage of Applied Behavior Analysis in New Jersey.  Eric has close to 25 years of experience working with and advocating for children and adults with autism and intellectual disabilities, specifically those with severe challenging behavior.  He earned his Master of Science in Education, specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis, from Temple University under the tutelage of Dr. Philip Hineline.  He spent the first 20 years of his career working at Bancroft, a service provider for children and adults with autism, beginning with providing direct service to individuals with autism and challenging behavior to serving for 10 years on the executive team as the Vice President of Clinical Services and Acute Behavioral Health.  He has presented his work and research at numerous conferences, including the Association for Behavior Analysis, New York State Association for Behavior Analysis, Maryland Association for Behavior Analysis, Berkshire Conference on Behavior Analysis and Therapy, and the North Carolina Association for Behavior Analysis.  He has served as a member of the Executive Board for the New Jersey Alliance for Children, Youth, and Families, has been honored by the Philadelphia 76ers with their “Heroes Among Us” award which is given to individuals in the greater Philadelphia-area who have made exceptional and overwhelming contributions to better the lives of children in the community and selected as one of South Jersey Magazine’s “Men of the Year” which recognizes men throughout Southern New Jersey that demonstrate a spirit of caring, giving, and making a difference in the lives of others. (Term Ends: June, 2023)

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Erin Richard White, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Events Chair

Erin Richard White, Ph.D., BCBA-D is a behavior analyst at the Child Development and Autism Center at Morristown Medical Center. Prior to her current position, she served as the Director of Adult & Transition Services at Alpine Learning Group in Paramus, NJ.  Dr. White has specialized in working with children, adolescents, and adults with autism spectrum disorders in employment, educational, community and home settings for over 20 years. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and holds both teacher of the handicapped and elementary teacher certifications in New Jersey. Dr. White completed her doctorate and master’s degree in applied behavior analysis from Caldwell University. She has published articles in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavior Analysis in Practice. She regularly serves as a guest review of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. Dr. White has presented at many local and national conferences on a variety of topics including preparing learners for adulthood, assessing and reducing problem behavior, and ethics. (Term Ends: June, 2024)

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Crystal Harms, M.Ed., BCBA

Continuing Education Chair

Crystal Harms M.Ed., BCBA is the Behavior Services Manager for Bayada Home Health Care’s Behavioral Health Services in Pennsauken, NJ. Crystal earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis in 1994 from Florida State University, and a Master of Education in 2001 from Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania — a program in which she later taught as an adjunct professor.  She became a Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (CABA-fl) in 1997 in Florida, where certification in the field originated.  She then became a charter certificant for the BCaBA certification in 2000 and served on the organization’s Board of Directors for 4 years. Crystal sat for her boards in November of 2020 and obtained her full BCBA. Crystal has also served as an adjunct professor for Rowan University in the Psychology Department since 2006 and the Center for Behavior Analysis, Research, and Service since 2021.

Throughout her career, Crystal has worked as a behavior analyst, teacher, clinical director and learning consultant in public and private facilities and in homes.  She has treated children with autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder and many other conditions, working in partnership with their parents and educators. She has had the privilege of providing these services across the United States and in parts of Canada. Crystal is passionate about taking this breadth of experience and using it to support our newest practitioners coming into the field. (Term Ends: June, 2024)

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Robert Isenhower, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Membership Chair

Robert W. Isenhower, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Rider University. He earned his doctorate in experimental psychology at the University of Connecticut. Prior to joining the faculty at Rider, he was a research coordinator and a training coordinator at the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center (DDDC) and a part-time lecturer at Rutgers University. He has 10 years of experience working with individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities in clinical, school, and home-based settings. He has published in peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and the Journal of Behavioral Education and has presented at conferences including the Association for Behavior Analysis, New Jersey Association for Behavior Analysis, and Autism New Jersey. His research interests include preference and reinforcer assessments, stimulus discrimination training, staff training, and assessment/intervention targeted at improving the lives of adults with autism. (Term Ends: June, 2024)

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Courtney Butler, M.S., BCBA

Communications Chair

Courtney Butler, M.S., BCBA, is a Behavior Analyst with the SCALE Program at Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS). Courtney earned her Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis at Western New England University in 2018. Prior to her work at Rutgers, Courtney worked on the Intensive Treatment Team at the New England Center for Children in Massachusetts. Courtney has worked as a behavior technician and behavior analyst at the RCAAS and more recently served as the Program Coordinator of the College Support Program for students on the autism spectrum at Rutgers. Courtney has presented at many conferences and is interested in the integration of Applied Behavior Analysis to the various supports of college students. The focus of her current research and clinical work includes the assessment of social and employment skills as well as the development of support systems for adults on the autism spectrum. (Term Ends: June, 2024)

Craig Domanski

Craig Domanski, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Service Delivery Chair

Craig Domanski, Ph.D., BCBA-D has been working with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders using ABA for almost 20 years. He received his undergraduate degree at Rutgers University while working at the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center. Dr. Domanski then went on to receive his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Applied Behavior Analysis at Caldwell University, where his research focused on parent-training and optimizing teaching conditions for learners with ASD.

Dr. Domanski co-founded and has been serving as the Clinical Director of The DATA Group for almost 10 years. The DATA Group is an NJDOE-approved agency for ABA service delivery, focusing primarily on using ABA programming to build skills towards increasing independence in the home and community environments. By implementing programs in learners’ actual natural environments, generalization and maintenance of skills is more likely, and there are more opportunities for training caregivers and
providing support for families where they need it most.

Aside from his work in The DATA Group, Dr. Domanski also currently serves as the Chair for the NJABA Insurance Provider Workgroup, which aims to disseminate information about providing services through health insurance plans to the behavior-analytic community. He is an active member of NJABA, ABAI, and APBA and has served as an adjunct lecturer at Georgian Court University and Kaplan University. Dr. Domanski places a high value on the importance of promoting the science of ABA to both the behavior-analytic and mainstream communities and will bring that same dedication to the Representative-at-Large position. (Term Ends: June, 2024)

Ruth DeBar, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA; North Jersey Behavioral Health Services, Caldwell, NJ.  03/03/2017 Photo by Steve Hockstein/HarvardStudio.com

Ruth M. DeBar, BCBA-D, LBA (NY)

University Program Liaison 

Ruth M. DeBar, BCBA-D, LBA (NY), is a professor in the Department of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) at Caldwell University and serves as a Clinical Supervisor for the Center for Autism and ABA at Caldwell University. She earned her master’s degree from Northeastern University via The New England Center for Children and completed her doctorate degree in ABA at The Ohio State University. Ruth has been active in the field of ABA and has worked with individuals with autism spectrum and related disorders for over 20 years. She has published research in journals like Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and in Behavior Analysis in Practice and presented at state, national, and international conferences on various topics relevant to serving individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Ruth currently serves on the Editorial Board of Behavioral Interventions and  Behavior Analysis in Practice.  Her current research interests include functional behavior assessment, preference, choice, social validity and use of video-based instruction to teach a range of adaptive skills including social, vocational, and leisure skills. (Term Ends: June, 2024)
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Vanessa Bethea-Miller, M.A., BCBA, LBS

Representative-At-Large

Vanessa Bethea-Miller, M.A., BCBA, LBS is the founder of Bethea-Miller Behavioral Consulting and Shaping Tomorrow Child Care Services, an ABA based daycare and preschool, and the co-founder of the ABA Task Force and Behavior Analysis University. She is also the author of “I Know What I Want to Be”, a sweet children’s book about a young girl exploring different careers in science before deciding she wants to be a Behavior Analyst. Vanessa is pursuing her doctorate of philosophy in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and currently holds a Master of Arts in Applied Psychology with a concentration in ABA, a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, and an Associate’s degree in Business Administration.

Vanessa has dedicated her time to working with children and adults with Autism and/or Developmental Disabilities, with or without a co-occurring mental illness. She is passionate about providing quality and effective ABA services to this population as well as children in need of behavior supports. In addition to this, Vanessa provides coaching and mentoring to other individuals starting their own ABA practices. Vanessa has presented internationally on various topics and taught at the college level. Lastly, Vanessa has utilized components of school-wide positive behavior support with an emphasis on behavior analysis and applied them to a juvenile detention center during a practicum experience. (Term Ends: June, 2023)

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Kellie Goldberg, M.S. Ed., BCBA

Representative-At-Large

Kellie Goldberg, M.S. Ed., BCBA, currently serves as the Associate Director for Bancroft’s ABA Center of Excellence where she focuses on the clinical training and supervision of BCBAs and trainees, as well as clinical quality and standards. Kellie earned her Master of Science in Special Education, specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis, from Temple University.  Kellie has worked in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis for more than 20 years with a variety of client populations and settings but has a proclivity for working with behaviorally acute adults in residential settings.  Ms. Goldberg is currently an adjunct instructor at Rider University and a co-Instructor with ABA Technologies at the Florida Institute of Technology. (Term Ends: June, 2024)

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Robert Troxell, M.S., BCBA

Representative-At-Large

Robert Troxell, M.S., BCBA, graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 2007. Upon graduation Robert started his career as a Secure Detention Counselor in the juvenile detention system of Pennsylvania. Robert worked as a counselor for adjudicated and incarcerated youth in Montgomery and Chester Counties. During this time, Robert was introduced to the world of Applied Behavior Analysis through a part time job with the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit as a Personal Care Assistant for youth with behavioral concerns 3-5 years of age. The impact of his part time work inspired a new career path and Robert completed his M.S. from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia in 2010.

Robert moved into the field of ABA full time in 2011 and earned his Board Certification as a Behavior Analyst in 2013. Following completion of his BCBA credentialing, Robert accepted the role of Lead Behaviorist for a non-profit in New Jersey. Robert worked as the Supervisor of Behavioral Services for 2 group homes for youth 13-21. While performing behaviorist duties, Robert assisted in the writing of proposals to open new programs. Over the 5 years working in the non-profit arena Robert assisted in the opening of 11 new group homes throughout New Jersey for children ages 5-21. Robert was involved in the oversight of 13 homes and served as the Residential Director of 5 Crisis Stabilization and Assessment programs, which were the highest level of community-based care for children with developmental disabilities in New Jersey. Concurrently Robert started and managed the Intensive In-Home (IIH) and Individual Support Services (ISS) programs, which offered ABA and related services to more than 30 families.

Following his move from the non-profit sector, Robert started as an analyst with Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) in 2016 and grew into the role Regional Coordinator of New Jersey and moved into the role of Regional Director of New Jersey and Massachusetts in 2020. Robert currently serves as the Clinical Director of New Jersey and Massachusetts and works to support his teams in providing quality, consistent ABA services for more than 500 families in the Northeast.

As a BCBA Robert is passionate about language development, which ties nicely into his marriage to a Speech Pathologist. Robert believes in an interdisciplinary model that provides families with the tools needed to support best outcomes for their loved ones, as well as the need for ongoing training for ABA professionals to continue to grow the field. (Term Ends: June, 2024)