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The second quarter of 2026 brought another active stretch of leadership change across the behavioral health and Applied Behavior Analysis industry, with providers, technology firms, advocacy organizations, and investment banks all reshaping their executive and clinical ranks.
The quarter’s moves spanned newly created roles, mid-career promotions, post-tenure departures, and federal advisory appointments, reflecting a sector still managing growth, compliance pressure, and clinical quality demands in parallel. The pattern continues a trend Acuity News has tracked since the start of the year, when organizations at every level began investing in the leadership needed to navigate an increasingly demanding environment.
Second-Quarter 2026 ABA and Behavioral Health Appointments
Ariana Boutain, Ph.D., BCBA-D | Chief Clinical Officer, ANNA Autism Care
ANNA (Allied Network for Neurodevelopmental Advancement) named Dr. Ariana Boutain its Chief Clinical Officer in April 2026. In the role, Boutain serves as the clinical architect of ANNA’s care model, overseeing clinical quality, training, and fidelity across the provider’s growing network of centers, including its expanding diagnostic evaluation services. A Doctoral-Level Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Boutain brings prior clinical leadership experience in autism services. ANNA, which delivers a Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI) model, currently operates five centers across Massachusetts serving children ages one through six and is expanding its national footprint.
Sharyn Kerr | Chief Executive Officer, Spectrum of Hope
Sharyn Kerr has joined Spectrum of Hope as Chief Executive Officer, concluding an eight-and-a-half-year tenure at BlueSprig. Kerr cast the new position as a chance to grow Spectrum of Hope’s clinical and operational reach in the communities it serves, and credited her BlueSprig years, from the company’s early startup days through a period of disciplined growth, with shaping her approach to leadership.
Breanne Hartley, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA | Chief Clinical Officer, Behavior Frontiers
Breanne Hartley has joined Behavior Frontiers as Chief Clinical Officer, taking on responsibility for clinical quality, outcomes, and innovation across the multi-state provider’s network. She joins Behavior Frontiers after departing recently shuttered UNIFI. In her first full month in the role, Hartley spent time at Behavior Frontiers locations in Los Angeles, Detroit, Minneapolis, and San Antonio, meeting clinical teams and visiting centers across the organization.
Mike Le, J.D., MBA | Executive Director, The Autism Community in Action (TACA)
The Autism Community in Action (TACA) appointed Mike Le as Executive Director, announced June 1, 2026, in a newly structured leadership arrangement designed to support the nonprofit’s national expansion. Le, a licensed California attorney with a J.D. from Whittier Law School and an MBA from USC’s Marshall School of Business, spent more than two decades in leadership spanning corporate and real estate law and organizations expanding access to care for children with cancer and disabilities. He oversees TACA’s strategic plan, fundraising, operations, and growth. Founded in 2000, TACA has served more than 100,000 parents and caregivers across all 50 states. Concurrent with Le’s appointment, TACA founder Lisa Ackerman moved into a newly created role as Director of Strategic Initiatives and was appointed to the federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), the primary federal body advising on autism research, services, and policy across government agencies.
Terrell Myers, MBA, MPH | Senior Executive Director of IDD Services, Merakey
Terrell Myers has joined Merakey as Senior Executive Director of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Services for Philadelphia and Virginia. A human services executive with more than a decade of experience driving large-scale operations across intellectual and developmental disabilities, behavioral health, and youth services, Myers joins from Sevita and its New Jersey Mentor organization, where in his most recent role he oversaw statewide operations for one of the largest human services organizations in the country.
Jose Rios | Executive Director of Clinical Services, Merakey
Merakey also named Jose Rios Executive Director of Clinical Services, effective May 2026. Rios brings prior experience as a behavior analyst, including adjunct faculty work at California State University, Los Angeles. Merakey is a national nonprofit provider of developmental, behavioral health, and education services.
Victoria Castillo, Ph.D., BCBA-D | Clinical Director of In-Home ABA Services, Little Spurs Autism Centers
Victoria Castillo has joined Little Spurs Autism Centers as Clinical Director of In-Home ABA Services. In the role, Castillo supports families receiving ABA services in the home and collaborates with the provider’s centers on clinical delivery. Little Spurs Autism Centers is a San Antonio-based provider serving children from birth through age 21 across both center-based and home-based programs.
Jennifer Rothschild, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA | Clinical Product Manager, RethinkFirst
Jennifer Rothschild has joined RethinkFirst as a Clinical Product Manager after three years at AnswersNow, where she led clinician onboarding and training initiatives and supported operational processes. At RethinkFirst, she works at the intersection of clinical care, operations, and product innovation.
Jennifer Conway, MS | Business Development Manager, Helping Hands Family
Jennifer Conway has been promoted to Business Development Manager at Helping Hands Family, an autism services provider, after several years with the organization in outreach and relationship-building roles. In the expanded position, Conway focuses on strategic growth and partnership development across existing and new markets.
Kate Nasuti | Parent Coach BCBA, Frontera
Kate Nasuti has joined Frontera (FronteraCare) as its first Parent Coach BCBA. In the role, Nasuti supports caregivers in applying evidence-based behavioral strategies at home and helps guide parents through Frontera’s ExpertChat feature. The company is building a broader team of Parent Coach BCBAs.
Isaac Batman | Founding Account Executive, Frontera
Isaac Batman has joined Frontera as a Founding Account Executive. Frontera markets an artificial-intelligence platform aimed at reducing clinical documentation time so behavior analysts can serve more children and families, a mission Batman cited in describing his move to the company.
Amber Cohn | Authorizations Manager, Already Autism Health
Amber Cohn has joined Already Autism Health as Authorizations Manager. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Already Autism Health secured its first institutional investment in January 2025, led by Triton Pacific Healthcare Partners, and has since expanded through the acquisitions of Commonwealth ABA and C.A.B.S Autism & Behaviour Specialists.
Brandon Breslow | Managing Director, Houlihan Lokey
Brandon Breslow has joined the investment bank Houlihan Lokey as a Managing Director in its healthcare investment banking practice. Houlihan Lokey is a global investment bank known for its mergers-and-acquisitions and financial-restructuring advisory work. The move adds to the advisory ranks serving an active behavioral health M&A market.
Elizabeth Barajas, MA, BCBA, LSSGB | Executive Board Member, National ABA Service Quality Network (NASQN)
Elizabeth Barajas has joined the Executive Board of the National ABA Service Quality Network (NASQN), where she will support initiatives including the organization’s ABA Quality Help Desk. Barajas brings more than a decade of experience in applied behavior analysis focused on clinical quality, workforce development, and systems-level improvement, and currently serves as a Clinical AI Solutions Architect and Instructional Designer at CentralReach.
Kristen Essex | Executive Director, Organization for Autism Research (OAR)
The Organization for Autism Research (OAR) has joined the federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), with Executive Director Kristen Essex representing the nonprofit on the committee. The IACC convenes researchers, stakeholders, and federal agencies to coordinate a national autism research agenda under the Autism CARES Act. The committee’s next public meeting is scheduled for July 23, 2026, and will be livestreamed and open to the public.
Yev Veverka, Ph.D., BCBA-D | Departing the University of Washington Autism Center
Yev Veverka is leaving the University of Washington Autism Center, where she served as Clinical Supervisor and Director of Training and Consultation Services, to focus on independent consulting in feeding and mealtime support. Veverka is shifting toward systems-level work intended to expand access to feeding support earlier in families’ journeys, including collaborations with provider organizations and continued involvement with the Washington State Council of Feeding Matters.
Andrew Post | Departing Hazel Health
Andrew Post is leaving Hazel Health after five years to pursue his next chapter. Post most recently served as President of the youth-focused health company, which he joined in 2021 as Chief Innovation Officer and Head of Behavioral Health. His next role had not been announced at the time of his departure.
Shirli Driz | Executive Director, California Association for Behavior Analysis (CalABA)
The California Association for Behavior Analysis (CalABA) named Shirli Driz its new Executive Director, succeeding Matt McAlear, who stepped down after 15 years leading the organization. Acuity News covered the CalABA leadership transition in detail.
