Accreditation Committee

The Autism Commission on Quality’s (ACQ) essential accreditation decisions are made by independent committees comprised of experienced experts and diverse representatives involved in receiving, delivering, supporting, and funding applied behavior analysis services for autism. The ACQ Accreditation Committee is responsible for reviewing de-identified applications for accreditation, determining the accreditation status of applicants and accredited organizations and providing interpretative guidance of the standards for the review team.

The ACQ Accreditation Committee typically meets monthly. Past dates listed below reflect previous meetings and future dates reflect tentative meeting dates that are subject to change.

Andrea Waks, JD, MA (2024 – 2026) (Chair)
Consultant, Proactive Strategies
Andi Waks is the Director of Client Services at Autism Partnership. She began working with children with autism spectrum disorder in the late 1970s at UCLA on the Young Autism Project, where she served as a Senior Therapist, Research Assistant, and Teaching Assistant. Andi has worked with Drs. Leaf and McEachin on the Young Autism Project, the Behavior Therapy and Learning Center, Straight Talk, and Autism Partnership. She earned her master’s degree in General Psychology at Pepperdine University and returned to school to pursue a law degree. She practiced special education law, representing families of children with ASD, before returning to Autism Partnership full-time. She consults with families and school districts both locally and nationally and currently serves on the Board of Autism Partnership Foundation.

Sharyn Kerr, PhD, MBA, BCBA-D (2025 – 2027) (Vice Chair)
Executive
Dr. Sharyn Kerr is passionate about providing unparalleled compassionate care, exceptional quality, and greater access to care for families and children impacted by autism. Dr. Kerr has more than 25 years of international experience in academic institutions and large, multi-site organizations working in autism and ABA. She has earned academic scholarships, honors, and multiple degrees from one of Australia’s elite and internationally recognized research universities. As a licensed child psychologist who holds a BCBA-D and an MBA, Dr. Kerr understands how to design and implement clinically excellent treatment programs with operational efficiency. Dr. Kerr is also a passionate educator, participating in the education of a new generation of BCBAs by teaching ethics classes at several post-graduate academic institutions. She also serves on the board of multiple international schools where she lends her corporate and educational experience to the non-profit education sector.

Michele Beal, CPMA (2025 – 2027)
Executive Vice President, Revenue Cycle Management, Bierman Autism
Michele Beal is a nationally respected leader in revenue cycle management with a specialized focus on ABA therapy billing, RCM workflow optimization, and regulatory compliance. With over two decades of experience in healthcare reimbursement, Michele has built a career in helping autism service providers navigate the evolving and often challenging world of payer contracting, claims management, and audit preparedness. As the founder of ABAB and MKS Consulting, two highly regarded national firms serving ABA providers, Michele established herself as a trusted expert for organizations at all stages of growth, from early-stage practices to large-scale agencies operating across multiple states and payer systems. In early 2023, she merged her firm with Rethink Behavioral Health, where she served as VP of RCM Quality until the end of 2024. She now serves as the Executive Vice President of Revenue Cycle Management at Bierman Autism, where she drives strategic oversight and operational excellence across all facets of the revenue cycle. Michele holds certifications as both a Certified Professional Medical Auditor (CPMA) and a Certified Medical Reimbursement Specialist (CMRS). Her unique blend of clinical funding insight and compliance expertise enables her to conduct in-depth risk assessments and ensure organizations maintain integrity in their billing operations. In an environment of increasing regulatory scrutiny, she equips providers with the tools and knowledge to stay audit-ready and avoid costly missteps. Her mission is simple but powerful: to bring providers peace of mind through clarity, compliance, and confidence in their revenue systems—so they can focus on what matters most: delivering life-changing services to the families they serve.

Adrienne Bradley, MEd, BCBA., LBA (2025 – 2027)
Senior Director of Clinical Transformation, ABA Centers of America
Adrienne Bradley is a healthcare transformational leader who specializes in turning strategy into sustainable practice and Organizational Behavior Management. With a foundation Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and executive leadership experience spanning clinical operations, quality improvement, and enterprise transformation, she helps organizations improve performance by aligning people, processes, and systems around meaningful outcomes. As Senior Director of Clinical Transformation, Adrienne leads initiatives that bridge operational excellence with the human experience of change. Her work focuses on clinical performance improvement, implementation science framework, leadership development, system redesign, and translating complex data into practical actions that improve care delivery. Rather than viewing performance challenges as individual problems, she partners with leaders to redesign the environments and systems that shape behavior and organizational success. Beyond her organizational leadership, Adrienne is a national speaker, educator, and advocate for advancing the science of behavior beyond traditional boundaries. She has served as the President of Black Applied Behavior Analysis (BABA Inc.), current adjunct professor at Wayne State University with a tenure of 8 years currently, contributes to advisory board within multiple healthcare professional organizations, and lastly a committee member of the Autism Commission on Quality (ACQ). Her mission is to build organizations where better systems make it easier for people to do their best work—and where meaningful change is measured not only by outcomes, but by the experience of those responsible for creating them.

Jen Castellanos-Bonow, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA (2024 – 2026)
Managing Partner/CEO, The Learning Consultants
Jennifer Castellanos-Bonow earned her PhD in Behavior Analysis from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), an experience that laid the foundation for her work with children with autism and other behavioral disorders. Jen has extensive experience leading clinical initiatives, designing training programs, maintaining best practices in the delivery of behavioral and psychological services, and developing and managing processes to support ethical and compliant service delivery. After serving for several years as the clinical director for Blueprints, based in Bellevue, WA, in 2019 Jen transitioned back to her hometown of Reno, Nevada. In partnership with a group of behavior analysts, she established The Learning Consultants which aims to provide behavioral support and services to children with autism and parents and families facing acute behavioral challenges. Jen serves as the managing partner and CEO, applying her experience administering performance management systems, designing processes and implementation planning, navigating healthcare funding of behavioral services, and developing and maintaining policies and procedures to ensure regulatory compliance. She is also actively involved in the behavior analytic community, serving as a past President of the Nevada Association for Behavior Analysis and current chair of the Practice Committee, and volunteering as a subject matter expert for the BACB. While her roots are in early intervention, Jennifer’s foundation from UNR and recent work have provided her with wide-ranging experiences applying the science of behavior.

Amanda Davidson, MS, BCBA (2024 – 2026)
Chief Executive Officer, Anchors Aweigh ABA LLC
Amanda is originally from Philadelphia, PA and currently resides in the Jacksonville, FL area. She graduated from Auburn University in 2009 with her Master of Science in Psychology with a Concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis in Developmental Disabilities. She became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2009. She has worked with young children, adolescents, and adults with Autism and Developmental Disabilities. Amanda has experience working across clinic, in home, community, and school settings. Prior to opening Anchors Aweigh ABA LLC, she served as a Clinical Director providing early intensive behavior analytic therapy, supervision, and parent training. Her areas of expertise include sleeping interventions, problem behavior reduction, treating food selectivity, and functional communication training.

Jessica Everett, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LABA (2025 – 2027)
Founder, CollabAbly, LLC
Clinical Director of Autism, Applied Behavioral Analysis and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

Jessica Everett, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LABA is a licensed psychologist and board-certified, licensed behavior analyst in Massachusetts. Her doctorate is in Applied Developmental Psychology from Fordham University where her doctoral training included a LEND Fellowship. Dr. Everett has over thirty years of experience working with individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families in a variety of capacities. Her clinical expertise includes neuropsychological and diagnostic assessment, program evaluation, educational consultation and applied behavior analysis. Dr. Everett works in health and medical management at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts with a focus on neurodevelopmental disabilities and applied behavior analysis and is the founder of CollabAbly, LLC, a therapeutic and consultative practice with a focus on collaborative evaluation and consultative services for individuals with differing capabilities and the systems designed to support them. Dr. Everett is completing a master’s in public health at Boston University with a health equity focus.

Mallory Fletcher M.A., BCBA, LBA, MLS (2025 – 2027)
Regulatory Analyst, ABS Kids
Mallory Fletcher is a Regulatory Analyst at ABS Kids and a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). She holds a master’s degree in special education with a focus in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Arizona, as well as a second master’s in healthcare law from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. Mallory serves as secretary and public policy chair for the Oklahoma Association of Behavior Analysis (OKABA). Her work centers on advancing access to high-quality autism services by shaping thoughtful regulatory policy and oversight.

Jill Forte, Ph.D., BCBA (2024 – 2026)
CEO, Children’s Autism Center
Adjunct Professor, Ball State University ABA Master’s Program
Committee Member, Indiana Behavior Analyst Licensing Committee
Jill was introduced to the world of ABA when her son was diagnosed with autism in 1998. She subsequently worked with a local nonprofit in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to start an ABA program in 2002. This venture expanded as the need for services increased resulting in the formation of Children’s Autism Center (CAC), a nonprofit ABA agency, in 2005. Jill was the volunteer Director of Services at CAC until 2011 when she became the Executive Director, and later the Chief Executive Officer. In order to more effectively lead an ABA agency, Jill obtained her BCBA credential in 2011. Desiring to learn more about leadership, she completed her Ph.D., in Organizational Leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2015. She worked with state legislators for several years on licensure for behavior analysts which successfully passed in 2021. She currently serves on the Behavior Analyst Licensing Committee for the state of Indiana. Jill also is adjunct faculty at Ball State University’s Master’s in ABA program. In her free time, Jill enjoys time at the lake with family, traveling, and being Bestie (grandma) to her three grandchildren.

Jill Jacobson, RN, BSN (2024 – 2026)
Partner, J2Jacobson Consulting, LLC
Board Member, Ally Pediatrics
Jill Jacobson is a 30+ year healthcare veteran with 20 years of executive experience in the Hospice, Home Health, and Autism industries. Jill started her career as a nurse and has fulfilled various roles including President/CEO, COO, Chief Growth Officer, and Chief Compliance Officer. Jill is currently a Board Member of Ally Pediatrics and a Partner at J2Jacobson Consulting, LLC where she spends her time assisting new and seasoned founders / owners / operators navigate the changing dynamics of the autism industry to realize their growth potential, implement best practices, and achieve financial health goals. Jill holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing and extended studies in M.S. Healthcare Administration with a focus on Strategic Leadership from Valparaiso University.

Ronald Moreno, M.A., BCBA (2025 – 2027)
Director of Payer Relations, Easterseals Southern California
Ronald Moreno, M.A., BCBA, has been in the field of applied behavior analysis for 15 years. He has experience working with individuals from all ages and diagnoses in a variety of settings. He has done several presentations at state and national conferences on a variety of topics such as verbal behavior, safety skills, complex emotions, joint control, and crisis intervention teams. He takes a special interest in remaining up to date with changes in insurance laws and regulations for ABA services, organizational behavior management, and complex verbal behavior. He is currently the Director of Payer Relations at Easterseals Southern California. Prior to his work with Easterseals, Ronald was the Assistant Director at Center for Behavioral Sciences, an ABA provider with over 100 employees throughout California that was acquired by Easterseals in 2019.

Hannah Stauffer, MA, BCBA, COBA (2025 – 2027)
Managing Director / Clinical Quality and Compliance, Intercare Therapy
Hannah Stauffer, MA, BCBA, COBA, is a behavior analyst with a passion for preserving the integrity and longevity of our field through the intersection of clinical quality and compliance. She graduated from Ball State University with a Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis and was fortunate to gain experience as a behavior technician and BCaBA prior to becoming a BCBA. After holding a variety of clinical leadership roles in various states, she developed a particular interest in compliance work and found a “niche” in helping bridge the clinical and operational worlds. In addition to her current work as the Managing Director of Clinical Quality and Compliance with Intercare Therapy, Hannah serves as the Program Chair for the Ohio Association for Behavior Analysis and the Compliance Section co-chair with the Council of Autism Service Providers.

Michele Trivedi, MHA (2024 – 2026)
Health Care Policy and Operations Consultant
Self-Employed
Michele Feliberty Trivedi graduated with a degree in Political Science from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She earned her Master of Hospital and Health Administration at Xavier University in 1994. She served as the Senior Director of Quality, Education and Managed Care for a 200-physician hospital-owned primary care group in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her health administration work included capitation and sub capitation analysis, managed care contracting and negotiations, benefit design for a self-funded health system HMO, statistical process control and continuous quality improvement in clinical practice and administrative systems. She left her career in health administration when her daughter was diagnosed with autism due to the barriers her family faced getting her child diagnosed and into treatment. This led to a new career in disability advocacy and health care consulting with The Arc of Indiana. Michele established The Arc’s Insurance Advocacy Resource Center to assist people with intellectual/developmental disabilities to access medical care and to improve health equity through legislative and policy advocacy. She is currently attending the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and expects to earn her Juris Doctor degree in 2026. Her daughter, Gabrielle, was one of the first children in the nation to access autism treatment coverage under private fully funded health insurance. Michele fought the “test cases” for the nation’s first autism health reform law (passed in Indiana in 2000) through the state regulatory agency. These test cases resulted in state-wide enforcement of autism coverage in Indiana-based commercial health insurance products. Concurrently, during three legislative sessions, Michele led the legislative advocacy efforts to defeat various “mandate lite” bills aimed at allowing insurance plans to opt out of the new autism health reform law. The test cases and defeat of “mandate lite” bills opened the door for other states to pass autism health insurance reform. Through Autism Speaks and The Annual Autism Law Summit, she assisted advocates in several other states to pass and implement autism health reform laws. Currently, all 50 states have some form of required coverage for autism treatment, with Indiana’s law being one of the most comprehensive and clinically sound autism coverage laws. Michele was honored to receive the Indiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Community Service Award, the Autism Society of Indiana’s Excellence in Legislative Advocacy Award, and the Autism Speaks Parent Advocate of the Year award in recognition of her years of advocacy. Michele has volunteered on behalf of the Indiana autism community in many capacities. She served on the Autism Society of Indiana’s Board, the Autism Society of America’s Government Relations Committee, and on the Board of Little Star ABA Therapy, a non-profit Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy center. She has presented at regional and national conferences and training workshops for the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, the Indiana Resource Center for Autism, Butler University’s Speech and Language Pathology Department, Canine Companions for Independence, The Autism Legal Resource Center, The Council of Autism Service Providers, Applied Behavior Analysis International, and the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts. Michele’s interests include traveling, music, politics and rescuing/rehabilitating collies through the Tri-State Collie Rescue.