VIA’s board of directors exemplifies all of the values instilled in this organization by our founders: dedication, compassion, effectiveness, innovation. Taken as a group, their range of accomplishments, and their depth of commitment, enrich VIA and enrich the community of people with special needs.
Chair
Chris Little is the Founding Principal and CEO of SingleStone, a customer service, digital engagement, and software consultancy with a Fortune 500 client base. Chris began his career at the young age of 14, by developing a job-costing software application for a professional services firm. Prior to SingleStone he served in an Information Systems role at GE, where he also completed GE’s prestigious Financial Management Program.
Vice-Chair
Kelley MacDougall is a native of Massachusetts who has lived in Charlottesville since 2008. She received her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and her MBA from Northwestern University. Her work experience includes investment banking, finance and marketing, and strategy work done primarily in the media and entertainment industries. In Charlottesville, she has served as an original member of Charlottesville Area Community Foundation’s Future Fund, and as a board member of Light House. She has served on the board of ReadyKids for eight years and is currently a member of the Georgetown University Board of Regents.
Secretary
Dr. John Will is a dental anesthesiologist and principal at Children’s Dentistry of Charlottesville, a practice with a mission to help all children, including those with special medical, financial, or developmental needs. He and his colleagues are collaborating with VIA and the University of Virginia to study practices that help patients with autism to tolerate dental procedures. A graduate of Loma Linda University Dental School and a resident in the Loma Linda Dental Anesthesiology Program, Dr. Will received extensive education in pharmacology, physiology, internal medicine, and general anesthesia.
Treasurer
Caruso Brown served formerly as financial administrator for Region Ten Community Services Board. He is a playwright, minster, and co-founder of the African American Genealogy Group.
John joined our board in 2005. He had a 25-year career with Mobil Oil before its merger with Exxon. He ended his career there as Wholesale Distribution Manager for North America. After his retirement from the corporate world in 1995, he worked another ten years in executive positions focused on business development for an independent oil and gas distributor.
Jason served as President of the VIA Board of Directors from 2015 to 2017. He first joined the board in 2011, and also served previously as Treasurer and as Vice-President. Jason brings to his work on the board a career-long expertise in finance and operations. He graduated from Davidson College with a double major in Chemistry and Economics, with a minor in Applied Mathematics. His work has focused on the valuation of complex financial instruments. He began his career with First Union Bank of Charlotte, NC. In the early 2000s he spent seven years with Merrill Lynch in London. From 2005 to 2008 he served as Vice President of Merrill’s Product Valuation Group. In 2008, he moved to Charlottesville-based Quantitative Investment Management, LLC, where, from 2008 to 2013, he managed trading operations for the firm. Since 2013 he has served as QIM’s Chief Operating Officer.
Jeff Coppola serves as Vice President of Customer Support at Worldstrides. Prior to his time at WorldStrides, Jeff built a career focused on client services, supply chain operations, and information technology for businesses serving global markets. His most recent positions have been working with multiple education-related companies, including Oncourse Learning and National Geographic Learning. He earned both his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Penn State’s Supply Chain Management Program.
Milton Dunlap serves as Administrator for Contracts with the University of Virginia Health System.
Cara Goodwin, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the assessment and treatment of children with autism spectrum disorders. She received an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Neuroscience from the University of Virginia, a Master’s degree in Developmental Psychiatry from the University of Cambridge, a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Vanderbilt University, and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also completed post-doctoral training at the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development. Cara began working with children with autism as a volunteer at the Virginia Institute of Autism in 2004 and now has over 15 years of experience working with children with autism and their parents.
David is one of the founders of VIA. From our earliest days, he has been a guiding voice for compassionate care and evidence-based treatment for the people we serve. His son Daniel was in our first class of students, and now is a client in our Adult Academy. David took a leave of absence from his position at University of Virginia to be our first Executive Director. He served in that capacity from 1996-97. He also served an earlier term on our board, from 1997-2006, and rejoined the board in 2010. David holds a BA in Psychology from Davidson College, a Masters of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary New York, and a Masters in Social Work from Hunter College. He recently retired as Director of Telemedicine for the UVA Health System.
Brian Johnson is a corporate attorney with Woods Rogers PLC in Charlottesville, and he serves as outside legal counsel for VIA. His legal practice focuses on assisting business clients with their transactional and commercial real estate needs. Brian graduated from Southern Methodist University and received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. Before attending law school, Brian was an Assistant Vice President with Chase Bank in Texas. His civic involvements include the Salvation Army of Charlottesville, the Albemarle County Police Foundation, and the Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport Commission.
Molly is an attorney whose career has shown a consistent dedication to public service law, child advocacy, and juvenile rights. She currently serves as the Director of the Child Advocacy Pro Bono Project at the University of Virginia School of Law. The program provides advocacy for children in the juvenile justice system and for children with disabilities in the public school system. Molly is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. She earned her J.D. at the New York University School of Law, where, as student, she interned at the Door’s Legal Services Center and at the ACLU Women’s Rights Project.
David R. Rathburn is Vice Chairman of Trident Maritime Systems and Chairman of the Board of Grove City College, where he received his degrees in Accounting, Business Administration, and Political Science. David has played an integral role in more Navy and large ocean-going commercial new building programs than anybody else in the industry. In 2014, in acknowledgment of his more than three decades of outstanding accomplishment in maritime engineering, he was awarded the Vice Admiral ‘Jerry’ Land Medal from the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers.
Rich is a Professor in the Developmental Pediatrics Division of the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital. His work brings him into close contact with families seeking to understand the causes and consequences of developmental delays or difficulties caused by cerebral palsy, ADHD, autism, and other things. Rich has certifications from the American Board of Medical Specialties in Pediatrics and in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
Bernie Webb is one of the founders of VIA. He and his wife Alison moved to Charlottesville in 1995 in search of effective services for their two children, Harry and Georgia, both of whom are on the autism spectrum. Working together with other local families, they sought out models, discovered evidence-based approaches, and built a school from the ground up. Bernie has served VIA in numerous official capacities since the founding from his board and committee service to writing and editing the original VIA newsletter. Bernie earned an M.A. in Russian Language and Literature from the University of Virginia. He worked for the Defense Department and in private investment in San Francisco before returning to Charlottesville with his family and founding VIA.