Leadership

Ethan is VIA's president and CEO and is responsible for all aspects of clinical and financial administration, program development, fundraising, and strategic planning. Ethan holds a Ph.D. in child clinical psychology from West Virginia University. He completed both a pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and is a licensed board certified behavior analyst in Virginia. He currently serves as visiting assistant professor of education at the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development. Ethan has authored over 20 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and delivered more than 100 presentations and workshops related to autism spectrum disorder, applied behavior analysis, and a variety of developmental and behavioral disorders. He was a founding board member of the National Council of Autism Service Providers and he has served on numerous national and state practice boards. Since his arrival at VIA in 2010, Ethan has remained focused on expanding the highest quality, evidenced-based programs and services to better support children, adults, families, and stakeholders struggling with the challenges of autism throughout Virginia.

LinkedIn | elong@viacenters.org

Ed is VIA's chief administrative officer and a certified public accountant in Virginia. His career spans over 30 years as an administrator for public schools and non-profits. Ed serves on VIA's executive team participating in the development of our strategic direction and providing leadership and management of all administrative supports and activities. He graduated from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce in 1993. Ed is honored to be part of this very special organization that impacts the lives of so many in our community using high quality, evidence based practices.

LinkedIn | egillaspie@viacenters.org

Nicole is VIA's chief advancement officer, responsible for securing resources to support VIA's mission, programs, and services. Her team engages families, staff, donors, volunteers, and community partners to facilitate VIA’s growth and development. Nicole joined the VIA staff in July 2020 after five years working in the University of Virginia’s advancement operation. While there, she led efforts in donor relations, volunteer engagement, and board management for the nursing and engineering schools. Nicole has a doctorate from UVA and currently holds an adjunct faculty position at their School of Education and Human Development. She says her favorite part of her job is sharing VIA’s incredible story with those who have not had the opportunity to hear it yet.

LinkedIn | nthomas@viacenters.org

LinkedIn | gingram@viacenters.org

While earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology from West Virginia University, Shonnet began her career in the UK with students with severe intellectual disabilities and fell in love!  Upon graduating, she worked at a residential facility at the May Institute and started a school for students with autism in Portland, Oregon. Shonnet received her master’s degree in counseling psychology from Pacific University and began her 21 year career supporting at-risk learners, their families, and their teachers.  She joined VIA in 2014, establishing a staff and parent training curriculum, and in 2017, Shonnet expanded VIA’s outreach by providing in person and virtual support to learners and instructors across local school divisions.  Shonnet continues this expansion as the associate director of school-based services, and has presented her coaching outcomes at various local and national conferences.  

LinkedIn | sbrand@viacenters.org

Jessica serves as the director of VIA's James C. Hormel School, where she is responsible for the oversight of all clinical and educational programs and services. She manages, evaluates, and supervises effective procedures for the operation of the school consistent with VIA’s commitment to applied behavior analysis, VIA’s mission and values, and the strategic goals of the organization. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of New Hampshire in 2001; her master’s degree in behavior analysis from the University of North Texas in 2007; and her board certification in behavior analysis in 2008. She has over 20 years of experience in behavior analysis, with the last 17 years committed to providing evidence-based treatment to individuals with developmental disabilities. Jessica has provided both direct and consultative services to private, public, residential, and in-home settings and has extensive experience in the treatment of severe problem behavior as well as in the development and implementation of assessment and curriculum for those with autism. Jessica promotes a school culture that is committed to data-driven decision making, accountability, and team building to meet the unique need of each student and their family, and she is committed to creating systemic change for all people with autism in Virginia.

LinkedIn | jdoucette@viacenters.org

sfladd@viacenters.org

kgariepy@viacenters.org

Lauren began her career with VIA as an intern while an undergraduate student at the University of Virginia. After graduating from UVA, Lauren started working at VIA as an instructor and soon decided to further her learning with a focus on education and applied behavior analysis. She received a  Master of Education from George Mason University in 2013 and became certified as a behavior analyst in 2014. Lauren worked as a special education teacher and behavior analyst at VIA's James C. Hormel School before transitioning into the role of the quality improvement manager where she coordinated staff training and implemented organization-wide systems. While in this position, Lauren worked closely with VIA’s Adult Services program, eventually becoming the director of Adult Services in 2019. She's currently VIA's director of the Center for Adolescent and Adult Autism Services where she oversees the high school, post-high classes, and the Adult Services program.

LinkedIn | lhaskins@viacenters.org

Einar is VIA's director of training and research, overseeing staff training, professional development, and innovative research projects. He holds a master’s degree in behavior analysis from the University of North Texas and a doctoral degree in behavioral psychology from the University of Kansas. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and is a licensed board certified behavior analyst in Virginia. He currently teaches behavior analysis courses at the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development. Einar has authored over 40 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and serves on the editorial boards of several academic journals. 

LinkedIn | eingvarsson@viacenters.org

kkariel@viacenters.org

Alyssa is VIA's supervisor of related services at the James C. Hormel School. She's responsible for the oversight of a team of speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists, and directly provides speech-language services to students. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2009; her master's degree in communication sciences and disorders from the University of Virginia in 2013; and her board certification in behavior analysis in 2014. Alyssa is dedicated to supporting the unique needs of each student using evidence-based practice at the intersection of speech-language pathology and behavior analysis. 

LinkedIn | akletnik@viacenters.org

Tonya serves as the associate director of VIA's Psychological Services, where she is responsible for the oversight of all clinical programs and services. She manages and supervises the evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of children, adolescents, and families. Tonya received her doctorate in school psychology from Syracuse University and completed her internship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University.  She is a licensed clinical psychologist and board certified behavior analyst. Tonya has more than 10 years of experience supporting individuals with emotional and behavioral challenges across a variety of contexts.  She's committed to the growth and training of young professionals to provide client-directed compassionate care and to further the mission of VIA to serve the autism community.

LinkedIn | tdelp@viacenters.org

hnagel@viacenters.org

Carole is VIA's director of human resources, and is responsible for the overall administration, coordination and evaluation of the human resource function—including recruitment and talent management, salary and benefits administration, training, employee relations, education and development, recognition programs, and employee services for all VIA employees and interns.  Carole joined VIA in August 2017 after working in public education for 32 years where she served as teacher and building level administrator, as well as a division-level administrator.  Carole is committed to the mission of VIA and supporting our employees—who in turn support our students, clients, and their families.

LinkedIn | cnelson@viacenters.org

Ashley is VIA's director of compliance, responsible for policy development and review, as well as ensuring internal policies meet the requirements of external regulations. Ashley studied special education with a focus on individuals with moderate to intensive needs at the University of Akron, and she holds a master’s degree in behavior analysis from Sage Graduate School. Before coming to VIA in 2007, Ashley worked at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Autism and a special education day school in Ohio. Ashley is a licensed behavior analyst in the state of Virginia.

LinkedIn | awalding@viacenters.org