Board & Staff

JJ Johnston

JJ Johnston, Ed D, BCBA

President

Michelle Goodrow

Vice-President

 Rick Gutierrez

Rick Gutierrez, Ph D, BCBA

Treasurer
Kelly Londenberg

Kelly Londenberg

Board of Directors

 JJ Johnston

Nicole Aptekar

Board of Directors

 JJ Johnston

Stephani Congdon

Board of Directors
JJ Johnston

Leonard Cravens

Board of Directors

 JJ Johnston

Melaura Erickson-Tomaino, Ph.D.

Board of Directors

 JJ Johnston

Vanessa Gill

Board of Directors
JJ Johnston

Dr. Adwoa Osei, MD

Board of Directors

 JJ Johnston

Erin Pino

Board of Directors

 lillian-vasquez

Lillian Vasquez

Board of Directors
JJ Johnston

JJ Johnston, Ed D, BCBA

President

Michelle Goodrow

Vice-President

 Rick Gutierrez

Rick Gutierrez, Ph D, BCBA

Treasurer
JJ Johnston

Vanessa Gill

Panel of Advisor

Blake Baxter

Panel of Advisor

 Rick Gutierrez

Sydney Edmond

Panel of Advisor
JJ Johnston

Kelley Londonberg

Panel of Advisor

 JJ Johnston

Imari Nicoloff

Panel of Advisor

 JJ Johnston

Aaron Saenz

Panel of Advisor
JJ Johnston

Beth Burt

Executive Director

Clara Garcia

Director of Programs

 Rick Gutierrez

Anel Ibarra

Treasurer
JJ Johnston

Deysi Chavez-Belloso

Resource Specialist

 JJ Johnston

Fanny Cisneros

Resource Specialist

 JJ Johnston

Flora Martinez

Education Specialist II
JJ Johnston

Jennifer Elliott

Bookkeeper

 JJ Johnston

Juanita Hernandez

Program Specialist

 JJ Johnston

Julie Price

Social Media
JJ Johnston

Liliana Alvarado

Resource Specialist

 JJ Johnston

Melissa Cardona

Senior Resource Specialist

 JJ Johnston

Priyanka Malvey

Data Specialist
JJ Johnston

Virginia Sosa

Program Specialist

 

 

 

Board of Directors

JJ Johnston

JJ Johnston, Ed D, BCBA

Board of Directors

President

Parent and Vice President, Experience & Service Delivery Easter Seals of Southern CA, Easter Seals of Southern California.  For over 20 years, J.J. Johnston has partnered with community leaders to create quality ABA programs for schools, provide consultation on behavioral services, and shape client-centered public policy regarding services for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities.

Michelle Goodrow

Michelle Goodrow

Board of Directors

Vice-President

Michelle is a passionate Special Educator with more than 20 years experience in moderate to severe classrooms.  When not in her classroom, you can find her volunteering her time with Special Needs Football and Cheerleaders, or helping with the Autism Society Outreach and Sky High Nights.

Rick Gutierrez

Rick Gutierrez, Ph D, BCBA

Board of Directors

Treasurer

Rick is currently the Regional Vice President Autism Administration and Network Provider Services, Easter Seals Southern California.  He started off his career as an in-home tutor and still has a desire to improve the lives of families affected by autism.

Kelly Londenberg

Kelly Londenberg

Board of Directors

Panel of Advisor

Kelly Londenberg, BS, COTA/L is an autistic adult and licensed pediatric occupational therapy assistant working in a school-based setting, primarily serving children on the spectrum. She has served on the boards of several autism organizations, including Autism Society Inland Empire, where she ran the teen/adult group, AAC group, family events and organized numerous trainings. Kelly speaks at local and national events educating others on topics related to sensory processing and living on the spectrum.
Nicole Aptekar

Nicole Aptekar

Board of Directors

Nicole Aptekar has over 20 years of marketing, public relations and advertising experience in business-to-business, consumer segments and non-profit organizations. She has worked for several Fortune 100 companies as Group Marketing Manager in technology and retail. She is a principal owner of  a marketing firm specializing in working with small-to-medium sized businesses and non-profit organizations.  Nicole is the proud mother of triplets, one of whom is on the spectrum.  Nicole also facilitates the monthly Advocacy for Autism support group in Pomona.

Stephani Congdon

Stephani Congdon

Board of Directors

Board Member. Community member and Non-profit consultant. Stephani has been recognized for her years she has dedicated to helping the Inland Empire non-profit community for many years and serves on countless boards and committees related to issues regarding children, poverty, and autism.

Leonard Cravens

Leonard Cravens

Board of Directors

Leonard is a practicing attorney who is certified specialist in criminal and bankruptcy law. He was officially diagnosed with autism at age 61 after noticing himself in one of his clients. He has a B.S. and M.S in computer related subjects and spent 18 years in the software industry before becoming an attorney. When in court he educates fellow attorneys and judges about autism.

Melaura Erickson-Tomaino, Ph.D.

Board of Directors

Melaura Erickson-Tomaino, Ph.D., is the Co-Founder and Principal of Port View Preparatory® School. Her prior positions include Director of Clinical Services for Beacon Day School in La Palma, CA, and Behavior Program Supervisor for the Center for Autism Research, Evaluation, and Service in San Diego, CA. Dr. Tomaino has more than 13 years of experience serving students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities. Dr. Tomaino has conducted extensive research on ASD with a focus on using communication as the basis for successful teaching and behavior strategies to eliminate the use of restraint in children with autism.

Dr. Tomaino has been an Assistant Professor in the School of Counseling/Psychology at Azusa Pacific University and has taught numerous graduate courses at Claremont University. She has published multiple articles.

Vanessa Gill

Vanessa Gill

Board of Directors

Panel of Advisor

Learning from her own experiences as an individual with Asperger syndrome, Vanessa founded Social Cipher, an empowering video game for children with Autism. Her remarkable interdisciplinary team works to develop the game’s design based on scientific research and the needs of real children and families affected by Autism.

Dr. Adwoa Osei, MD

Board of Directors

Dr. Osei specializes in pediatrics. She received her education from The University of Ghana Medical School and her board certification from The American Board of Pediatrics. Dr. Osei is an active member of the American Board of Pediatrics. She received the Berton Mathias Award in 2008 for clinical excellence and compassion in patient care, Academy Award for Excellence in Compassion in 2017, and Teaching Excellence Award in 2020 from UCR SOM Alumni.

Erin Pino

Board of Directors

Erin Pino is a proud Autism mom to her son who was diagnosed at age two with Autism.

She is a Controller for a local builder and is excited to bring her skills and experience to the Autism Society Inland Empire.

Lillian Vasquez

Board of Directors

Parent of a young man with Autism and founder of the KVCR Autism Initiative.  Lillian has developed and produced five documentaries on autism. She is currently the host of Lifestyles with Lillian Vasquez on 91.9 KVCR.

Panel of Advisors

Vanessa Gill

Vanessa Gill

Panel of Advisor

Board of Directors

Learning from her own experiences as an individual with Asperger syndrome, Vanessa founded Social Cipher, an empowering video game for children with Autism. Her remarkable interdisciplinary team works to develop the game’s design based on scientific research and the needs of real children and families affected by Autism.

Blake Baxter

Panel of Advisor

Blake Baxter is an artist and technology specialist.
Born in Los Angeles, he attended UCLA School of Arts and Architecture before completing his BA in Fine Art at UC Santa Cruz. He has exhibited in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Oakland, Seattle, Buffalo, and Palm Springs. His work is included in the permanent collection of the Palm Springs Art Museum, as well as notable private collections.
Baxter also has extensive technology industry experience, having worked in a variety of roles from Systems Engineer to Global Account Manager, for major manufacturers and systems integrators, driving digital transformation across a wide range of business verticals and within the public sector.
Sydney Edmond

Sydney Edmond

Panel of Advisor

Sydney Edmond is an artist and poet from Temecula, CA who has autism and apraxia which makes it difficult for her to control her movement. She learned to communicate by typing on a keyboard at the age of 10 and has given many presentations at conferences, workshops, and classrooms about autism, emphasizing the importance of giving nonverbal people a means to fully communicate.

Kelly Londenberg

Kelly Londenberg

Panel of Advisor

Kelly Londenberg, BS, COTA/L is an autistic adult and licensed pediatric occupational therapy assistant working in a school-based setting, primarily serving children on the spectrum.  She has served on the boards of several autism organizations, including Autism Society Inland Empire, where she ran the teen/adult group, AAC group, family events and organized numerous trainings.  Kelly speaks at local and national events educating others on topics related to sensory processing and living on the spectrum.

Imari Nicoloff

Panel of Advisor

Educational Consultant working in the Coachella Valley for over 22 years with M.A. in Special Education and Doctorate in Counseling/Psychology

Aaron Saenz

Aaron Saenz

Panel of Advisor

My name is Aaron Gray Saenz. I’m an male, autistic adult. I’m a writer, director, actor, high-school graduate, college student and autistic self-advocate. In addition to being in showbusiness, my aspirations are advocating for the autistic community. I’ve written many pieces, including one full-length play about a story I came up with on my own. I’ve spoken on many panels put on by the Autism Society of the Inland Empire about my experience as a person on the autism spectrum. As one person with autism, I can only truly advocate for myself, but I try my best to represent the rest of the community in terms of asserting our unchanging presence in society and demanding respect for our culture. I’m proud to be part of this group and continue to advocate for the betterment of the autistic community.

Our Staff

Beth Burt

Beth Burt
Executive Director

Board of Directors

Leadership

Staff

Beth is a parent of an adult with Autism and co-author of two books on inclusion.  She has been working to improve the lives of all affected by Autism for the last 26 years.  She is currently the Executive Director of the Autism Society Inland Empire and past President of the Autism Society of California.  She has served on several Task Forces, Collaborations on Housing, Employment, and Public Policy issues related to Autism. She is currently the co-chair of the Autism Society of California Public Policy Committee.

Clara Garcia

Clara Garcia
Director of Programs

Leadership

Staff

Clara has been active in the field of social services for the past 21 years in the areas of mental health and drug treatment counseling, gang prevention/intervention programs and has spent the last 9 years serving those in the disability community by promoting inclusion, advocating and educating.  Clara has created and implemented inclusive programs for special needs children and their typical peers which include a Summer camp, play dates, outings in the community. What stands out most about Clara is the special relationships she builds with families. Because of her genuine care for families, they turn to her for assistance with advocacy, share important family issues and best of all invite her to gatherings where there is always great food!

Anel Ibarra

Anel Ibarra
Program Coordinator

Staff

Anel is the mother of three beautiful children, one of them who has autism.  Previously to joining ASIE, Anel volunteered to help the Spanish speaking community.  Anel is responsible for keeping the Autism Society Inland Empire going! Among her many responsibilities, Anel coordinates all of our events and programs – which averages over 20 a month.  This includes finding locations, speakers, supplies, creating the electronic registrations, and notices, answering the emails about the events as well as creating our newsletter.

Deysi Chavez-Belloso
Resource Specialist

Staff

Deysi is passionate about helping and guiding children and families to navigate resources and encourage support systems within the community.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in human services from California Baptist University. During her journey with RUHS-BH Preschool 0-5 Programs, she had the incredible opportunity to work with parents. She co-facilitated and facilitated pro-social and emotional parent groups in English and Spanish. She also obtained a PC (Parent and Child) Care Certification through UC Davis, equipping her to support parents in building strong parent-and-child relationships.

As a mother of 20- and 15-year-olds, she values self-care and engages in practices such as visualization, meditation, and mindfulness in her spare time.

Fanny Cisneros
Resource Specialist 

Staff

Fanny is the parent of an adolescent with autism. She has extensive experience working with the disability community in different roles. Previously, she worked in higher education and the K-12 school system for over 15 years. She is a strong proponent of inclusion and a dedicated advocate for special needs families. She has a passion for helping others and enjoys hiking with her family, traveling to different national parks, and watching K-dramas.

Flora Martinez
Education Specialist II

Staff

As a parent of special needs children, she developed a passion for assisting families. She was recently elected to the Ontario-Montclair School District Board of Trustees and has dedicated time and energy to different leadership roles throughout the community. She has served on the Early Dispute Resolution Committee (EDR) and the Special Ed Advisory Committee (CAC), is a PTA/PTO representative and participated in DELAC, ELAC, and DAC meetings. She is also the San Bernardino County IHSS Advisory Committee Chair since 2019. 

Jennifer Elliott
Bookkeeper

Staff

Developing strong relationships is the foundation of everything Jennifer does, both professionally and personally.  She brings her knowledge and experience of project management, bookkeeping and human resource administration to the team. She has a strong passion for helping others always, whether it is working with animal rescues or within the core structure of a company. She has even volunteered as a youth soccer league President/coach and referree. Her favorite role is that of a wife, a mother of 3 grown kids (and 3 four legged kids), and a new grandmother, so work life balance is something she treasures.  
Juanita Hernandez

Juanita Hernandez
Program Specialist

Staff

Juanita has been supporting families living with autism in the Coachella Valley and Inland Empire with vital resources and services since 2015.  She is a proud parent and a long-time advocate for the community.

Julie Price
Social Media

Staff

Julie brings her passion for helping others to our Autism community. While not new to our organization, we have officially made her part of the team. Julie creates most of the graphics you see on our social media channels and has helped us reach new families. She can be reached at socialmedia@ieautism.org
Liliana Alvarado

Liliana Alvarado
Resource Specialist

Staff

Liliana is the mother of twins on different levels of the Autism Spectrum Disorder and two typical children. Liliana is the Adult Resource Specialist and is bilingual.  She has coordinated our food program and provides support, information, and resources for all ages of individuals and families with a loved one with autism.

Melissa Cardona

Melissa Cardona
Senior Resource Specialist

Staff

Melissa graduated from Florida Atlantic University and has a Bachelor of Health Services. She is a mother of 4 boys, 2 who are on the spectrum.  Melissa is joining the ASIE Team to fill a new position as a resource specialist, she will be helping parents with questions, resources, find events and lend a listening ear. She will also continue to improve our website resource pages. Melissa is a great addition to ASIE and is also bilingual, please say hello to her when you are calling in or emailing us!

Priyanka Malvey
Data Specialist

Staff

Priyanka is a loving mother of 2 children and has work experience in the field of Information Technology. One of her children has been diagnosed with Autism, which has altered her life goals and connected her to a meaningful purpose. She and her family are very active and love going to theme parks, hiking in the mountains, and strolling on beaches

Virginia Sosa

Virginia Sosa
Program Specialist

Staff

Virginia is the mother of 2 boys, one of whom has autism. She is a member of her local school district’s Community Advisory Committee (CAC) for Special Education where she provides input, recommendations, and enjoys coordinating donations to give to special needs students and their families at the district’s celebrations. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and an Associate’s degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences and is passionate about helping and improving the lives of vulnerable individuals and their loved ones.