Chief Executive Officer
James E. Carr, PhD, BCBA-D, ICE-CCP
James E. Carr, PhD, BCBA-D, ICE-CCP
James E. Carr, PhD, BCBA-D, ICE-CCP is the Chief Executive Officer of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. His professional interests include behavior analyst credentialing, practitioner training, behavioral assessment and treatment of developmental disabilities, and verbal behavior. Dr. Carr has published over 150 journal articles on these and other topics and his work has been cited over 8,000 times. Dr. Carr is a Fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International and has received awards from APBA, APA’s Division 25, and Autism Speaks.
Board of Directors
As the governing body of a nonprofit corporation, the BACB’s Board of Directors is responsible for establishing the organization’s mission, overseeing its Chief Executive Officer, and deciding important matters about the organization’s activity. Directors typically serve a three-year term and may have the opportunity to serve a second term. Directors serve in an unpaid, volunteer capacity and represent a cross section of stakeholders that includes practitioners, consumers, employers, faculty, and administrators. Additional information about the Board of Directors is available in the BACB’s bylaws.
Breanne Hartley, PhD, BCBA-D
Breanne Hartley, PhD, BCBA-D
President | Noblesville, IN
(term ends August 2028)
Breanne Hartley, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA is the President/Chief Clinical Officer at UNIFI Autism Care. Dr. Hartley earned her doctorate in Behavior Analysis from Western Michigan University in 2009 and has over 20 years of experience working with patients with autism spectrum disorders and their families. She is passionate about integrating behavior analysis and healthcare for the optimal benefit of individuals with autism.
Dr. Hartley’s areas of interest include optimizing patient progress, effective supervision of staff, and systems analysis. She has publications in Behavior Analysis in Practice, and she has spoken across the country on topics through workshops and presentations regarding issues concerning behavior analyst practitioners, such as staff training, supervision, treatment plan development, and navigating the insurance denial and appeals process for insurance funded ABA therapy.
Adel Najdowski, PhD, BCBA-D
Adel Najdowski, PhD, BCBA-D
Vice President | Los Angeles, CA and Flower Mound, TX
(term ends August 2026)
Adel C. Najdowski, PhD, BCBA-D (she/her) is a Full Professor and the Director of the Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program at Pepperdine University. Dr. Najdowski has over 20 years of experience providing ABA-based services to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). She has over 50 publications including her books Flexible and Focused! Teaching Executive Function Skills to Individuals with Autism and Attention Disorders and A Workbook of Ethical Case Scenarios in Applied Behavior Analysis.
She has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavior Analysis in Practice, and as a guest editor for a special issue of Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. She previously served on the board of directors for the California Association for Behavior Analysis (CalABA). Her current research interests include topics related to teaching higher-order skills to children and teens diagnosed with ASD, and topics related to social justice.
Ivy Chong, PhD, BCBA-D
Ivy Chong, PhD, BCBA-D
Treasurer | Melbourne, FL
(term ends August 2027)
Ivy Chong, PhD, BCBA-D is the Chief Clinical Officer at Little Leaves Behavioral Services and holds adjunct faculty appointments at Brock University and University of Massachusetts (Lowell). She received a doctorate from Western Michigan University in Behavior Analysis and received a post-doctoral MBA in Healthcare Management, from Florida Institute of Technology.
Ivy previously served as Senior Vice President of Children’s Services at May Institute (2017 – 2023), overseeing the operations of home, school, and center-based services. From 2008 – 2017, Ivy served as the Director of Autism Services and Training at the Scott Center for Autism Treatment and Associate Professor in the College of Psychology and Liberal Arts at Florida Institute of Technology. Ivy is a licensed psychologist (FL, MI) and BCBA-D and maintains leadership roles on several advisory boards and has presented at numerous conferences nationally and internationally.
Sarah Richling, PhD, BCBA-D
Sarah Richling, PhD, BCBA-D
Secretary | Auburn, AL
(term ends August 2026)
Sarah Richling is an Associate Clinical Professor and Director of the Applied Behavior Analysis Master’s Program in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Auburn University. She completed her Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis at the University of Nevada, Reno and has 20 years of experience working with children, youth, and adults with ASD, developmental disabilities, learning disorders, and justice-involved individuals.
Sadie Anderson, RBT
Sadie Anderson, RBT
RBT Representative | Knoxville, TN
(term ends August 2027)
Sadie Anderson is currently an RBT at Spectrum Specialists LLC. in Knoxville, TN. She brings 15 years of professional experience as a behavior technician to the BACB’s Board of Directors and has also served as a consumer advocate for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services in the capacity of a big sister. Sadie was introduced to ABA when her younger brother began receiving ABA services in 2005.
As a teenager, she became really passionate about the benefits that ABA had to offer for improving the lives of individuals with disabilities. The inspiration to help others in her community through ABA lead to her work in vocational support for individuals with disabilities seeking job-related training, helping to build inclusive environments, and teaching organizations how to create systems that support accommodations in the workplace. Sadie has been a community resource in Tennessee, serving on various panels to provide support related to inclusion, caregiver training, and compassionate care in treating individuals with disabilities.
Jennifer Genovese, BCaBA
Jennifer Genovese, BCaBA
BCaBA Representative | Sandston, VA
(term ends August 2027)
Jennifer Genovese is currently a BCaBA at River City ABA in Mechanicsville, Virginia. She earned her undergraduate degree in education from The State University of New York at Fredonia and completed her BCaBA certification courses from Florida Institute of Technology. Jennifer discovered the field of ABA while working in an inclusion classroom in Virginia Beach, VA. She made the decision to become an RBT while completing her FIT courses. It was during this time that her son received a late diagnosis of ASD at the age of 13.
Jennifer brings her experiences as a parent of a child on the spectrum, her work in the school setting, and her work in the field of ABA as an RBT and later as a BCaBA to the BACB Board of Directors. She is deeply honored to have the opportunity to serve alongside a distinguished group of individuals committed to enhancing a field that she feels passionate about.
Julie Koudys Ph.D., C.Psych., R.B.A. (Ont.), BCBA-D
Julie Koudys Ph.D., C.Psych., R.B.A. (Ont.), BCBA-D
International Representative | Ontario, Canada
(term ends August 2027)
Julie Koudys is an Associate Professor and Clinical Coordinator in the Department of Applied Disability Studies at Brock University, Ontario, Canada. She is a Registered Psychologist and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the doctoral level. She has worked with children and youth with ASD, developmental disabilities, learning disorders, and mental health challenges for approximately 20 years.
She is passionate about the integration of research into practice and partners with community providers to support clinical research and evidence-based practice. Dr. Koudys serves as the International Representative on the Board of Directors for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). Dr. Koudys was an appointed member of the Government of Ontario’s Clinical Expert Committee for ASD and the Autism Advisory Panel for the Ontario Autism Program. She was Chair of the Ontario Scientific Expert Taskforce for the Treatment of ASD and is an active contributor to various volunteer committees.
Anita Li, PhD, BCBA-D
Anita Li, PhD, BCBA-D
Lowell, MA
(term ends August 2028)
Anita Li, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LABA, is an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She completed her Ph.D. from Western Michigan University in 2020. She has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2013 and has worked with children and adults with developmental disabilities in a variety of settings.
Anita has written over 30 research articles and chapters and presented more than 50 papers and workshops, including invited addresses, at both national and international conferences in behavior analysis. Her research interests include organizational practices and equity practices in ABA, instructional design, and translational research examining productivity and training effects. She is on the conference committee board for the Women in Behavior Analysis, the DEI board for the Association of Behavior Analysis International, and serves as a subject matter expert for the BACB.
Chrissy McNair
Chrissy McNair
Vice President | Consumer Representative | Portland, OR
(term ends August 2027)
Chrissy McNair is a Neurodiversity and Developmental Disabilities Advocate and Consultant specializing in the areas of DEI, accessibility, strategic planning and public policy advocacy. She is mother to three boys, one of whom is a young adult on the Autism Spectrum. Chrissy has served on boards and committees, including Autism Living (Columbus, OH) The Autism Society of Nebraska, FEAT of Nebraska, The Munroe Meyer Institute’s Autism Center Strategic Planning Committee, the CDC’s State Act Early Team, and is currently the Board Chair for PHAME, a performing arts school for adults with developmental disabilities located in Portland, OR.
Chrissy is the former Director of Employment Services at Embracing Autism (Columbus, OH) where she led the organization to find meaningful employment for adults experiencing developmental disabilities. She is passionate about supporting parents and caregivers of loved ones with special needs, is a public speaker in the areas of relationship building between families and teachers/therapists, as well as improving self-care for the caregiver. Chrissy enjoys hiking, tennis, paddle boarding, is an avid podcast listener, and fully into the pickleball craze. She lives in Portland, OR with her husband, sons, two loyal dogs, a feisty rescue cat, and three backyard chickens.
Nicole Sorensen, MS, BCBA
Nicole Sorensen, MS, BCBA
Master’s BCBA Representative | Milwaukee, WI
(term ends August 2028)
Nicole Sorensen, MS, BCBA, IBA, LBA, is the Director of Therapeutic Practices at MyPath Support Services in Wisconsin. With over 16 years of experience, she has worked across diverse settings, including residential programs, international clinics, and multidisciplinary teams. Nicole began her career at the New England Center for Children (NECC) and later contributed to ABA services in the UAE, Ohio, and Kentucky, where she expanded programs for foster care and traumatic brain injury populations.
Currently, Nicole focuses on trauma-informed ABA practices and reducing coercive interventions while maintaining clinical effectiveness. She has taught at Simmons University and Purdue Global University and collaborates with organizations to promote ethical, client-centered care. Her research interests include organizational behavior management and non-aversive behavior systems.
Nicole is actively involved in professional service, having served on the Wisconsin Association for Behavior Analysis Board and chaired committees on diversity and inclusion. She is committed to equity, mentorship, and advancing compassionate ABA practices. Nicole received the 2023 WisABA Award for Significant Contributions to Behavior Analysis.
Rebecca Womack, MS, BCBA
Rebecca Womack, MS, BCBA
Master’s BCBA Representative | Stilwell, OK
(term ends August 2027)
Rebecca has extensive experience in applied behavior analysis (ABA), serving diverse populations across various settings. She is committed to developing, disseminating, and upholding standards of care having served as a member or board of director for various non-profit organizations within the profession of ABA.
Rebecca has been privileged to deliver ABA services to children, adolescents, and adults both in the United States and overseas. She enjoys providing education and consultation services to ABA professionals and organizations. Through her advocacy efforts and dedication to quality, her ultimate goal is to make a significant impact through effective and efficient services utilizing the science of behavior analysis.