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HistoryThe Pennsylvania Chapter for the Association of Behavior Analysis (PennABA) was incorporated in 1998. Richard M. Foxx and William Helsel saw a need to support behavior analysis in the state of Pennsylvania. In 2000, Richard Kubina chaired a meeting at ABA to help elect PennABA's first set of officers. With the creation of PennABA, service providers, teachers, students, and families in Pennsylvania gained a resource, which fosters the application and growth of behavior analysis. PennABA has been encouraged with the growth in the demographics of its membership. Not only have seasoned professionals who provide ABA services maintained membership in PennABA, but students, teachers, direct care providers, and family members of those needing services have joined the ranks. With the goal of supplying members with skills and resources in behavior analysis, PennABA has dedicated its' annual conference to providing speakers who encourage and foster behavior analysis within the lives of its members. |
bylaws & Policy UpdatesIn August 2024, PennABA's Board Members voted and approved to enact a new Constitution and Bylaws. In July 2025, updates to the PennABA Nominations for Leadership Council Policy were made. This document can be viewed at the link below. |
Board Members
FINANCIAL OFFICER
Dr. Keith Williams, Ph.D., BCBA-D Dr. Keith Williams has been the Director of the Feeding Program at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center since 1997. He is a Professor of Pediatrics at the Penn State College of Medicine and has served as an Adjunct Professor for the Applied Behavior Analysis program at Penn State Harrisburg. Keith has written over 60 articles and chapters in the area of feeding problems and child nutrition. He is the co-author of Treating Eating Problems of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Disabilities: Interventions for Professionals and Providers, Reduce Child Obesity: A Guide for Using the Kid’s Choice Program in School and at Home, and Broccoli Boot Camp: Basic Training for Parents of Selective Eaters. Keith is a Past President and Member-at-Large of PennABA. He is currently a Fulbright Global Health Specialist and spent several weeks lecturing at the National University of Ireland – Galway. | PresidentKimberly A. Schreck, Ph.D., BCBA-D Kimberly Anne Schreck, Ph.D., BCBA-D® is a Professor at Penn State Harrisburg, where she assisted in creating the Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis. She directed the ABA Master’s for the majority of the program’s existence. Dr. Schreck has worked in the field of Psychology and ABA for over 30 years, with 26 years as a faculty member (teaching psychology, ABA, and special education courses). She received her Ph.D. in Psychology (specializing in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) from the Ohio State University. Dr. Schreck completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Pediatric Psychology at Columbus Children’s Hospital (now Nationwide Children’s Hospital) with co-appointments with the Heinzerling Memorial Foundation and Developmental Center, and the Ohio State University. She continues her clinical experience working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and neurodegenerative diseases from early intervention to adulthood, with families, and with educational organizations. Dr. Schreck’s clinical and research interests include ethical and evidence-based practices, autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities (e.g., MPS-IIIA), interventions for skill acquisition, and behavior issues. She has published numerous publication citation classics related to sleep and feeding issues and presents nationally and internationally on ethical practice. She is a regular reviewer of scientific manuscripts, a member of journal editorial boards, reviewer for dissertations internationally, and a grant reviewer. She has served in a variety of professional service positions including Associate Editor of Behavioral Interventions, Penn ABA Executive Council, grant consultant, human research review and human rights committees, and a mentor for multiple professionals across disciplines. |
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jonathan Ivy, Ph.D., BCBA-D Jonathan W. Ivy, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is an associate professor of psychology at Penn State Harrisburg. Dr. Ivy received his doctorate in applied behavior analysis and special education from the Ohio State University in 2011 and a master's degree in applied behavior analysis from The Pennsylvania State University in 2005. He has worked with individuals who engage in severe challenging behaviors, at the group and individual level, for nearly two decades. He has helped parents and professionals develop and implement comprehensive behavior change programs designed to increase functional skills and decrease challenging behaviors. He has served as a consultant for school districts, youth residential programs, behavioral health agencies, and partial hospitalization programs to address a wide range of needs. In 2013, Dr. Ivy was nominated president of the Pennsylvania Association for Behavior Analysis (PennABA). After serving his term as President of PennABA, the Executive Council asked Dr. Ivy to serve as the Director of Outreach and Strategic Planning. In this role, Dr. Ivy has been closely involved in initiatives to license behavior analysts, including speaking at the press conference for Pennsylvania House Bill 1900. Dr. Ivy regularly gives professional presentations at national conferences and has an active research agenda with multiple publications in peer-reviewed journals. His areas of interest include complex systems of reinforcement (e.g., token economies), group-oriented contingencies, innovative interventions to teach functional skills or treat problem behavior, and teaching behavior analysis. Dr. Ivy also enjoys following the research interests of his students. | EVENT/CONFERENCE MANAGER Nicole Mastromatto, M.A., BCBA Nicole Mastromatto is a board certified behavior analyst and behavior consultant for a school district in south-central Pennsylvania. She earned her master’s degree in applied behavior analysis from Penn State Harrisburg in 2020 and has over 15 years of experience in public schools, beginning her career teaching general and special education students. In addition to providing school-based consultation, she also has experience providing behavior support services across home, community, and vocational settings to adults with disabilities. Prior to serving on the executive council, Nicole was a volunteer on the Outreach and Strategic Planning Committee assisting with the planning and execution of past PennABA Conferences. |
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Member at Large (East)Heather Richards, M.A., BCBA
Heather Richards, M.A., BCBA, is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with extensive experience supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities across residential, vocational, and community settings. She is deeply committed to person-centered, ethical, and evidence-based practice, emphasizing dignity, autonomy, and meaningful engagement for every individual she serves. Heather currently practices as a Behavior Analyst with WellSpan Philhaven’s Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities and Round Hill Services, providing clinical oversight, staff training, and behavior support plan development within adult service systems. She is an active member of two Human Rights Committees and plays a vital role in ensuring that behavioral interventions align with both ethical and regulatory standards. In 2018, Heather co-created the Communication Specialist Department at Excentia Human Services alongside a speech-language pathologist. The program—now serving 87 adults—has become the largest communication service for adults in Lancaster County, reflecting her passion for accessible communication and interdisciplinary collaboration. Heather holds a Master’s degree in Special Education with a focus in Applied Behavior Analysis from Ball State University, a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Drexel University, and an Associate’s degree in Social Science from Harrisburg Area Community College. In 2024, she presented at the ODP Everyday Lives Conference on the use of technology to reduce rapid eating in adults with autism. Her professional mission is to elevate the presence of ABA in adult systems, foster collaboration across disciplines, and advocate for equitable access to quality behavioral supports throughout Pennsylvania. | Member at Large (Central)
Timothy Caldwell, LBS, Ph.D., BCBA-D Tim Caldwell, Ph.D., BCBA-D serves as the Executive Clinical Director for Vista Autism Services, overseeing the behavioral research, staff training, and clinical development of ABA-based treatment. Tim completed his Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis in January of 2019 at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. His main areas of clinical work include development of staff training and programming implementation systems, as well as ongoing supervision of BCBA candidates and BCBA’s. His research interests include, staff training, caregiver training, analytic behavior, advanced verbal behavior, derived relational responding, stimulus equivalence, verbal self-prompting, and verbal problem-solving. Tim serves as an Adjunct Professor with The Pennsylvania State University’s School of Behavioral Sciences and Education, and The Chicago School of Professional Psychology teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses in ABA. Tim’s research has included an analysis of script training to teach recall of past events, the examination of stimulus equivalence technology to improve parent training outcomes as well as the use of analytic behavior within behavior analysts practicing in the field. Tim serves as an ad hoc reviewer for the journal Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice. In addition, Tim currently serves on the PennABA Executive Council as the Central Region Member at Large and on the Penn State Harrisburg ABA Master’s Advisory Board. |
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Member at Large (West)Lacey R. Bailey, M.A., BCBA Lacey R. Bailey, MA, BCBA, is a behavior analyst and organizational leader with over 15 years of experience supporting school districts, community programs, and educators across Pennsylvania. She earned her master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Penn State–Harrisburg and has built her career around improving system-wide supports for students and the professionals who serve them. Lacey currently serves as National Director of Educational Partnerships at RethinkEd, where she leads large-scale implementation, professional learning, and engagement strategies that help districts adopt and sustain high-quality behavioral and educational practices. Her work includes developing success-metric dashboards, designing data-driven playbooks, and training teams in evidence-based and OBM-aligned approaches to implementation. Prior to her national leadership role, Lacey held BCBA and supervisory positions in Warren County School District, Pittsburgh Public Schools, and Pace School, designing MTSS-aligned behavior systems, supporting complex student needs, and leading RBT training and supervision initiatives. Lacey has been an active member of PennABA since 2007, serving more than a decade as Secretary and Conference Manager. She has presented at state and national conferences and remains committed to advancing high-quality, ethical, and sustainable behavior analytic practice across the Commonwealth. | Student Member RepresentativeJulianna Brensan Julianne Bresnan is a graduate student in Applied Behavior Analysis at Ball State University and an Advanced Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) with the Bucks County Intermediate Unit, where she provides behavioral support to students with autism and emotional support needs. Her professional focus centers on compassionate, evidence-based practice that prioritizes dignity, autonomy, and cultural responsiveness. Julianne’s research interests include skill acquisition, trauma-informed behavior support, and the intersection of autism and brain injury. She recently presented her independent study, Comparing Video and En Vivo Modeling for Teaching Hopscotch to Elementary-Aged Students with Autism, at the 2025 Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) Convention. She is mentored by Dr. Kelly Kates McElrath, Ph.D., BCBA-D, CBIS, and is actively pursuing BCBA certification, with plans to continue into doctoral study. Julianne strives to bridge the gap between research and practical application, promoting collaboration among educators, families, and behavior analysts to support meaningful outcomes for all learners. |