Meet our fearless leaders! As you’ll see they all have one thing in common – a passion and commitment to improve the lives of children diagnosed with autism
Greg Carr, Founder and CEO
Since The Uncommon Thread’s inception, Greg has utilized his business and technology background to help improve the lives of children diagnosed with autism and other behavioral disorders. Greg earned a B.S. in Marketing from Susquehanna University. In 1987, he founded Teldata Control, Inc. and led operations of the company as managing partner and CEO.
In 2002, Greg’s son was diagnosed with autism and he and Aileen Larkin began to research and devote their time to learning about autism and related therapies. After Greg and Aileen’s son had received several years of intensive ABA therapy and had made incredible strides, Greg dedicated himself to recreating the same success for other children and their families. The Uncommon Thread opened in 2007 and in recent years Greg has grown and expanded the organization’s reach to support school, home and medical communities as well as open two additional centers.
Melanie Roman White, Center Director and School District Coordinator
Melanie, TUT’s Center Director and School District Coordinator, attended Kean University in Elizabeth, NJ where she obtained a BA in Psychology. With 23+ years of experience in autistic populations, Melanie also holds a graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from Penn State University. Melanie has worked as Behavior Modification Consultant for the Hunterdon Developmental Center of New Jersey managing programs for an adult autistic population. Melanie also provided 1:1 home based ABA services under the supervision of a Lovaas Institute Consultant. Melanie manages all operations out of TUT’s Centers as well as ensures all TUT’s school district partners are as successful and self-reliant as possible.
MaryBeth Dougherty, Director of Clinical Operations
MaryBeth Dougherty has been an integral part of The Uncommon Thread since its inception. In 2023, she was promoted to Director of Clinical Operations after serving many years as the Director of In-Home Services. In her current role, MaryBeth oversees a diverse range of responsibilities aimed at advancing the organization’s mission of empowering children and families through exceptional ABA therapy. Her leadership focuses on identifying and addressing professional development needs, enhancing clinical training for staff, and implementing a barrier management system to eliminate obstacles hindering a child’s progress. She also manages a validation system to ensure that ABA practices remain rigorous, effective, and aligned with the highest standards. MaryBeth’s efforts are designed to refine clinical practices, optimize efficiency, and drive the best possible outcomes for the children and families TUT serves. Prior to her clinical management roles, MaryBeth was responsible for marketing initiatives, developed TUT’s first website, and provided consulting work in the organization’s business and marketing operations. Before joining TUT, MaryBeth was the Director of Business Development at Medscape, where she supported clinicians with medical information and continuing education resources for physicians and healthcare professionals. MaryBeth holds a bachelor’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Florham Park, NJ, and a Master’s in Psychology with a specialization in ABA therapy from Capella University.
Colleen Johnson, Director of In-Home Case Management
Colleen earned a B.S. in Business Management-Marketing from Kean University. Colleen has over 23 years of management experience with a previous career in the financial service industry. Colleen’s new position as Director of In-Home Case Management will entail oversight of TUT’s BCBA team by safeguarding the implementation and follow through of our ABA best practices. This increased level of attention and management will certainly ensure the best outcomes for the children in our care. Colleen joined the administrative team at TUT in 2015. She quickly became involved in many facets of TUT’s day to day administrative and clinical operations, and in 2017, was promoted to Case Manager. For the last several years Colleen has been an integral part of the overall success of TUT’s in-home operations. Just as she has in all her roles at TUT, we expect Colleen to flourish in her new position and make a tremendous impact on TUT and the families we serve.
Julie Langenauer, Director of Business Administration
Julie earned a B.S. in Finance from Fordham University. Julie has over 20 years of Banking Operations Management experience. In 2014, Julie joined The Uncommon Thread as the Office Manager. In 2019 Julie was promoted to Director of Business Administration managing both the Finance and Human Resources Departments for TUT. Julie’s Finance Department is responsible for all claims to insurance companies, family billing, invoicing to our contracted school districts, vendor management including accounts payable, and payroll processing. The Talent Acquisition and Human Resources department recruits for and staffs all open positions within the organization and is responsible for overseeing all company policies.
Christine Hegan, Director of Outreach and Marketing
Christine began her career as a Mental Health Rehabilitation Specialist after earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology. In that position she supported individuals with significant mental health disorders and disabilities. Christine then transitioned to the corporate sector, spending 18 years at a Manhattan-based technology firm as an Account Support Representative and later as Manager of Marketing. She joined The Uncommon Thread in 2014, bringing her expertise in outreach, communications, and relationship building. As Director of Outreach and Marketing, Christine connects with the community through education and advocacy, leading initiatives such as grand rounds and lunch-and-learn events at hospitals and medical practices across New Jersey. She builds partnerships, cultivates a robust referral network, and collaborates with school districts to promote TUT’s ABA services. Christine also plays a pivotal role in shaping TUT’s communications and enhancing the organization’s online presence. Now leading the outreach and marketing team, Christine continues to drive TUT’s mission of advancing the lives of children with autism through education, advocacy, and meaningful connections.
Anne Faraher, Development Director of Clinical Practice, BCBA, LBA
Anne, a BCBA since 2007, received her BA in Psychology from Rutgers and MS in ABA from St. Cloud State University in MN. Anne, who brings over 25 years of experience in the field. Anne has had a distinguished career with experience that includes working for Lovaas, Heart to Heart Healthcare, One Step Forward, Applied Behavioral Mental Health Counseling, and her own private practice. Her vast experience includes working with children and adults; creating and directing agency-wide trainings for clinical staff; development and management of in-home ABA programming and delivery; supervising individuals seeking BCBA, RBT and Trained Behavior Technician certification, and more. At TUT, Anne is charged with enhancing TUT’s standard of excellence in ABA programing and delivery thus ensuring the best outcomes for the children we serve. She does this by identifying, developing and validating core ABA best practice standards.
Amanda Gregorio, Clinical Director, BCBA
Amanda earned a B.A. in Psychology from Pace University in 2002, followed by a M.S.Ed in Special and General Education through Touro College in 2005. Amanda completed her comprehensive coursework in ABA through Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) in 2016 and has been a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst since 2017. With 18 years of experience in ABA, she specializes in early childhood development, behaviors, and learning difficulties associated with autism. Amanda joined TUT in 2018. As Senior BCBA she has provided mentorship to other BCBAs and has been an integral part of the development and rollout of TUT’s ABA Best Practices Professional Development Series. As Clinical Director, Amanda will provide oversight of the optimal delivery of ABA services that will ensure the best outcomes for the children in our care. Her areas of responsibility will be providing individualized behavioral supports for learners, supervise staff seeking BACB certification, oversee the Parent Training Best Practice through 1:1 support, expand professional development, and provide clinical support to learners and BCBA’s identified through TUT’s Tiered System.
Jessica Fredericks Malone, Assistant Clinical Director, BCBA
Jessica earned her BA in psychology from The College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in ABA from Georgian Court University. She completed her supervision as a teacher’s assistant and then transitioned into a BCBA role at a private school for children with autism. Jessica, a BCBA since 2015, joined TUT as an in-home BCBA. She transitioned to a center BCBA and was promoted to Senior BCBA in TUT’s Bridges Classroom in 2021.
In Jessica’s role as Assistant Clinical Director, she will mentor and support new BCBAs across the core areas of TUT that are integral to developing strong BCBAs. Jessica will orientate new BCBAs to TUT’s Way of Life, including our Clinical ABA Best Practices, Rethink Clinical platform, and Rethink’s Practice Management platform. Jessica will identify and assist in professional development opportunities for new BCBAs and ensure they are receiving the clinical support needed to provide high-quality case oversight to our therapists, clients, and families.
Tricia Gardyasz – In-Home Case Manager
Tricia received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Rutgers University and a master’s degree in school counseling from Rider University. Tricia had a lengthy and successful career working with adults and teenagers with developmental disabilities before joining TUT in 2018 as an ABA Therapist. In 2021, Tricia was promoted to Assistant Case Manager and in 2023 was promoted to In-Home Case Manager. Tricia manages all aspects of in-home operations and works with TUT staff and families to ensure the highest quality services for our children.
Donna Kali, In-Center Case Manager
Donna holds a Sociology degree from William Paterson University and a Master’s in Counseling from Montclair State University. With over 20 years of experience supporting families in crisis and children with emotional and behavioral challenges, including autism, Donna has been an invaluable member of The Uncommon Thread. Starting as an ABA Therapist, Donna was promoted to Assistant Case Manager in 2022 and promoted again to In-Center Case Manager. In her role, she oversees in-center operations, coordinates care, and ensures collaboration between staff and families, providing the highest quality support for our children.
Robin Mammone, BCBA
Robin is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with over 25 years of experience in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis focusing on young children on the autism spectrum. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Binghamton University and a Master of Science in Special Education from Hofstra University.
Robin worked as a head ABA teacher at A Step Ahead Program with Dr. Lina Slim Topdjian for over 5 years. She has also provided behavioral services for both Bloomfield School and Madison school districts. Since 2013, Robin has been able to support countless young children and their families while working at The Uncommon Thread as one of their full time BCBA and Program Director. In addition, she supervises RBT, Trained Behavior Technician an BCBA candidates. Robin is very passionate not only towards her job as a behavior analyst but also as one who is open to learning from other service providers.
