Meet Our Team

Chantelle Walker, CEO

Chantelle Walker is CEO of REED Autism Services and oversees the organization’s family of programs, including REED Academy, REED Next, Greens Do Good, and the REED Foundation for Autism.

Prior to joining REED in 2020, Chantelle served as the President and CEO of the Adler Aphasia Center, a New Jersey-based nonprofit serving stroke survivors and their families in 14 locations statewide. Her career spans 20 years in nonprofit management, including roles in finance and operations, business development, fundraising, and marketing for organizations ranging from acute care hospitals to autism service providers. She earned her MBA with a concentration in healthcare administration from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois.

Chantelle is passionate about pursuing innovative solutions to address the complex challenges of a growing autism community and changing the conversation around what’s possible for individuals with autism.

Francesca Saraniero, MSEd, Director of Operations

Francesca is the Director of Operations at REED Next, where she oversees the organization’s day and residential programs for adults with autism, ages 21 and older. She joined REED Next in 2021, bringing extensive experience in adult services, strategic planning, and program development.

Before joining REED Next in 2021, Francesca served as the Director of Adult Services and Business Development at Eden II Programs, a not-for-profit organization that supports people with autism in New York City and Long Island. Previously, Francesca worked for both the New York City Department of Education and the Administration for Children’s Services. Francesca earned her master’s degree in childhood education from the College of Staten Island and a Bachelor of Science in business management from St. John’s University.

Her vision is to take her passion for helping others and her understanding of disabilities to help REED Next reach more families touched by autism.

Kristina Iacovino, MA, BCBA, Director of Staff Development and Training

Kristina has been with REED since 2011 and has held a variety of roles within the organization. Her experience working with individuals with autism spans from early childhood through adulthood; working in the school, home, and adult day and residential environments. Kristina has worked with clinical teams to provide a range of innovative, evidence–based services to individuals including general clinical consultation, vocational training, and assessment of functional living skills. Additionally, she has worked in administrative roles to develop and maintain policies and procedures, assure overall quality and effectiveness of services, and provide regulatory compliance based on standards set forth by REED and by the Division of Developmental Disabilities. Kristina enjoys using her analytical background to find solutions in an efficient and systematic way.

Kelsey Elbon, MA, BCBA, Clinical Director

Kelsey Elbon serves as the clinical lead of both the adult day program and residential services. Kelsey’s primary clinical history is the assessment and treatment of severe challenging behavior within the residential setting for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental and intellectual disabilities. Kelsey also has experience working with clients within education and home-based settings. Kelsey earned her master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) from Rider University and is a board-certified behavior analyst.

Kelsey specializes in the assessment of intensive challenging behavior as well as conducting treatment analysis to reduce maladaptive behavior while also increasing socially significant behavior such as functional communication. Kelsey believes that it is crucial to collaborate with all team members including guardians, medical providers, previous educators, program managers, direct support professionals, PT’s, OT’s, and SLP’s in order to come up with the most effective strategies to treat each individual served. Kelsey has a lengthy history treating various behavior including, but not limited to: aggression, self-injurious behavior, property destruction, elopement, PICA, mouthing, food-stealing, inappropriate social behavior, inappropriate sexual behavior, and dropping.

Kelsey believes that treatment must be individualized to each client and takes great pride in creating unique ways to assess and treat all forms of challenging behavior.

Heather Beatty, Administrator

Heather joined REED Next in 2021 as Day Program Manager and moved into her current role in 2025. She first began her career at REED in 2012, working as an instructor at REED Academy before becoming a lead instructor.

With nearly two decades of experience supporting individuals with autism spectrum disorder, Heather has worked with people from preschool through adulthood, including those transitioning into residential living. She brings extensive knowledge of ABA practices, which she has applied to the Day Program to meet each client’s individual needs.

Sherese Lachish, Residential Program Director

Sherese joined REED Next as an ABA Instructor at the Day Program. She went on to serve as Group Home Manager and Senior Manager before being named Director of Residential Services in 2025.

With honorable service in the U.S. Marine Corps and more than a decade of managerial experience, Sherese brings strong leadership and dedication to her role. She is deeply committed to making a meaningful impact at REED Next and ensuring that all client needs are met with the highest level of care and professionalism.

Henry Weiss, Day Program Manager

Henry joined REED Next in 2023 as a Direct Support Professional. He was later promoted to Assistant Manager before becoming Day Program Manager in 2025.

Henry earned his B.A. in Psychology and began his career with the Fair Lawn Board of Education as a paraprofessional in the special needs department. In his current role, Henry oversees the daily operations of the Day Program, working closely with staff and participants to create a supportive and engaging environment that fosters growth and independence.