Meet Our Leadership Team
Administrative Team
Josh Drake
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
About Josh
Throughout Josh’s career, he has worked to address issues of social justice to help our society more fully live up to its ideals of liberty and justice for all. Most recently, Josh was Vice-President at Rocketship Public Schools for six years with responsibility for its overall school program and, more specifically, helped build out its supports for the whole child and students with disabilities. Prior to that, he worked for seven years at Denver Public Schools where he served as Executive Director of Exceptional Students and was responsible for special education as well as gifted and talented. Earlier in Josh’s career, he worked to create jobs and wealth in minority communities through supporting the expansion of minority-owned companies.
Josh holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Swarthmore College, a master’s of business administration from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, and a master’s in instructional leadership from RELAY’s graduate school of education.
Josh is fortunate to have been married for twenty plus years with one son who will be a freshman at UC Santa Cruz in the fall of 2023.
Mark Nielsen
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
About Mark
Hailey Barker
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
About Hailey
Sun Garcia
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
About Sun
When on site at Morgan Autism Center, Sun enjoys supporting teachers, staff and students with development of curriculum, instruction, administration, training and behavioral support. With a focus on a higher quality of life for students and clients, Sun continues to embrace the idea of lifelong education for all as she teaches the skills our students and clients need, in the most functional and practical form, with love and kindness.
Adriana Valenzuela
STAFF ACCOUNTANT
About Adriana
Coming Soon!
Lisa Lemke
DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION
About Lisa
Lisa has been a part of the Morgan Autism Center family since 2002. She has worked in a variety of roles including an Instructional Aide, Administrative Associate, Development Associate, Development Director and now serves as the organization’s Director of Administration.
She loves the mission of MAC and being a part of an organization that exonerates so much love and compassion for the individuals who are served. In her spare time, she loves reading, being out in nature, and spending time with her family (a husband, a son, and 3 fur babies).
Haley Sepulveda
DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
About Haley
After graduating from California State University, Monterey Bay with a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, Haley was busy coaching her local volleyball teams but was searching for a full-time job that was meaningful. She found her perfect match, MAC! Haley started as an instructional aide in the School Program in January 2020 but transitioned to the administrative team as the Development and Communications Associate in November 2020.
Haley became the Development and Communications Manager in January 2022. In this role you can find her running around planning MAC’s biggest fundraising events Starry Starry Night and Move-for-MAC, and keeping you up to date on information through MAC’s social media accounts & mailing lists.
In her free time she loves to spend time with her family, visit her favorite beaches, and travel with her fiancé, Adrian.
Ching Young
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOCIATE
About Ching
Nicole Ferguson
ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST / ART THERAPIST
About Nicole
Nicole Ferguson is a BFA graduate of the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She studied illustration, design, painting, and sculpture. During her last semester, Nicole visited an art studio for adults with special needs. At that point, her career completely changed.
Nicole met Morgan Autism Center’s Executive Director, Jennifer Sullivan. Immediately, Jennifer asked Nicole if she could teach students how to paint because they just lost their art therapist and would she be interested in a job in their Art Enrichment Program.
Ten years later, Nicole has had the privilege of teaching art to our clients and students. She is passionate about helping them cultivate their artistic skills as well as supporting their development through adaptive art curriculum. Nicole is also a part of the administration team, using her creative and administrative talents to further Morgan Autism Center’s mission. When she has free time, Nicole spends it with her family, outside gardening, and spoiling her Boston Terriers, Puka and Benny.
Eric Santiago
FACILITIES TECHNICIAN
About Eric
Eric is the newest addition to our admin team. He joined MAC in July 2021 working as our Facilities Technician. Eric is a San Jose native, and appreciates giving back to his community.
He enjoys working at Morgan Autism Center because he likes to help others, as well as make a change. In his free time, he likes to sing, create music, and be active.
Noe Lopez
BEHAVIOR SPECIALIST
About Noe
Noe started his career in education in 2013 working for the Franklin McKinley School District as a Paraeducator and immediately knew that serving this community was going to be his life’s passion. He sought to learn and grow and quickly became the Inclusion Collaborative Specialist while also beginning to work part time as an In-Home ABA Service Provider.
After 5 years, Noe started a new journey at The Creekside School as a Teaching Assistant, honing his skills and knowledge in the behavioral field and helping to jump-start their Behavior Support Team as their Behavior Specialist. Noe spent his time training staff in least to most behavioral practices, supporting during crisis situations, and working closely with the team to always make sure a student-first approach was being taken. Today, Noe is thrilled to join us as our new Senior Behavior Analyst and is very excited for what the future will bring!
Christy McCue Risner
ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR
About Christy
Christy began her career working with special needs kids as an ABA therapist in Los Angeles. While in Australia, she supported the special needs community by leading tours at Guide Dog SA/NT’s interactive vision, hearing, and autism education centre. After returning to the United States, she worked as a special education aide in a public school in Colorado before moving back to California and joining the Morgan Autism family. She spent six years as an Instructional Aide in Room 4 before transitioning to the admin team. In her free time, she enjoys hiking near the ocean, dabbling in the arts, and making messes in the kitchen.
Teaching Team
Rob McPhee
ROOM 1 TEACHER
About Rob
Rob has been with the Morgan Center for over 17 years! Originally a theatre geek with a B.A in Technical Theatre and Design from San Francisco State University, as well as 5+ years of professional stage management experience, Rob landed at the Morgan Center completely by chance! He fell in love with the students, the culture, the climate and the sense of family at MAC. Having worked as an Instructional Aide, Rob is excited to have taken on a lead teaching role and is currently wrapping up acquiring his special education credential. In his free time, Rob loves cooking, being creative, and video and board gaming. He is also happily partnered to his wonderful husband who he has been going on adventures with for over 19 years.
Claudine Pitpitan
ROOM 2 TEACHER
About Claudine
Bailey Carr
ROOM 3 TEACHER
About Bailey
Coming Soon!
Isela Lopez
ROOM 4 TEACHER
About Isela
Isela has been at Morgan Autism Center for the past 7 years. She worked with the youngest students in room 2 as well as the older students in rooms 5 and 3. Isela graduated with a BA in Communicative Disorders from SFSU as she originally wanted to be a speech therapist. However, after working at the Morgan Center, Isela realized that her passion lies more in teaching and is currently working on finishing up her teaching credential. Isela has been happily married for more than 11 years and has the most beautiful baby. In her spare time Isela likes to keep her hands and mind busy by running, singing, knitting, beading, and embroidery.
Heather McClimans
ROOM 5 TEACHER
About Heather
Nick Toro
ROOM 6 TEACHER
About Nick
Nick graduated from Pitzer College in 2018 and has been teaching since 2019. Nick got his start in special education when, while working as a football and wrestling coach in 2018, he became a paraeducator. Nick is originally from New Jersey and moved to California when he was 16 years old. In 2022 he lived in Wyoming but now he’s back in the Golden State! When he isn’t teaching, you can find Nick crying because the Dallas Cowboys probably lost again. But outside of football season you can find him cooking and enjoying life with his friends and two dogs!
Shaila Prabhu
ROOM 7 TEACHER
About Shaila
Kristin Schaefer
ROOM 8 TEACHER
About Kristin
Kristin grew up in Tucson Arizona and went to the University of Arizona for Elementary Education. She moved to San Jose in 2007 and has been working at the Morgan Autism Center ever since. Kristin received her masters in Special Education and enjoys cooking for her friends and family. She lives with her husband and 2 children.
Tyler Jakatis
P.E. COORDINATOR
About Tyler
In 2003, Tyler received a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University in Child and Family Development. Following graduation, he worked as a 1-to-1 aide at a public high school with a student who had high functioning autism. Tyler then moved to San Jose and worked in a couple of different special education programs before coming to Morgan Autism Center.
Adult Program Team
Aya Sasaki
ADULT PROGRAM DIRECTOR
About Aya
Sara Cedano
COMMUNITY INTEGRATION PROGRAM DIRECTOR
About Sara
After graduating from Cal State Fullerton in 2017 with a Bachelor’s in Health Science, Sara was eager to start her career in the non-profit sector. Sara discovered Morgan Autism Center and joined the organization in 2018 where she started as a skills trainer in the Adult Program working with the adult clients on a variety of skills in the community (e.g. safety, social, pre-vocational). She spent the next several years developing strong relationships with clients and a big love for the Morgan Autism Center community and mission. Since her start in 2018, Sara has worked hands-on as a skills trainer and in the office working with the fundraising and event planning team. She became the CIP director in 2020 and since then works alongside Aya Sasaki and the AP team to create enriching experiences for the adult clients . In her free time, Sara enjoys listening to live music, making people laugh, and spending time with her family.
Board of Directors
Tom Caulfield
BOARD CHAIR
About Tom
Tom has been associated with Morgan Autism Center since his son, Thomas, started attending in 2007. He has been a Board member since 2013 and has been the Board Chair since July 2021. Tom has been the Vice-Chair and is also a member of the Boards Recruitment Committee. His long-term goals for Morgan Autism Center are to support its distance learning efforts, and to ensure that we only return to campus when it is safe to do so. His longer term goals revolve around program expansion.
Tom works at Twitter in the Supply Engineering organization and he and his family enjoy boating, hiking, biking and all things outdoors.
Debbie Textor
BOARD VICE CHAIR
About Debbie
Debbie has a passion for supporting students, teaching staff and families. She is a retired educator with 34 years of experience as an elementary teacher, school Principal, Director of Special Education and Executive Director of Student Services and Special Education. She is skilled at curriculum and program development, leadership development, as well as special education laws and is a fierce advocate for students with special needs. She is a compassionate and caring leader.
Debbie was honored to join the MAC Board in March of 2022. Her experience and knowledge added value as the Executive team and the Board navigated the ever changing landscape of the pandemic. Having placed students in the Morgan Center, she knows first-hand the positive impact it has on students and their families and is proud to serve on the Board.
Debbie is a certified bareboat sailor and loves to be on the ocean or sailing on Lake Tahoe. She also loves to travel, ski, tend to her garden and chickens, and play with her dogs and her partner, Ted. She enjoys spending time with her family and close friends. Debbie is an active member of the Cupertino Rotary.
Jeffrey Eaton
BOARD MEMBER
About Jeffrey
Jeffrey Eaton has proudly served on the Morgan Autism Center Board of Directors since 2018. One of his favorite lifetime memories was touring the previous campus for the first time with Executive Director, Brad Boardman, and realizing that he had never been so close to so much selfless dedication and pure love in any environment. He knew immediately that Morgan Autism Center was a ‘lifetime’ connection for him.
As an Architect, Jeffrey brings his design, construction and project management experience to help assist with the organization’s campus and logistic needs and as a member of the Campus Facilities Committee. He aspires to help guide Morgan Autism Center in its vision for the future.
Jeffrey is a graduate of Architecture from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and is the proud father of two teens, Kennedy (17) and Maverick (16) who both attend Branham High School.
Adora Fisher
BOARD MEMBER
About Adora
Coming Soon!
Stephanie Gray
BOARD MEMBER
About Stephanie
Stephanie Gray’s introduction to the Morgan Autism Center was through her attendance at the Starry Starry Night Fundraising Galas, which showcases the unique strengths of MAC and its powerful impact on families. The Galas provided an opportunity for Stephanie to reflect back on the challenges her younger brother experienced as a child and how he would have benefitted from such essential programs that MAC provides to Bay Area families. When the Morgan Autism Board invited her to join in January 2023, Stephanie was honored and excited to give back.
Currently Senior Manager of Business Assurance Services at SRI International, Stephanie brings over 15 years of experience in financial, operational, governance, risk management and compliance to the MAC organization.
Stephanie holds CPA, CISA and CIA certifications in accounting and auditing, a BBA from Southwestern Oklahoma State University, and an MBA from Pepperdine University. In addition, she serves on the SRI Federal Credit Union Board of Directors.
Rickey Green
BOARD MEMBER
About Rickey
I have been a member of Morgan Autism Center’s Board of Directors since June 2002 and have served as chairman of the Finance Committee since November 2002. I was first introduced to Morgan Autism Center in 2001 while serving as legal counsel for a private foundation that provided financial support of the nonprofit organization’s relocation from Los Altos.
On my very first visit to Morgan Autism Center, I was sold. It was clear from my exposure to the kids, the faculty, the community, and the Morgan Center teachings, that Morgan Autism Center was an incredible place. Although I do not have a child in the program, it was readily evident to me how much the lives of the students were enriched by the individualized and compassionate teachings there.
At the time I first became associated with Morgan Autism Center, I was working as an attorney in private practice, having transitioned from a 5 year career in public accounting (CPA), then pursuing my educational studies in law (JD/LLM) and initially starting my legal career as an associate attorney for a mid-size law firm. Through the years that I have assisted Morgan Autism Center in navigating its growth, I also navigated a career in private law practice as well as an executive in health care. I am currently the CEO of Power Personnel, a healthcare staffing company that my wife, Cynthia Stewart, and I provide strategic leadership for and manage. Power Personnel is distinguished for its reputation for outstanding service delivery and was named as one of the top 100 fastest growing healthcare staffing companies by Staffing Industry Analyst.
As a member of Morgan Autism Center’s Finance Committee, I have had the pleasure of working with fellow committee members Barbara Wright (Board) and Doug Stevens (Business Manager) to assist the center in achieving its financial growth. We all believe the broad community impact that Morgan Autism Center has from its conferences, educational programs, and consulting services about autism to multiple school districts makes it one of the unsung heroes of Silicon Valley. We are all proud to support the charitable mission of the Morgan Autism Center.
Ted Moorhead
BOARD MEMBER
About Ted
Back in 2009 a fellow Rotarian approached Ted about Morgan Autism Center. At that time the organization was looking for additional board members, and Ted was looking to give back to the community. The special needs space quickly gots his attention as he has a daughter with special needs. She is not at Morgan Autism Center, but she receives help from many well intentioned and caring people, just like they deliver. After touring the program and doing his own due diligence, it was very clear that Morgan Autism Center was a leading organization in a growing space; that Ted thought he could help.
Ted’s position and purpose of being on the board is to help focus on the long-term viability of the organization. Ted uses his background at Merrill Lynch as a Senior Vice President of Wealth Management at the Santana Row branch to do so. He is proud to say that the diligent and persistent efforts by faculty in the past are evident in the service Morgan Autism Center provides now. With the forward thinking of fellow board members and the drive of the entire staff, Morgan Autism Center can continue to prosper and be on the leading edge of the continual changing face of Autism.
A special thanks goes out to all the people who give of their time and money, allowing Morgan Autism Center to be successful in what it does!
Joe Moriarty
BOARD MEMBER
About Joe
Joe Moriarty joined the Morgan Autism Center board in 2017 and is an Executive Vice President at CBRE co-leading the Northern California Capital Markets Team.
Joe has a BS in Business from Southern Methodist University and an MBA from the Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania.
Joe has three children, two which have special needs and are former students of Morgan Autism Center.
Support Morgan Autism Center
In our continuing mission to provide high-quality programs, we're grateful for the invaluable donations from our sponsors and donors.
Morgan Autism Center
San Jose, CA 95126-3900
Phone: (408) 241-8161
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.morgancenter.org