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 Patricia
Ann Ritter, Ph.D.
Executive Director
After serving as Assistant Executive Director for 18 years,
Dr. Pat Ritter was recently named Executive Director of
TLC-The Treatment & Learning Centers. During her tenure, Dr.
Ritter has served as a vital member of TLC's management
decision-making team, and her key
achievements include creating with a colleague the
philosophy, model, staffing pattern and administration
policy for a new K-5 special education school, developing
sought after therapeutic groups for children with sensory
processing and autistic spectrum disorders, and developing a
highly regarded special education preschool program based on
the DIR®/ Floortime Model™ for early intervention.
As
Executive Director of TLC-The Treatment and Learning
Centers, Dr. Ritter is responsible for the leadership of a
13 million organization with 200+ staff at three locations
offering multiple programs including The Outpatient
Services, The Katherine Thomas School and The Early Learning
Center. In this role Dr. Ritter also oversees the
development, fundraising and marketing efforts of the
organization and works with TLC’s voluntary Board of
Trustees as well as being the primary staff liaison for
TLC’s Consumer Advisory Board and Medical Advisory Board.
Dr. Ritter is
also continuing to serve in the role of Assistant Executive
Director of TLC until a replacement is hired, a position she has held since 1991. In this
capacity Dr. Ritter is responsible for the organization’s
budget, recruitment and retention, staff supervision,
program quality improvement and outcomes measures in
outpatient Speech, Audiology, Occupational and Physical
Therapy, Psychoeducational Testing and Tutoring and
Vocational Services. Dr. Ritter ensures clinical
competencies and productivity for the organization’s related
services, resulting in outstanding consumer satisfaction
survey ratings for all departments and leading to the
highest rating in the Outcomes program from Commission on
Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) in
Comprehensive Vocational Evaluation Services, Employee
Development Services and Community Employment Services.
Dr. Ritter was
recently elected a Fellow of the American
Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), one of the
association’s highest honors. She is a graduate of
Leadership Montgomery Class of 2008 and is active on
numerous professional and community boards as well as a
frequent presenter for many organizations.
Dr. Ritter
received her Ph.D. in Speech-Language Pathology with a
specialty in Child and Adult Language and Second Language
Learning from Ohio University. Her three decades as a
speech-language pathologist have enabled her to bring a wide
and diverse breadth of experience to TLC, but most
importantly, Dr. Ritter has been allowed to fulfill her
personal goal of making a difference in the lives of others.
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 Suellyn
Sherwood
Director of Operations, Research Blvd., Rockville,
Maryland.
Suellyn Sherwood, Director of Operations, is responsible for
the planning, organization, and management of TLC The
Learning and Treatment Centers financial operations and Human
Resources function. In this role, Sherwood implements short
and long-range financial plans, policies, and programs of TLC.
She assures all financial records and reports are accurately
presented on time, and interprets financial statements for the
Executive Director, Board, and staff. Sherwood additionally
prepares the annual budget with the Executive team; and
prepares for the annual certified audit report.
She joins TLC-The Treatment and Learning Centers with 21
years of auditing and accounting experience, in both the
corporate and health sectors, as well as for some non-profit
organizations. This multi-faceted work has taken place
throughout the Greater DC Metro area; and is marked by a
sequential growth in management and accounting responsibility.
Sherwoods extensive experience has allowed a smooth progress
into her role as Director of Operations at TLC- The Treatment
and Learning Centers.
Suellyn Sherwood earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in
Accounting and Business
Administration at Thiel College, in Greenville, Pennsylvania.
She further attained her
State of Maryland License as a Certified Public Accountant in
May of 1989.(back to top)
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 Susan
Yaffe-Oziel, M.M.S., CCC-A
Director of Audiology, The Family Hearing Center
Ms. Yaffe-Oziel, Director of Audiology at TLC's Family Hearing
Center, brings TLC and its clients more than 20 years of
experience. She leads operation of the audiology center, which
includes coordinating staff appointments, budget allocation,
patient services, outreaching to the community and publishing
a quarterly newsletter. Before joining TLC, Ms. Yaffe-Oziel
was an audiologist and clinical instructor at George
Washington University for 14 years. She was also a consultant
at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville, MD where she
developed an OAE screening program for newborn and high-risk
infants. In 1993, Ms. Yaffe-Oziel co-wrote Walking Through
the Early Stages of Hearing Loss, published in the Self Help
for Hard of Hearing (SHHH) Journal.
Ms. Yaffe-Oziel received her a Masters of Medical Science in
audiology from Emory University. She holds a B.S. in Speech
Pathology/Audiology from Emerson College and has a Certificate
of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A). She also is a
member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
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 Brigid
Baker
Director. Outpatient Occupational Therapy Service
Brigid Baker, Director of Occupational Therapy, brings over 15
years of occupational therapy experience to TLC. As
Pediatric Program Clinical Director in Frederick, MD, Ms.
Baker evaluated and treated pediatric patients with variety
of diagnoses including autism, pervasive development
disorder, developmental delay, and sensory processing
disorder. Ms. Baker has been working with children for over
14 years in a variety of settings including hospitals,
outpatient centers, schools, early intervention centers as
well as private practice. Ms. Baker has been managing other
therapists for over eight years, developing successful
recognition and motivation initiatives. At her previous
organization, Ms. Baker organized a parent support group and
led her clinic to participate in community events and
fundraisers.
Ms. Baker holds a Bachelor of Science in Occupational
Therapy from The Ohio State University, completed her
Pre-Occupational Therapy work at Bowling Green State
University, and did internships at The Cleveland Clinic and
Northwestern Memorial Institute of Psychiatry. She is SIPT
(Sensory Integration and Praxis Test) certified as well as
certified for the The Therapeutic Listening Program.
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 Lisa
A. Lenhart
Senior Psychologist, The Testing and Tutoring Service
Dr. Lenhart, Senior Psychologist at TLC-The Treatment and
Learning Centers, brings more than 15 years of experience
working with children and adolescents. At TLC, Dr. Lenhart
conducts psychological evaluations on individuals of all ages
to determine academic or emotional concerns. She also offers
TLC clients individual and family therapy and consultation.
Before joining TLC, Dr. Lenhart was a senior clinical
psychologist at the Reginald S. Lourie Center in Rockville,
MD. In this capacity, she was responsible for conducting
evaluations on children under 7 years old who were seeking
mental health services. She also participated on the Child
Placement Consultation Team and oversaw the development of
outcome-oriented research.
Dr. Lenhart has administered more than 150 Rorschach Tests and
has led Area Health Education Center (AHEC) workshops on both
the assessment and treatment of aggressive children and
building self-esteem in aggressive youth. In addition, she was
a panel speaker for the League of Women Voters Forum titled
Community at Risk: Violence in our Midst. For six years, Dr.
Lenhart was the reviewer for The Journal of Behavioral Health
Services and Research. She is currently an active member of
the American Psychological Association.
Dr. Lenhart received her Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in clinical
psychology from the University of North Carolina. She has a
B.A. in psychology from Kent State University.
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 Janice
E. Jones
Tutoring Supervisor, The Testing and Tutoring Service
Ms. Jones, Supervisor of Tutoring Services at TLC-The
Treatment and Learning Centers, evaluates and assigns tutors
to best satisfy the needs of TLC students. She also creates
and leads workshops for tutors, school staff and the public,
offering guidance and direction at TLC and in the community.
She also tutors students of all ages in reading, writing, and
study skills. For six years, Ms. Jones has written articles on
tutoring, reading, writing and study skills for Washington
Parent magazine.
Before joining TLC, Ms. Jones was an adjunct professor in the
English Department at Montgomery College, where she taught
Reading and Composition Courses. She also taught an adult
reading class and a reading skills workshop for gifted and
talented high school students in the Continuing Education
Department. Ms. Jones has advanced training in the Wilson
Reading System, a multi-sensory phonetic reading method, and
Phonographix Reading, a clinical method. She has attended
various workshops, symposiums and conferences sponsored by the
International Dyslexia Association. She received training in
Orton-Gillingham reading methods during 3 years as an Academic
Therapist at the Center School of the National Institute of
Dyslexia.
Ms. Jones received her Master of Education degree from the
University of Maryland and has completed graduate-level
writing, literature and history courses at Wesleyan University
in Connecticut. She has a B.A. in English from Kansas State
University.(back to top)
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 Rhona
Schwartz
High School Director, TLC's Katherine Thomas School
Rhona Schwartz, High School Director at TLC's Katherine Thomas
School, is directly responsible for all facets of the high
school program, including administration, hiring and
supervising staff, overseeing admissions and outplacement,
maintaining state licensure and certifications requirements,
program planning and curriculum development and preparing
annual budgets.
As an administrator and a classroom teacher, she has more than
25 years of experience working with children and adolescents
with learning disabilities. Before joining KTS, Mrs. Schwartz
spent over eight years as the Assistant Head of the high
school at The Lab School of Washington. In this position she
supervised 40 teaching staff and curriculum for over 130
students, supervised achievement and state testing, ensured
development and implementation of IEPs, conducted meetings
with interdisciplinary staff, worked with placement
specialists from funding jurisdictions, and maintained contact
and conducted conferences with parents. Ms. Schwartz left the
high school to become the Director of Tutoring, where she
supervised 75 active tutors, planned and implemented staff
training, managed the annual budget, established partnerships
with other institutions and conducted educational workshops.
Mrs. Schwartz received an M.A. in special education from
Teachers College, Columbia University and a B.A. in youth and
community studies/sociology from State University of New York
at Stony Brook. She is a member of The Learning Disabilities
Association and the Council for Exceptional Children.(back to top)
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 Nancy
Amundson
Director, The Outcomes Service
Ms. Amundson, Director of TLC's Outcomes Service, has 30 years
of experience in Vocational Rehabilitation. At TLC, she
spearheads programs that enable adults with brain injury,
cognitive impairments, neurological and developmental
disabilities to succeed in the community.
In 1996, she led Outcomes to receive the Maryland
Rehabilitation Associations Organization Award, given for
excellence in contributing to the well-being of persons with
disabilities above and beyond the purpose for which the
organization was established. In addition to her
rehabilitation expertise, Ms. Amundson also has a strong
background in both management and public relations.
Ms. Amundson received her M.S. in educational rehabilitation
counseling from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and a
B.A. in political science from the University of Wisconsin,
Madison. She is a distinguished member of the National
Rehabilitation Association, Maryland Rehabilitation
Administration Association, Brain Injury Association of
Maryland, and the winner of the 1994 Jonathan M. Stein Staff
Appreciation Award.
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 Kelly
L. King
Director, The Early Learning CenterMs. King,
Director of TLC's Early Learning Center, is responsible for
staff supervision, training and evaluation. In addition, she
is responsible for ensuring developmentally-appropriate
practices and that curriculum is implemented as outlined by
the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Before joining TLC, Ms. King was a full-time teacher at the
Quality Care Child Development Center in Hickory, NC, and a
co-teacher at the Tutor Time Learning Center in Durham, NC.
Ms. King received her B.A. in elementary education from
Lenior-Rhyne College in Hickory, NC. She also received infant
and toddler certification from the Montgomery County Child
Care Association (MCCA) and the 90-hour certification through
Montgomery College.
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Thomas Sweet
Director, The Katherine Thomas Lower/Middle
School Programs
Mr. Sweet has been with the Katherine Thomas School
since July 1, 2008. He has completed course work towards a
Doctoral degree in Educational Administration from the
University of Virginia, holds a Masters degree in Special
Education from George Mason University, and did his
undergraduate work at The College of William & Mary. He has
been a special education teacher with Fairfax County Public
Schools, in Virginia, and an educational administrator with
the Forbush School of Sheppard Pratt Health System. Mr.
Sweet and his wife welcomed their first child in August of
2008 and currently reside in Fairfax, Virginia.
 Debra
Mastronardi
Director, Outpatient Speech-Language Services
As Director of Speech Language Services, Debra Mastronardi
is responsible for maintaining the standard for operations
in the Outpatient Services Speech-Language program. She
supervises clinical staff and provides diagnostic and
therapeutic services to individuals who are experiencing
language-based disorders, speech-sound production disorders,
voice disorders, fluency disorders, and/or
social-communication problems.
Newly re-located the United States, Ms. Mastronardi brings a
wealth of skills and knowledge to TLC. She has over 25 years
experience as a speech-language pathologist working with
children (birth through adolescents) as well as adults. Ms.
Mastronardi joined TLC from Smith Falls Community Hospital
in Ontario, Canada, where she provided consultative,
diagnostic and rehabilitative services to preschool children
and adults in a hospital environment.
Ms. Mastronardi earned a B.S. in Audiology and Speech
Sciences as well as a M.S. in Speech Language Pathology at
Purdue University. She has completed numerous professional
workshops and has earned a Certification of Clinical
Competence from the American Speech-Hearing-Language
Association.
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