Together For Our Keiki - Board of Directors

Dr. Kelly began her advocacy adventure by petitoning for autism insurance in Massachusetts. In 2010 when the bill passed, Dr. Kelly attended the bill signing. In 2012, Dr. Kelly attended hearings and met with legislators in Massachusetts in support of licensure for behavior analysts, which successfully passed that same year. Later that fall, Dr. Kelly was awarded the Jerry Shook Practitioner of the Year from BABAT for her dissemination and advocacy efforts. In 2013, after completing her PhD, Dr. Kelly relocated to Hawai'i. After only a few weeks on island, Dr. Kelly attended a legislative stakeholder meeting. In 2014, after a grueling and defeating legislative session, Dr. Kelly was invited to visit the Behavior Analyst Certification Board to learn more about national legislative matters. Later that same year, Dr. Kelly was offered a scholarship to attend the Autism Law Summit. In 2015, autism insurance successfully passed in Hawai'i, as did the companion licensure bill for behavior analysts.  In 2015, Dr. Kelly accepted the Advocacy Group of the Year award from Autism Speaks, on behalf of the Hawaii Association for Behavior Analysis (HABA). In 2016, Dr. Kelly became the first Licensed Behavior Analyst in the state of Hawai'i. Dr. Kelly has been active in Hawai'i and has volunteered on several boards, including HABA (2014-2019) and the Hawaii Disability Rights Center (2016-2020). In 2017, Dr. Kelly created the For Our Keiki Facebook page and in 2018, "Together For Our Keiki" was officially incorporated as a non-profit. In 2019, Dr. Kelly received the "Provider Advocate of the Year" at the Autism Law Summit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Originally from West Oahu, Debi has more than 15 years of experience working in various capacities and environments with children, adolescents and adults with special needs and their families in the State of Hawaiʻi. She has provided services to clients in therapeutic living programs, forensic housing programs, group homes, alternative learning centers, military facilities, preschools, public schools, private schools, community settings and home settings. Debi is a graduate student at the University of West Florida and enrolled in the Masters in Exceptional Student Education/Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Specialization program. Her recent professional preferences include Parent Training/Consultation and Direct Care Staff Training. Debi is committed to the dissemination and ethical implementation of behavior analysis throughout Hawai’i nei. Debi currently oversees the agency’s Department of Health -Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (DOH-DD/ID) Medicaid Waiver Program as well as the Parent Education and Training Program for ABA agency on Maui. Debi is also an active member of the Hawaiʻi Association for Behavior Analysis (HABA) Legislative Committee.

Jennifer Lonardo, MA, BCBA, LBA (Hawaiʻi Island)

Jennifer Lonardo has a Bachelors degree in Psychology from the American University of Paris and is fluent in French. She completed her Masters program in Professional Behavior Analysis at the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) and earned her BCBA. Jennifer has over 10 years of experience in the fields of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Human Services. She has worked in hospitals and schools, in-homes, and in residential programs for children and adults with mild, moderate, and severe impairments. Jennifer has completed internships in neuropsychology and ABA in hospitals and homes in Paris, France and has worked in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, California, and currently Hawaiʻi. In addition to her time as a behavior analyst and TFOK board member, Jennifer also serves on the Legislative Committee for the Hawaiʻi Association for Behavior Analysis (HABA). 

Lara Bollinger is a third year law student at UDC Law. She has a B.S. in Family and Community Services from the University of Delaware, an M.S.Ed. in Special Education from Northeastern University, and certification in Behavior Analysis from FIT. Lara has been a BCBA since 2010 and has worked with individuals with developmental disabilities in a variety of settings. While in Hawai’i, Lara joined HABA Legislative committee, where she became an advocate for students with disabilities to state legislators, working to achieve successful licensure of Behavior Analysts and statewide Autism insurance reform in Hawai’i. Lara has volunteered with the following law clinics: Legislation, Tzedek DC, Community Development, and Juvenile and Special Education. She has also interned at Advocates for Justice and Education, where she assisted families with accessing appropriate educational services for their children. 

Tori Sims, MS, BCBA, LBA (Oahu)

Tori Sims has a Bachelors degree from Trinity International University in Psychology and a Masters from Capella University in Psychology with a specialization in ABA. Tori has over 10 years experience working with children and adolescents and over 5 years experience serving individuals with autism and related disorders. Originally born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, Tori, her husband, Phil, and dog, Tank moved to Hawai'i in May 2018. In addition to working full time as a behavior analyst and voluntering as an advocate, Tori also serves on the Legislative Committee for the Hawai'i Association for Behavior Analysis (HABA). In her free time, Tori enjoys reading research articles for fun and spending time at the beach.