Administrative Directors
Wren Griffith Director of Operations
Mr. Griffith has worked with individuals with disabilities for over 30 years. During this time, he completed his risk management studies at Virginia Commonwealth University and has an IT background with specialized training as an Oracle DBA. During his 23 years with the Commonwealth of Virginia, working for the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS, formerly DMHMRSAS), Mr. Griffith served as a certified Mediator and Conflict Resolution Specialist, facilitating labor disputes throughout the state. Within DBHDS, he served as Director of Quality Management, Director of Occupational Safety and Health, Risk Manager, Lead Special Investigator, and later Director of Program Compliance. Mr. Griffith also enjoyed teaching Risk Management at Northern Virginia Community College as part of their Nursing Program for several years. Mr. Griffith served on the infrastructure team, establishing the programming of the Risk Management module of the Virginia Electronic Health Records system and with George Mason University and Fairfax County Health Department in creating Northern Virginia’s first Regional Health Information Organization. He has consulted locally on Emergency Management – Continuity Of Operations Planning, and nationally on Abuse & Neglect Prevention concerning individuals with disabilities. He has been a part of the APTS team since opening our first school in Alexandria in 2002 and currently serves as our Director of IT and Risk Management. Mr. Griffith was born in Great Britain and currently resides with his family in Northern Virginia.
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Chelsea Alves Director of Human Resources
Mrs. Alves is the Director of Human Resources for APTS. She has been in the Human Resource field for over 14 years and has been at APTS for 8 years. She has multiple certifications in Human Resource Management. She attended University of Maryland University College. Her functions include but have not been limited to recruiting, training, performance, payroll, benefits, and maximizing employee performance. Other job functions have included industrial relations, labor relations, diversity, and inclusion, in lieu of APTS’ strategic goals and objectives. She is passionate about helping APTS make the most of their resources and talent while helping applicants connect with their job interest. She is an integral part in developing the practices and organizational structure of APTS and has a passion for seeing students with developmental disabilities be successful.
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David Koury, CPA Director of Finance
David is new to APTS. He oversees the disbursement, reporting, budgeting and overall finance and accounting processes for APTS. David is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Virginia and has been working in the non-profit field for almost 20 years. He is detail oriented, loves efficiency and is a gifted problem solver. David graduated from Virginia Tech where he majored in Accounting and was a four-year letterman in soccer. He is actively involved with his church serving as Board Treasurer. David grew up in Fairfax and attended Robinson Secondary School. He enjoys reading, running and is a big sports fan. David and his wife Melissa currently reside in the Kingstowne section of Alexandria.D
Ellen Brosh, M.S., BCBA, LBA
Director of Behavioral Services
Ms. Brosh has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2008. She holds Master’s degrees in Behavior Analysis from Southern Illinois University and West Virginia University. Ms. Brosh began working at APTS in July 2011 and is currently the Director of Behavioral Services. Her responsibilities include the development, implementation, and monitoring of students’ Behavior Intervention Plans, as well as the development and implementation of behaviorally based trainings for APTS staff. Prior to coming to APTS, Ms. Brosh worked as a consultant for school systems in West Virginia, where she conducted workshops and trainings for teachers in the area. Ms. Brosh has presented at a number of professional conferences, including the annual meeting of the Association for Behavior Analysis International, the annual meeting of the Maryland Association for Behavior Analysis, and the annual meeting of the Southeastern Association for Behavior Analysis.
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Emilia Formoso, M.A., B.C.B.A., L.B.A.
Community Outreach Manager
Emilia has been in the Applied Behavior Analysis field since 2005 and has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2010 and a Licensed Behavior Analyst in Virginia since 2013. She holds a Master’s Degree from George Mason University in Applied Developmental Psychology and a certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis. Emilia has experience working with individuals who engage in severe problem behaviors ages 3 to 65 with a variety of disabilities including: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disability, TBI, Smith-Magenis Syndrome, Down Syndrome, ADD/ADHD, Fragile X Syndrome, Rhett Syndrome, and Tourette Syndrome. She has experience in conducting Functional Analyses, developing and implementing behavior plans, training family members and group home/vocational staff on behavior plans and other behaviorally based trainings. She began working at APTS® in 2009 and is currently the Community Outreach Coordinator. Her responsibilities include coordinating Behavior Consultation for individuals in community settings, developing and monitoring behavior intervention plans, presenting behavior intervention plans at Behavior Management Committees and Local Human Rights Committees, and providing ongoing training and support to families and staff in community settings.
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Dr. Howard O. Johnson
Director of Educational Services
Dr. Howard Johnson has recently joined us as Director of Educational Services. She has been an educator in the field of special education for 23 years and has served in multiple capacities during those years. Dr. Johnson first served as a special education teacher of students with varying exceptionalities in Florida and then brought those skills to Hampton, Virginia where she also served as a teacher of students with intellectual, emotional and learning disabilities. Dr. Johnson continued her career, eventually moving into Central Administration with Fairfax County Public Schools. During her time with FCPS, Dr. Johnson served first as an Educational Specialist and was promoted to Coordinator of Contract Services (renamed, Multi-Agency Services). As the Program Manager, she was responsible for overseeing the monitoring of all special education student placements in non-public schools across the nation. She also provided guidance to her staff of specialists in the management of students’ non-public school placements. In addition, Dr. Johnson provided guidance, training and consultation to colleagues in the local government, non-public schools and public schools throughout the state.
Dr. Johnson has won multiple awards in the field of education and outside the field. Among her awards are the SALLIE Mae First Class Teacher award; Teacher of the Year; Disney’s Doers and Dreamers award; Readers’ Digest Education Hero; and the Governor’s award, Florida’s Finest.
Dr. Johnson holds a B.A. degree in Speech Communication and Theatre Arts from Hampton, University; a M.A. in Special Education (Varying Exceptionalities) from the University of South Florida-Tampa; and a doctorate in Special Services Administration from NovaSoutheastern University.
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Alexandria Campus
Shanta Price
Regional Director of Education
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CJ Smith
Regional Program Director
Bio coming soon!
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Kristie Adams
Regional Behavior Director
Bio coming soon!
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Manassas Campus
Dr. Linda Hickey
Regional Education Director
Dr. Lynda D. Hickey is the Manassas Campus Regional Director of Education. She is a veteran educator serving both public and private school organizations. She has a B.A. in elementary education from Southeastern College, M.A. in Educational Psychology, University of Virginia, and doctorate in Administrative Leadership, Walden University. Dr. Hickey has recently served as the Assistant Deputy Director of Education for the VA Department of Juvenile Justice in Richmond, VA. Her previous positions have included 23 years in Winchester Public Schools as a gifted resource teacher, gifted coordinator, and Director of PK-12 instruction. In addition, she has taught in Fairfax County and Florida. In addition, she has served as an adjunct instructor for 16 years for the University of VA and Shenandoah University. Dr. Hickey’s son, his wife, and three children reside in Myrtle Beach, SC. Dr. Hickey is a native Washingtonian, an avid reader, loves the beach, and outdoor activities.
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Josh Browne
Regional Program Director
Bio coming soon!
Jay Merideth
Regional Behavior Director
Bio coming soon!
Fredericksburg & Stafford
Timothy Hall, M.Ed.
Regional Education Director
A Virginia native, Mr. Timothy Hall is the Director of Education for the Fredericksburg Campus. Mr. Hall is responsible for Virginia state licensure both within the school and for teachers, curriculum development, transition services, and IEP development. Mr. Hall received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University and has been working in special education for over 13 years. Prior to coming to Alternative Paths Training School®, Mr. Hall worked for Spotsylvania County Public Schools and through the Richmond Area ARC – Camp Baker respite programs.
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Timothy Bochat
Regional Program Director
Timothy was born and raised in New Hampshire. After high school, he attended The Catholic University of America and graduated with a degree in English Literature and Language and minors in Psychology, Philosophy and Religion. Upon graduation in 2006, he found a job at Alternative Paths Training School® as a Program Facilitator at the Alexandria campus. Since starting at APTS®, Timothy has been a Program Facilitator (2006-2007), a Team Leader (2007), a Community Consultant (2008, 2012-2013), and is currently the Program Manager (since 2007) at the Fredericksburg campus. At Fredericksburg, Timothy oversees a POD of Team Leaders and Program Facilitators. Timothy also works closely with the Director of Education and Behavior Analyst as well the surrounding counties and agencies to ensure the best program for each individual student. Tim is an avid New York Yankees fan.
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Kaitlin Pence
Regional Behavior Director
Bio coming soon!