TxABA Executive Council & Staff

Kate Johnson-Patagoc is the Director of Specialized Services at Texana Center in the Houston area, overseeing programs that provide a wide variety of high quality behavior analysis services and employing over 30 Board Certified Behavior Analysts. She is a Board Certified and Licensed Behavior Analyst with over 20 years experience working with persons with diagnoses of autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, or brain injury. Kate has worked in Texas on various state-wide issues of importance to behavior analysts such as advocating for behavior analyst licensure, private insurance, state grant funding, Medicaid Waivers, and Medicaid. She is currently TXABA President and Chair of the TXABA Public Policy Group Medicaid Task Force. The TXABA PPG helped lead the advocacy work to accomplish behavior analysis licensure in Texas during the 2017 legislative session and Medicaid funding for ABA during the 2019 session. Kate obtained her M.S. in Behavior Analysis and Therapy from Southern Illinois University under Dr. Tony Cuvo and Dr. Paula Davis. Before moving to Texas, she worked as a Behavior Analyst in Illinois, Tennessee, and Kentucky, where she developed and directed a behavior analysis treatment program for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities diagnoses within a psychiatric hospital for twelve years. Kate has published research articles in Behavior Modification, Behavior Therapy, and The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation. Kate and her husband live in Katy, Texas with their two sons.

Jeffrey Dillen is currently a Licensed and Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Manager of Texana Center’s Behavior Stabilization Team, which provides behavior analytic services across settings via the HHSC Children’s Autism Program. Jeffrey has 16 years of experience working with individuals (children, adolescents, and adults) with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) with 6 of those years also working with individuals with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). He earned his Bachelors of Science degree in Psychobiology from Long Island University under Dr. Paul Forestell and Masters of Science degree in Behavior Analysis and Therapy from Southern Illinois University under Dr. Mark Dixon. After graduate school, Jeffrey worked at the Marcus Institute (now Marcus Autism Center) in Atlanta, GA under Dr. Henry Roane and Dr. Michael Kelley before moving to Kentucky where he spent four years as a Behavior Analyst at an inpatient psychiatric hospital creating meaningful change for individuals whose problem behaviors were both severe and previously treatment resistant. Jeffrey moved to Texas almost ten years ago where he has continued to assist families and citizens of Texas create and maintain socially significant changes as a BCBA (and then as a LBA!!!) and across different roles within outpatient behavior analytic programs. Mr. Dillen has further been a private consultant for over 12 years where he’s provided Applied Behavior Analysis services to families and private providers serving both neurotypical and individuals with IDD/ABI. Jeffrey additionally is an active member in numerous organizations including LoneStar ABA and TxABA Public Policy Group where he has served as both the Communications Chair (2018-2019) and currently has the pleasure of being the President (2019-present). During this time, he has taken an active role in numerous priorities of the PPG including obtaining and protecting licensure, properly funding ECI services, maintaining 1115 waiver services, transition support teams, crisis services, and Medicaid funding of ABA. Jeffrey has been published in The European Journal of Behavior Analysis, Behavioral Interventions, The Psychological Record, and Analysis of Gambling Behavior. He and the love of his life (aka wife), Holly, live in Houston, Texas with their dog.

In 2013, Dr. Summer Adami, BCBA-D, received her PhD from The University of Texas at Austin in Education (with an emphasis in Behavior Analysis and Autism and Developmental Disabilities). Dr. Adami currently serves as the VP for Advocacy and Research for Blue Sprig Pediatrics (BSP). BSP is the largest ABA provider in Texas and has a growing nationwide footprint. Dr. Adami has worked with individuals with autism and other disabilities since 1998 in capacities ranging from direct support to business development and ownership. Her clinical expertise is in procedures for increasing appropriate skills (e.g., social skills, educational skills, language and communication skills, self-help skills) and the assessment and treatment of challenging behavior (e.g. self-injurious behavior, physical aggression, interfering stereotypic behavior, pica behavior, and elopement). She has expertise across the life span and has served in various positions to support clients in settings ranging from in home, community, and academic. Her professional expertise includes serving as an adjunct professor, ABA clinic owner, Advocacy Ambassador for Autism Speaks, and scale organizational management. In her advocacy role, she has had the opportunity to provide state and federal testimony regarding Medicaid coverage for autism and The Autism CARES Act. Her clinical and professional goals align by being committed to ensuring access to services and providing quality, ethically grounded services to individuals with autism and other disabilities.

Karen A. Toussaint, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is an Associate Professor of Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas (UNT). Her academic qualifications include a Ph.D. from Louisiana State University and a post-doctoral research fellowship from the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Munroe-Meyer Institute. Dr. Toussaint’s academic work at UNT focuses on mentoring students in the field of behavior analysis and advancing research related to behavior analytic interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. More specifically, her research focuses on: (a) the assessment and treatment of severe behavior disorders, and (b) the development of instructional programs that reduce traditional treatment barriers to early intensive behavioral intervention.

Berenice de la Cruz, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA has been a BCBA since 2006 and has worked with children, adolescents, and adults with developmental disabilities since 2001 in school, home, clinic, and community settings as a teacher, therapists, supervisor, director, and professor. She received her Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin in Special Education, specializing in Autism and Developmental Disabilities and her Master’s in Clinical Psychology from The University of Texas at El Paso. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor and inaugural Program Coordinator for the Applied Behavior Analysis Program at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. Dr. de la Cruz has served as the Treasurer of TxABA Public Policy Group since 2019 and was an advisory board member since 2016. Her research and practice focus primarily on evaluating the application of ABA when used by parents, teachers, and other professionals to support individuals with developmental disabilities in the home, school, and community. Dr. de la Cruz has published several peer-reviewed research articles and co-authored several book chapters in fields of developmental disabilities, addictive behaviors, and social cognition. She regularly presents in English and Spanish at local, state, and national/international conferences. Dr. de la Cruz resides in San Antonio, Texas with her husband and their two children.

Jennifer Hines M.Ed., BCBA, LBA, has worked in the field of neurodevelopmental disorders for 25 years and is currently a doctoral student pursuing her Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership. Currently, Jennifer is the State Neurodevelopmental Disorders Specialist for The Texas Workforce Commission, Division of Rehabilitation Services. Under her leadership, adults and youth that enter the vocational rehabilitation program with Autism have a 1.5 higher rate of a successful outcome than any other neurodevelopmental disorder. She has worked to be an “intrapreneur,” proving innovation can be produced even within a large entity such as a state agency. In addition to working with the state, Jennifer is the Executive Director of Inspire Behavior Therapy and will start teaching as an adjunct professor at St. Edwards University. Jennifer is appointed to the Texas Autism Council, Texas Developmental Disorders Council and Post-Secondary Opportunities for Person with IDD Advisory Council, is the Chair of the TxABA Professional Issues Committee, serves on the Advisory Board for the TxABA Public Policy and TeleHealth Committee and is a member of the TxABA Organizational Behavior Management SIG.

Julie Hrabal is a doctoral student at Baylor University where she is working toward her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, specializing in ABA. Julie fell into the field of ABA in 2017 and never turned back. She obtained her master's in Special Education with specialization in behavior analysis at Texas State University in 2019. Her primary research interests are with young adults and post-secondary, more specifically utilizing evidence-based practices to teach vocational/daily living skills, soft skills, and social skills. She's passionate in striving to continually disseminate information of behavior analysis across other fields and help bridge the gap of services from adolescence into adulthood for individuals with ASD/ID. In her free time you can find her binge watching crime shows with her dog, Bailey, hanging out with friends/family, or in the kitchen trying out a new recipe.

Jared Armshaw is a behavior analyst with over five years of experience in areas ranging from providing autism services and teaching to conducting neuroscience research. He is currently pursuing his doctorate degree at the University of North Texas. Jared is passionate about sharing research and frequently attends both state and national level behavior analysis conferences, where he loves to explore and learn about what others are doing in the field. A firm believer in collaboration, Jared is often found helping on various projects outside of his main research line. When Jared is not reading, writing, or working, he is often found meandering his kayak down a river or hiking in the woods. Jared also enjoys spending time with his family and friends.

Rachel Kramer started her career in behavior analysis at the University of Nevada (UNR) working in the Early Childhood Autism Program as an undergrad. She went on to the University of North Texas to earn her MS in Behavior Analysis in 2009. Rachel worked at the Child Study Center in Forth Worth, TX for 11 years; first as an intern then as a Behavior Analyst in the Applied Behavior Analysis program. Her focus has been working with children with developmental disabilities and their families, primarily autism spectrum disorders. She has experience working in-home, center, and school settings. She is published in The Analysis of Verbal Behavior and has presented at both ABAI and TxABA. Rachel started volunteering at the TxABA annual conference while in graduate school and later served in the roles of volunteer coordinator, staffing director, and ACE provider. Rachel was elected to the TxABA Executive Council as the Secretary in 2015 where she was later appointed Treasurer. Rachel has worked as the TxABA Secretary-Treasurer since 2018. She enjoys working with TxABA because she is passionate about the science of behavior analysis and wants to support the field as it grows.

Zachary Morford received his MS in behavior analysis from the University of North Texas and his PhD in psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). Dr. Morford has been teaching graduate and undergraduate courses at universities on a variety of topics for over 10 years. He has also worked in a variety of roles in education, including using precision teaching to provide one-on-one tutoring with students (including many with learning disabilities), as an elementary and middle school classroom teacher, and as an instructional designer. He has worked as a consultant in healthcare where he facilitated the development of an automated patient experience feedback application for a pediatric hospital. Currently, Dr. Morford is the Executive Director of the Texas Association for Behavior Analysis (TxABA), a nonprofit professional scientific organization. Through this role, Dr. Morford guides the strategic direction of the organization, manages its the day-to-day operations, and organizes an annual professional academic conference for over 1,000 attendees. Dr. Morford has conducted both basic and applied research and published papers on a variety of topics, including gamification, disequilibrium theory, preference for choice, and verbal behavior. Dr. Morford also serves in a variety of professional roles in behavior analysis, including a reviewer for peer-reviewed publications, public speaker, and member of several professional behavior analytic organizations. Dr. Morford currently works as a data analyst at BHCOE.

Bio coming soon!

Bio coming soon!