ASTV Board and Staff Members
Al Howard
President
Alfred ‘Al’ Howard is a licensed clinical social worker treating youth, adults, couples, and families impacted by various life experiences and diagnoses. A New York native, his professional career spans nearly 20 years of mental health work in varying settings.
Al owns an outpatient practice in Virginia Beach where he specializes in working with populations traditionally underserved such as the LGBTQ+ community, Autism community, and men.
Charlie Brooks
Vice-President
Charles is from Scotia, NY, and has lived in Virginia Beach since 2003. Professionally, he is a retired Master Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy as a Cryptologic Technician and spent the majority of his career in the Tactical Information Operations program of Naval Special Warfare. He himself has Autism, and is a father of two boys, one of which is also Autistic.
Melissa Catchalian
Secretary
Melissa was born in the Phillipines, but has called Virginia home since she was 2 years old. She is the proud owner of Melebration & Company, where she brings dream weddings and events to life, and is the Cheif Operating Officer of Victory's Village. There she provides supportive in-home services to individuals with developmental disabilities. Since 2016, Melissa has been deeply involved in the behavorial health feild, and her passion for advocacy continues to grow.
She is committed to making sure individuals with developmental disabilities, including Autism, recieve the services they deserve to live full happy lives.
Clancey Richardson
Treasurer
Clancey has supported the Autistic community since 2013 through her work in behavior analysis and joined the board to learn directly from Autistic voices about their needs for support, advocacy, and acceptance. She is also a proud mom who loves with her husband and daughter listening to audiobooks, and baking.
Whitney King
Chief Operating Officer
Whitney King earned her BA in Sociology form South Carolina State University, a Masters of Arts & Teaching from Liberty University, and has taken coursework in Applied Behavior Analysis. She has been edorsed as a PBS-F, which is a Positive Behavior Support Facilitator recognized in the state of Virginia since 2017. Whitney serves on the endorsement board for Positive Support Facilitators with the Public Partnership under Virginia Commonwealth University. She is also a certified Family coach of the Strengthening Families Program (SFP).
Brittany Fitzgerald
Resource Coordinator
Brittany is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University with a Bachelor's Degree in Sports Entertainment Event Management. She has previously worked in the event management and non-profit fields. Brittany was diagnosed with Autism in her late twenties, and she enjoys engaging with other self-advocates in the community. In her spare time, Brittany enjoys spending time with her furry friends, helping others, and utilizing her creative talents.
Franklin Grimes
Board Member
Originally from Baltimore, MD after retiring from United States Navy I now call Virginia Beach, VA my home. I have two children Abigail 15 and Austin 7 they both are on the ASD spectrum. In his words "I enjoy assisting families with finding the best services, so they can live a thriving life like ours".
Beckwith Hastings
Board Member
Founder of Speech & Swim and Hasitngs Family Therapy, LLC, dedicated to helping individuals and families. Over 10 years of experience and proud member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Her greatest passion in Speech & Swim, where she combines her two favorite disciplines -- speech therapy and swimming instruction. She helps children thrive in and out of the water.
Amanda Doughtie
Board Member
A proud native of the Tidewater Area. She is the owner of Bay Barber Co. a community-focused barbershop located in the Chesapeake area of Virgina. Amanda is also a dedicated mom of two, and an active member of the CHKD Philanthropy Board, where she helps support initiatives that improve children's health and well-being throughout the region. Through her work, she has helped countless families celebrate the important milestones with confidence and dignity. She continues to build a strong network of local support, organizing fundraisers and connecting families with vital resources.
Aleksandra Gojkovic
Board Member
Aleks is a new member of the local Autism Society and has always been passionate about supporting local families impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She brings both professional experience and a personal commitment to helping families navigate services, resources, and support systems. As the owner of Connecting the Steps ABA, Aleks works closely with children and families to make sure they get the tools they need. Outside of work, she's often found coaching volleyball. Whether in the clinic, on the court, or at community events, Aleks is always excited to connect with others, share resources, and give back to the community.
Shannon Laymon-Pecoraro
Board Member
Shannon is a new board member, certified as an Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation (NELF). She is an advocate for her clients, and also serves her community in a number of ways, from volunteering at local events to serving on several Board of Directors.
John Kalman
Board Member
A native of Virginia Beach, he is one of the youngest board members, John's creativity has been very important in many of the organizations projects, one of our Surfers Healing 5K has his design in the event's t-shirt. John works at a local grocery store, in the logistics department, he also dedicates his time to the practice and support of martial arts.
Diego Zuniga
Technology Support
Diego is Computer Science Engineer with a passion for helping thrive our community. His son’s diagnosis got him and his family in the Autism journey. He has served in many capacities for a diversity of organizations: Family to Family Network @ VCU, partners in policy making to name a couple. Those experiences granted him the capacity and knowledge to serve in the Autism society for 9 years so far.
Theresa Zano-McMillan
Past President (Advisory Board)
Theresa is a mother of 3 children, Lindsay, Grant and Izzy, Izzy has a DX of Autism Society Tidewater. Theresa has been a member of the Society for 15+ years either on the board or as Medicaid Mentor for the area.
Her multiple contributions for the community through our organization are impossible to list here, but suffice to say, she and her family have play a key role in the continuous presence and effective programs the ASTV has provided to our community.