ASTV Board and Staff Members
Sharon Russell
President
Sharon is the proud mom of three sons Dean, Joshua, and Deion. Deion was diagnosed with ASD at 2 ½ years of age: “Being a parent of a child with special needs has been the hardest yet most rewarding thing she has ever done”!.
Sharon oversees daily operations ans well as been at the helm of the organization, in direct contact with the Autism Society National Team.
Al Howard
Vice-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.
Kika Jessup
Secretary & Recorder
Originally from Massachusetts, she now calls Virginia her home. Kika has two children and her youngest has Autism. She enjoys helping families get the best services so they can live a thriving life like theirs. Kika started out coming to our events, then volunteering, and now she is a prominent member of our board.
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.
Derek Spohn
Office Assistant
Derek Spohn was diagnosed with Autism in the fall of 2014. He graduated from Old Dominion University in December of 2020 with a double major in Spanish and English with an emphasis in Creative Writing. He joined the board of the Autism Society Tidewater Virginia so that he can do his best to help others on the spectrum to thrive in the community and live fulfilling lives.
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.
John Kalman
Board Member
A native of Virginia Beach, he is one of the youngest board members, John became part of the board. John works at a local grocery store, he also dedicates his time to the practice of martial arts.
Jenn Brooks
Board Member
Jenn Brooks is a native Bostonian that has been living in Hampton Roads for the last 12 years. Professionally, Jenn works in healthcare focused on supporting beneficiaries enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare. She is a proud mom of two boys, one of which is on the Autism spectrum. Jenn is passionate about health equity, advocating for people with disabilities, and inclusion.
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.
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".
Theresa Zano-McMillan
Past President
Teri George
Board Member
Teri George, MA, BCBA, LBA, is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with strong community connections and an avid desire to develop, implement, and guide medically necessary treatment for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.. When Teri is not working to address socially significant problems directly related to Autism or collaborating with other professionals, she enjoys spending time at the beach with her family, playing "Dr. T" (the animal veterinarian) with her daughter Kandice (aka "Dr. K"), and roasting marshmallows over a campfire.
Robert Firestone
Board Member
Robert Firestone, MBA, MHA, MT (ASCP) is the Vice President of Operations at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital. Mr. Firestone earned his Masters of Business Administration and Masters of Healthcare Administration from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. He earned his B.S. in Environmental Health Sciences from Purdue University. He and his wife Tiffany have three children including a son on the Autism spectrum.
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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.
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