Executive Committee
Donald Barrick – President
As a Commercial Real Estate Broker and Principal Member of the BAF Group LLC, Don has been part of the Howard County business community for almost 30 years. He first became involved with the Autism Society of Maryland with an invitation to the annual AUSOM Gala by the (then) new Executive Director, Melissa Rosenberg. While Don and his wife, Suzi Padgett, do not have any family members with Autism, Don is very committed to bringing all of his experience in Health Care Management and Marketing together to contribute for the benefit of AUSOM and the Autism community. “Because of the hard work of the AUSOM staff and the efforts and direction by the Board of Directors,” says Don, “AUSOM has grown dramatically in terms of the number of people assisted by the organization, and the scope of the assistance it offers. The impact of the pandemic has weakened many nonprofits, but AUSOM has grown and strengthened during the same period. It appears to be poised to accept even greater responsibility and scope, within the immediate future.”
“It is my unqualified honor to serve as the first non-parent President of AUSOM, a role I do not take lightly. I look forward to working with each and every one of you – self-advocates, parents, family members, professionals, the business and disability communities and others – to improve services and expand opportunities for everyone in the Autism and disability community.”
Brad has worked in education for nearly twenty years as a teacher, counselor, and administrator. In addition to counseling at a Baltimore middle school, he currently is a mental health therapist in Columbia at Crossroads Psychological Associates. Brad has experience working with children who are on the autism spectrum and their families in both school and clinical settings. He lives in Columbia with his wife and daughter.
Originally from Lima, Peru. Alex currently lives in Columbia, MD. Alex is a board certified behavior analyst and licensed behavior analyst in the state of Maryland. He has more than 7 years of experience in the assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior. He spent those years at the Neurobehavioral Unit (NBU) at Kennedy Krieger Institute doing both clinical and research work. Currently, Alex works with individuals diagnosed with autism providing ABA services. He became involved with AUSOM through co-leading the Latino Parent Support Group to orient and increase resources to Latino families. 
Theresa is a longtime member of AUSOM and Past President who grew up in Howard County. Theresa and her husband reside in Ellicott City with their two sons. Her oldest is on the spectrum; he attended Howard County Public Schools and currently obtains services from the Arc of Howard County. Theresa is a CPA and MBA and brings accounting and auditing expertise to the Board’s finance committee. She chairs the AUSOM Housing Task Force and helps with AUSOM programming and advocacy.
Originally raised in Maryland, Rose moved to Howard County in 2000 after starting her employee benefit sales career in NYC. 
Originally from Liberia, West Africa, Jackie Robinson-Cooper resides in North Laurel, Maryland with her husband and 3 children, youngest daughter, who has Autism and is non verbal. Jackie is a Team Lead at Capital One Bank Call Center for 15 years, while also serving as a Membership committee member for Saints-Friskies Alumni Association. Fluent in French, Jackie appreciates diversity. Since joining the Autism Society of Maryland, Jackie realized she has found her “comfort place,” where families from all backgrounds can come together and help each other navigate through the Autism world.
Robin is a retired speech pathologist and worked for 30+ years in the Montgomery County Public Schools’ Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program. She has served on the Howard County Commission for Disabilities as well as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Maryland School for the Deaf. Robin has volunteered with Young Life and the Arc. She lives in West Friendship with her husband, Allan. Together they have four children and two granddaughters.
Nichelle is originally from New Orleans, moved to the Maryland area in 2005,lives in Columbia MD, and started her career in Education as a Special Educator in 2006. From there until the birth of her beautiful daughter Special Education has been at the forefront of her
Sabina lives in West Friendship with her husband and 2 boys, the older of which is on the spectrum. Trained at Johns Hopkins where she received her masters degree as a nurse practitioner, Sabina has taken a break from practice to advocate for her son and volunteer at his elementary school on a regular basis. She looks forward to continuing to work with the gala planning committee and further promoting AUSOM.
Ben is an Autistic Self-Advocate who was diagnosed with autism at age 2. He struggled but improved through reading and writing, figuring out the words, phrases, and cues that best described his understanding. During school, he attended classes with one or more special education teachers. Ben worked tirelessly to get through every tough assignment, including his tough classes in college. He received his Associate’s and Bachelor’s Degrees in Math. Ben was introduced to our organization through the AUSOM Adult Social Group. He met with the group’s coordinator who asked Ben to volunteer on a film project. It’s through that project that Ben met his girlfriend, Victoria. Ben joined the AUSOM Board of Directors in 2018 and has worked alongside his fellow members to support the organization. Ben currently works at the Department of Defense. He began his new career in Information Technology (IT) after spending five years as a a program analyst at Aberdeen Proving Ground. His hard work, honesty, and character, help him to support and inspire other autistic advocates. Ben has no problem speaking up about his journey. He can enhance others’ emotional intelligence and encourages them to know their rights and ask for accommodations, whether at work or home.
I was born in Towson, Maryland on October 24th 1997 to my Argentine parents Roxana Caruso and Luis Tirigall. I am the descendant of Jose Marzano, a loyal best buddy of Jose De San Martin, the Liberator of Argentina, Peru, and Chile. I was the on camera talent for my father’s home videos. In middle school years and my freshman year or high school, I was bullied because of my achievements and because of my autism. This was a period of depression and sadness where I was suffering from constant bullying. These years were not nice for me. In high school, my life was changed when I joined Best Buddies. In August 2013, I joined the Reservoir High School chapter of Best Buddies to enrich my social skills. I graduated from Reservoir High School in 2016 and the rise of my leadership in the Best Buddies organization was born. In November 2016, I became the first and only member with autism of the Best Buddies Maryland Friendship Walk Committee. On March 7th 2018, I was compelled to speak alongside my mother, Dianne Nagel of Project Access, Kathy McSweeney, Director of HCC Disability Support Services and Melissa Rosenberg, Executive Director of AUSOM discussing Autism in Howard County. I shared my inspiring journey to adulthood as a person with autism that was not always easy but continues to be flavored with humility and kindness. In July 2017, I traveled to Indiana for the Best Buddies Leadership Conference and talked briefly to Anthony K. Shriver, the Founder of Best Buddies International and the nephew of John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States. In December 2017, I became a Best Buddies Ambassador where I was trained by Amber Yates and Vince. 2018 was the year that I joined e-Buddies, the Best Buddies Jobs program, and the Best Buddies Alumni program. In 2019, I created the Best Buddies Maryland Ambassador Committee of which I am the Co-Chair. In addition, I received the 2019 Young Trailblazer Award from the Howard County NAACP and the Partners In Policymaking award from The Arc Maryland, the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council, and People On The Go.
Mia Williams is the mother of two sons, the oldest of whom is on the spectrum and is in high school. She has served on the Parent Panel of Towson University’s Autism Education Series, as the Parent Liaison for Special Needs students at her son’s school, and is a strong advocate for her son. She became involved with AUSOM through its Yoga Classes and Transition Symposium, then served as a volunteer on the Walk/5K Run Committee in 2017. Mia resides in Howard County and is very excited to serve on the board.
Pam is originally from Georgia, and has lived in Howard County since 2001. Pam has two children and her son, Jonathan, is on the spectrum. Pam has worked with AUSOM for years to get additional support and guidance as needed, and this has been helpful for Jonathan upon his diagnosis in elementary school. Over the past few years, Pam has been participating in the Education Committee. Pam is interested in youth transitions from high school. Pamela is the Director for the Cancer & Chronic Disease Bureau at Maryland Department of Health.
