MEET OUR STAFF

Serving Patients Since 2019

Progressive ABA Therapy Group prides itself in hiring the most qualified supervisory staff to oversee our clients’ programming and progress. Our team consists of a licensed clinical psychologist, 16 Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), multiple graduate interns, and a dedicated group of behavior technicians. Our team of licensed professionals have combined for over 50 years’ experience working with children with developmental delays using applied behavior analysis (ABA) treatment in homes, communities, and school settings. Our supervisors have also published peer-reviewed research in journals such as Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Psychological Record, The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, Behavior Analysis in Practice, Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, Clinical Case Studies, International Journal of Psychology and Behavior Analysis, and The International Journal of Online Elementary Education.

Clinical Staff

Dr. Kristopher Brown, Psy.D., BCBA-D, COBA, LP (Co-owner, Licensed Clinical Psychologist)

Dr. Kristopher Brown is a licensed clinical psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D) who is a co-owner of Progressive ABA Therapy Group. Dr. Brown received his Master of Science in ABA from Youngstown State University and his Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology from California Southern University. Dr. Brown has published peer-reviewed research on several topics in ABA in journals such as Behavior Analysis in Practice, Psychological Record, Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, Clinical Case Studies, International Journal of Psychology and Behavior Analysis, and The International Journal of Online Elementary Education. Dr. Brown has been the interim program director of the Master's of Science in ABA degree program at Youngstown State University since 2021. Dr. Brown's previous students have published in peer reviewed journals, gone on to become licensed BCBAs, and have continued on to pursue their doctorate degrees. Dr. Brown enjoys working with clients of all ages and their families to teach meaningful skills.

Click here to visit Dr. Brown's ResearchGate page

Mary Brown, MS, BCBA, COBA (Co-owner, Chief Clinical Officer)

Mary Brown is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Certified Ohio Behavior Analyst (COBA) who is a co-owner of Progressive ABA Therapy Group. Mary received her Master of Science in ABA from Youngstown State University. Mary has published peer-reviewed research in The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, Behavior Analysis in Practice, and Journal of Organizational Behavior Management. Mary has presented at state and national conferences on ABA and presented to local school districts on ABA in the school setting. Mary previous taught graduate coursework in ABA at Youngstown State University. Mary enjoys working with children (especially toddlers) and their families to work on communication, social skills, and play skills. In her spare time, she likes to play Animal Crossing and spend time with her family.

Katie DiCola, MS, BCBA, COBA (Lead BCBA, Clinical Supervisor)

Katie DiCola is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at Progressive ABA Therapy Group. She received her Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis at Youngstown State University and has been a BCBA for 8 years. Katie has worked in homes, clinics, and schools providing ABA therapy. Katie published her master's thesis in The International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy on teaching say-do correspondence to children with autism. At Progressive, Katie is Lead BCBA and helps provide clinical insight and consultation to other supervisors as well as monitoring organizational standards. Katie also works with clients of all ages teaching skills to promote success in different environments. In her spare time, she enjoys playing in community band, horseback riding, and reading.

Cara Colucci, MEd, BCBA, COBA (Clinical Supervisor)

Cara Colucci is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Certified Ohio Behavior Analyst (COBA) who is a clinical supervisor at Progressive ABA Therapy Group. She received her Master’s degree in applied developmental psychology and her certificate in ABA from University of Pittsburgh. Cara has been working with children with developmental delays for 10 years and has been a BCBA for the past 6 years. Cara works with children of all ages to teach skills in a variety of areas. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and being in the outdoors.

Cecelia Stacchiotti, MS, BCBA, COBA (Clinical Supervisor)

Cecelia Stacchiotti is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Certified Ohio Behavior Analyst (COBA) who is a clinical supervisor at Progressive ABA Therapy Group. She received her Master of Science in ABA from Youngstown State University. Cecelia has worked with children in the home, community, clinic, and school settings over the past 11 years. She has also published in Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. Her favorite thing about ABA is seeing the little ones reach their milestones and being a part of it (first words, toilet training, etc.). She enjoys spending time with her family, shopping, and taking walks in the summertime.

Michalina Jones, MEd, BCBA, COBA (Clinical Supervisor)

Michalina Jones is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Certified Ohio Behavior Analyst (COBA) who is a clinical supervisor at Progressive ABA Therapy Group. She has been a BCBA for 12 years and has been working with children with special needs for over 20 years. Mickey has presented workshops on assessments in ABA, basic principles of ABA, sign language/communication, and safety when working with children with special needs. Michalina enjoys arts and crafts, baking, and spending time with her family.

Tricia Breegle, MS, BCBA, COBA (Clinical Supervisor)

Tricia Vallinger is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Certified Ohio Behavior Analyst (COBA) who is a clinical supervisor at Progressive ABA Therapy Group. She has been a BCBA for about 1 year and has worked in the field for over 3 years. She obtained her Master of Science Degree in ABA from Youngstown State University and also holds a master’s degree in exercise science from YSU. Tricia has taught graduate-level practical courses at Youngstown State in the ABA Program. In her spare time, Tricia enjoys working out, crafting, and spending time with her family.

David Chilkotowsky, MS, BCBA, COBA (Clinical Supervisor)

David Chilkotowsky is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Certified Ohio Behavior Analyst (COBA) who is a clinical supervisor at Progressive ABA Therapy Group. Dave received his Master’s in psychology from Walden University and has been a BCBA for about a year. He has worked with children with developmental delays and behavioral needs for the past 15 years. In his spare time, he likes to collect toys, paint, create custom action figures, and read up on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

Christina Cole, MS, BCBA, COBA (Clinic Manager, Assistant to Clinical Coordinator)

Christina Cole is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and assistant to the clinical coordinator who has been at Progressive ABA Therapy Group since it opened in 2019. She received her Master of Science in ABA from Youngstown State in 2021. In her current position, she provides oversight on clinic operations with the clinical coordinator at Progressive. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in general studies with a minor in psychology from Youngstown State. She has worked with children with special needs for the past 15 years. In her spare time she enjoys photography, spending time with her family, and watching her son race motocross.

Bailey Figinsky, MS, BCBA, COBA (Clinical Supervisor)

Bailey Fields is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at Progressive ABA Therapy Group. She received her master's in ABA from Youngstown State University in 2022 and her bachelor's in psychology from the University of Mount Union. Prior to obtaining her BCBA, Bailey was an intern with Progressive ABA Therapy Group. She has experiencing working in clinics, homes, and schools. As a supervisor at Progressive ABA Therapy Group, Bailey provides oversight to staff working with clients across different ages and skill levels. Bailey is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in clinical psychology with the future goal of becoming a licensed psychologist.

Greg Hogate, MS, BCBA, COBA (Clinical Supervisor)

Greg Hogate is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at Progressive ABA Therapy Group. He received his master's in ABA from Youngstown State University in 2021. Prior to receiving his master's degree, Greg received his bachelors in neuroscience from Furman University in South Carolina. Greg has previous experience as an instructional aid and behavior technician at ABA facilities and special education schools. At Progressive ABA Therapy Group, Greg supervises clients ages 5 to 16 years of age.

Sierra Schneggenburger, MS, BCBA, COBA (Clinical Supervisor)

Sierra is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at Progressive ABA Therapy Group. Sierra received her bachelors degree in psychology and Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from Youngstown State University. Sierra has worked in homes and clinic settings with toddlers and adolescents across the autism spectrum. She was co-author on the article A Review of Applied Research on Pairing Procedures to Facilitate Emergent Language published in Behavior Analysis in Practice with Dr. Kris Brown. Her masters' thesis was also on stimulus equivalence.

Rene Edgell, MEd, BCaBA (Assistant Clinical Supervisor)

Rene Edgell is a Board Certified assistant Behavior Analyst at Progressive ABA Therapy Group. She holds degrees from the University of Connecticut and obtained ABA certification from Penn State University. She has extensive experience working in clinics, homes, and schools providing oversight for ABA programming. In her spare time she enjoys gardening and reading.

Tim DeAngelis, BS (Aide to Psychologist)

Tim DeAngelis is the registered psychologist's aide to Dr. Kris Brown, Psy.D. at Progressive ABA Therapy Group. Tim complete observations of clients during evaluations, administers assessments under Dr. Brown's supervision, and helps ensure the assessment clinic functions smoothly. Prior to working for Progressive ABA Therapy Group, Tim worked for a number of local agencies providing behavioral health services to children.

Administrative Staff

Andrew Durig (Safety/Operations Coordinator)

Andrew Durig is the Safety and Operations Coordinator at Progressive ABA Therapy Group. Prior to working in operations, Andrew was a RBT with Progressive ABA Therapy Group and worked with children of varying ages. Andrew has additional experience in educational administration/compliance and is currently a certified trainer for Safety Care for Progressive ABA Therapy Group.

Lena Main, BA (Human Resources and Training Coordinator)

Lena Main is the Human Resources and Training Coordinator at Progressive ABA Therapy Group. Prior to working in this capacity, Lena worked providing direct services to children and young adults with developmental delays. As Human Resources and Training Coordinator, Lena designs and evaluates training for new and existing staff, manages company policy, and recognizes staff for their great work at the clinic.