President 

Aulani Latorre-Holt, RBT

president@hawaiiaba.org

Aulani Latorre-Holt is a proud Oʻahu native with deep roots in Hawaiian culture. Raised in Aiea and a graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapalama, she developed a strong appreciation for her heritage and community. Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s in Psychology with a Specialization in Applied Behavior Analysis at Capella University, Aulani is passionate about serving children and young adults in both home and school settings.

Aulani is dedicated to integrating cultural competency and sensitivity into her work, ensuring the unique needs of the Hawaiian community are understood and met. Outside of her professional pursuits, she enjoys hula, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

As HABA’s President, Aulani looks forward to contributing her voice and expertise to the board, advocating for inclusivity, cultural awareness, and excellence in applied behavior analysis, while fostering a more diverse and culturally responsive environment for all.

Vice President

Adam Clemente MS, BCBA, LBA

vicepresident@hawaiiaba.org

Adam Clemente is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with an extensive 15+ years in the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) within the home and school settings. Since obtaining his BCBA certification in 2019, Adam continues to be an on-going learner in this ever-evolving field where he is dedicated to being of service to individuals within the Hawai’i Department of Education. He started providing ABA services as a Licensed Behavior Analyst in the rural west coastal side of Oahu from 2019-‘21, Kauai from ‘21-present, and hopefully soon on the Big Island where he currently resides. 

Adam’s academic foundation includes an undergraduate degree in Child and Adolescent Development, with an emphasis in Early Childhood and Families in 2008. In 2017, he furthered his education with a master's degree in Psychology, specializing in ABA. Driven by a passion to contribute to the improvement of educational systems in the state of Hawai’i,  Adam plans to enroll in the Educational Psychology Doctoral program next Fall. His hope is to continue making a lasting impact on the lives of individuals and families in a different capacity. 

Adam enjoys CrossFit, spending quality time with friends and family, nature walks, and watching movies with his two cats. He is honored to be part of the Hawai’i Association for Behavior Analysis and is looking forward to serving all members as Secretary for HABA.

Past President

Kaitlin Preciado M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

pastpresident@hawaiiaba.org

Kaitlin Preciado, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA, is a seasoned behavior analyst with over 15 years of experience in the field of applied behavior analysis. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a Master of Education from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Her career began in juvenile rehabilitation and has since progressed through leadership roles in several nationally recognized ABA organizations.  Now serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Emergent Learning Hawai‘i, Kaitlin leads a dedicated team providing culturally responsive, evidence-based services across home, school, community, and center-based settings. She is also the current President of the Hawai‘i Association for Behavior Analysis (HABA), having served in this capacity in both 2024 and 2025.

Kaitlin is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (PsyD), with an emphasis on trauma-informed care and therapeutic interventions in correctional environments. She implements Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based programming within maximum custody units and is actively expanding these services through collaborative efforts with the Honolulu Police Department (HPD). Her work is rooted in the Psychological Flexibility Model and integrates therapeutic supports aimed at increasing both inmate well-being and public safety outcomes.  In addition to her clinical leadership, Kaitlin engages in ongoing research, contributes to the development of innovative ABA curricula, and presents frequently on topics such as ACT, Relational Frame Theory (RFT), staff burnout and retention, trauma-informed ABA, and values-based systems development. Her commitment to high-impact, ethical practices is reflected in her leadership, mentorship, and community engagement efforts.

Outside of her professional work, Kaitlin enjoys a vibrant life in Hawai‘i with her husband, seven beloved cats, and rescue chickens, Martial Arts, the Violin, all while remaining grounded in the values of connection, compassion, and community.

Treasurer

Erin St Pierre, MS, BCBA, LBA

treasurer@hawaiiaba.org

Erin has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2015 and has lived and worked in Hawaiʻi since 2016. She is deeply committed to integrating culturally responsive and trauma-informed approaches within behavior analysis. Erin is currently pursuing her doctorate, with a dissertation focused on culturally responsive, trauma-informed implementation of behavior interventions, and is especially passionate about supporting keiki receiving behavior analytic care in Hawaiʻi.

Outside of her professional work, Erin has a strong interest in sustainability, particularly ocean and marine wildlife conservation. She enjoys diving and spearfishing on the Big Island and Vancouver Island with her husband, family, and friends, as well as exploring the islands with their dogs.

Secretary

Dr. Anastasia Keller-Collins, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA

Dr. Anastasia Keller-Collins is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She earned her B.A. in Recreation Therapy from San Francisco State University, her M.A. in Special Education from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and her Doctorate in Applied Behavior Analysis from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She serves as the Clinical Educator for BAYADA, where her professional passions center on education and supervision for students and professionals in behavior analysis. In addition, she has direct experience implementing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with clients at Behavior Analysis No Ka ʻOi (BANKO).

Dr. Keller-Collins brings diverse experience across the lifespan, including programming and intervention for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, mental health needs, and aging populations in clinical, home, and community-based settings. Her work is driven by a commitment to disseminating meaningful, values-based knowledge that empowers others to live more connected, effective, and authentic lives.

Student Representative

Chayanna Heraldez, RBT

studentrepresentative@hawaiiaba.org

Chayanna is a passionate and experienced educator transitioning into the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. Born in Pueblo, Colorado, she began her academic journey on a Division I softball scholarship at the University of Delaware. She graduated in 2021 with a Bachelors in Elementary Education, with a concentration in Special Education.

Following graduation, Chayanna became a first-grade seclusion classroom teacher in Delaware, supporting students with severe disabilities and autism. She wanted to continue learning how to better support students with autism and continued her teaching career for one year at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. 

After three years of impactful work in the classroom, Chayanna stepped away to focus on starting a family and pursue a career in ABA. She is currently a student in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's Special Education Master's program, specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis, to become a BCBA upon completion. Chayanna has begun her ABA career at Behavior Analysis No Ka ʻOi as an RBT and has found her Ohana.

In her free time, Chayanna enjoys hiking the island with her son, participating in CrossFit workouts as a family, baking sourdough, and reading books on her Kindle.

Legislative Chair

Dr. Marija Čolić, Ph.D., BCBA, LBA

legislation@hawaiiaba.org

Dr. Marija Čolić, Ph.D., BCBA, LBA, has over 10 years of experience working with autistic individuals and their families and has been active in the applied behavior analysis (ABA) field since 2014. She earned her bachelor's and master’s in psychology and Ph.D. in special education from the University of Belgrade, Serbia, and currently teaches at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Marija has published multiple articles on family stigma and the culturally responsive ABA. For six years, she has hosted free webinars on ABA for Serbian parents and professionals. Marija also provides a free play-based social skills group for autistic children.

Marija is driven by a deep commitment to ensuring every keiki has equitable access to life-changing ABA services. She believes in creating a future where families feel supported, empowered, and understood, and where practitioners are equipped with the rights and resources they need to succeed. By serving as HABA Legislative Chair Representative, Marija hopes to amplify the voices of families and professionals, advocating for policies that expand services, address gaps in care, and build a stronger ABA community in Hawaiʻi. She is eager to work collaboratively to turn challenges into opportunities for lasting change.

Events Committee

Chelsea Gornichec, M.Ed.

Chelsea Gornichec is the Director of the BAYADA Big Island Behavioral Health team and has over 16 years of experience supporting individuals with special needs. She holds a Master’s degree in Special Education and is deeply committed to her community. Chelsea actively volunteers with the Autism Society of Hawaii (ASH), the Make-A-Wish Hawaii Foundation, and other local organizations, and she currently serves as a board member for ASH.

Throughout her career, Chelsea has cultivated strong partnerships with schools, healthcare providers, and community organizations across Hawai‘i. Her collaborative leadership has been instrumental in expanding access to behavioral health services and strengthening support networks for families throughout the islands.

Chelsea is a proud mother of three and enjoys spending her free time with her family and her partner, Kawaiola. She often volunteers alongside her family at local community events. Her dedication, compassion, and reliability reflect her unwavering commitment to the individuals, families, and communities she serves.

Events Committee

Shyana Kupihea-Frey, RBT

Shyana Kupihea-Frey proudly serves the Leeward side of Oʻahu as a lead behavior technician, supporting neurodivergent individuals and their families and specializing in implementing PEAK programming. She was raised by a special education teacher and began her professional journey in 2015 as a paraprofessional.

Her commitment to Applied Behavior Analysis deepened following her son’s autism diagnosis in 2020 and her own autism diagnosis in 2024, experiences that further solidified her dedication to this field. Shyana has supported individuals ages 2–22 across clinic, home, and school settings.

As a mother of four and a wife, she is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis, continuing to expand her knowledge and leadership within the field. Of Hawaiian and CHamoru descent, Shyana is deeply passionate about advocating for inclusivity, representation, and empowerment within neurodivergent and island communities. Her long-term dream is to help expand and bring ABA services on a larger, more accessible scale to Guam, centering cultural responsiveness and community-based care.

Marketing Chair

Taquayzae' Miller, MA, RBT (pronounced Ta-Quay-Sha)

marketing@hawaiiaba.org

Taquayzae' Miller is a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) with nearly five years of experience providing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services across North Carolina, Texas, and Hawaii in homes, schools, clinics, and community settings. She holds bachelor’s degrees in Behavioral and Social Sciences and Psychology, as well as a Master’s in Psychology with a graduate certificate in Behavioral Research. She is currently pursuing a graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis at the University of West Florida.

As Marketing Chair for the Hawai‘i Association for Behavior Analysis, Taquayzae' is passionate about fostering community engagement, promoting ABA resources, and sharing the positive impact of behavioral science across diverse audiences. Her work is grounded in compassion, cultural awareness, and a commitment to creating meaningful connections that support both professionals and the communities they serve.

Parent Representative

Jessica McCullum

Jessica is a Hawaiʻi-based systems advocate, legislative leader, and nonprofit executive advancing structural change for individuals with autism and complex disabilities across the state and beyond. A Kailua-Kona native and mother of three children on the autism spectrum, ages 12, 10, and 3. Her advocacy is grounded in lived experience and driven by long-term policy impact. Her eldest child, Ava, for whom the Ava Sofia Foundation is named, is profoundly autistic, nonverbal, and has a lifelong disability, shaping Jessica’s unwavering focus on equity, access, and accountability across education, healthcare, and social service systems.

She is the founder and executive leader of the Ava Sofia Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that began as a grassroots parent-to-parent network and has grown into a recognized community and systems-level force serving hundreds of families. Through strategic partnerships, cross-sector collaboration, and policy-informed program design, her work has supported more than 300 families with respite access, therapeutic programming, and inclusive community engagement, while also identifying and addressing systemic gaps that affect families statewide.

Beyond direct service, Jessica operates at the intersection of legislation, education systems, and disability rights. She serves on the Hawaiʻi State Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) and is the Hawaiʻi State Advocacy Leader for the Profound Autism Alliance, where she contributes to statewide and national efforts focused on policy reform, data-driven decision-making, and long-term systems transformation for individuals with profound autism and intellectual disabilities.

Jessica’s work extends beyond Kona, influencing policy conversations and advocacy frameworks that prioritize lifespan supports, family sustainability, and meaningful inclusion. She is widely recognized for translating family experience into actionable policy insight, bridging community voice with institutional change to ensure individuals with autism are seen, supported, and protected at every level of the system.

Neighbor Island Representative- Maui Island

Allie Schurtz, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Allie Schurtz is a Licensed Behavior Analyst with over 19 years of experience providing and leading Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services across Hawaiʻi and the mainland. She currently serves as the Behavior Services Manager at BAYADA on Maui, where she oversees a team of BCBAs delivering services across clinic, home, community, and Hawaiʻi Department of Education (HIDOE) settings.

In her role, Allie directs clinical quality, provides advanced case consultation, facilitates Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) training and competencies, supervises BCBA and BCaBA trainees, and leads monthly clinical consultation and continuing education initiatives. She brings a longstanding commitment to high-quality, ethical, and culturally responsive ABA services in Hawaiʻi.

Allie is passionate about supporting HABA’s mission through clinical leadership and collaboration. She is dedicated to enhancing service quality, promoting professional excellence, and supporting the continued growth and development of Hawaiʻi’s ABA community through evidence-based practices implemented across the lifespan.