Meet The Team
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Julia Strauss M.Ed., BCBA
Founder & Executive Director
Education: Master of Education in Special Education at Vanderbilt University
Certification: Board Certified Behavior Analyst
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Bio: Julia Strauss founded Thrive Family Support after spending a decade working with neurodivergent children, adults, and their families. As an educator and Behavior Analyst, Julia has developed an expertise in training families on how to use compassionate, neurodiversity-affirming methods for supporting their child's development and replacing harmful, dangerous behavior. Thrive Family Support was grown out of Julia's passion for ensuring that all children and families get access to high quality services.
Board of Directors
Jose Martinez, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Board Member
Education: Doctor of Philosophy in Special Education at University of Florida
Certification: Board Certified Behavior Analyst- Doctoral Level
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Bio: Jose joined Thrive Family Support with the vision and drive to progress our mission of creating more equitable, timely access to supports for families of children on the spectrum. Jose has supported children and their families as an expert in the field for over a decade. Jose's career has spanned roles in academia, non-profit organizations, and clinical practice.
Kylee Banks
Board Member
Bio: Kylee joined the Thrive Family Support team in order to use her skills in operations and communications to expand our reach to as many families as possible. Kylee leads our outreach efforts in order to allow us to connect with more families, doctors, schools, and community organizations.
Aashish Vig, M.Com, CA
Board Member
Education: Master in Commerce at University of Mumbai
Certification: Chartered Accountant
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Bio: Aashish is a chartered accountant working in the corporate sector with start-ups and firms. Aashish provides his expertise in business strategy and financial planning to help grow Thrive Family Support into an organization that will impact countless families on a global scale.
Aashish Vig, M.Com, CA
Board Member
Education: Master in Commerce at University of Mumbai
Certification: Chartered Accountant
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Bio: Aashish is a chartered accountant working in the corporate sector with start-ups and firms. Aashish provides his expertise in business strategy and financial planning to help grow Thrive Family Support into an organization that will impact countless families on a global scale.
Noreen Hodges, M.S.
Board Member
Education: Master of Science, National Louis University
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Bio: Noreen Helen Hodges has lived in Pinellas County, Florida for most of her life and is very proud to share that she has been married to her husband, Steve, for sixty years come this December.
Her working career was spent at St. Petersburg College, and over the years, coming up through the
educational ranks, she finished her 33-year career, serving as the Director of Corporate Training, a program that provided off-site adult training programs to local businesses and industries.
Since her retirement in 2007, she and her husband have become involved with many local non-profits and civic organizations, along with supporting the schools they both attended, military organizations, Scouting events and JROTC high school programs. For Noreen and her husband, it has been rewarding to see them grown and flourish with the help from the community, donors, sponsors and dedicated volunteers.