Jessica Sassi, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA, Begins Tenure as New CEO of The New England Center of Children

SOUTHBOROUGH, Mass. - Aug. 28, 2023 - PRLog -- Effective today, Jessica Sassi, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA, begins her new position as Chief Executive Officer of The New England Center for Children^® (NECC^®), a global leader in autism education and research. Dr. Sassi succeeds L. Vincent Strully, Jr., the organization's founder, who served as CEO for all of NECC's 48 years. Mr. Strully will continue to serve as an executive advisor and on the Board of Directors.

Dr. Sassi has more than 20 years of autism education and applied behavior analysis experience. In her 16-year tenure with the Center, Dr. Sassi has served in several roles including program specialist, residential program director, and clinical director, and has served as a member of the clinical adjunct faculty in behavior analysis at Western New England University and special education at Simmons University. She was named executive advisor in 2020 and executive director of NECC's Southborough campus in 2021.

"For nearly two decades, through my work as both a clinician and an administrator, I have had the opportunity to work alongside and learn from some of the best researchers and teachers in the autism and behavior analysis fields," shared Dr. Sassi. "I'm proud to be part of an organization that offers premier educational services to children with autism, and I'm committed to holding us to the highest standards."

"Helping children with autism has been my life's work for more than 48 years, and I feel confident that NECC will continue to grow in its excellence under Dr. Sassi's leadership," said Mr. Strully. "I am proud of the accomplishments NECC has achieved, and the thousands of children and families whose lives we have transformed. I have worked closely with Dr. Sassi for many years and know she has the skills and experience to steer NECC to a bright future."

Prior to working at NECC, Dr. Sassi served as a clinical specialist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She received her bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from the University of Florida.

ABOUT NECC

The New England Center for Children® (NECC®) is an award-winning autism education center and research institute. Committed to creating a world where autism is not a barrier to happiness, growth, and independence, our community of teachers, researchers, and clinicians provide comprehensive services including day and residential programs, partner classrooms in public school systems, consulting services, and the ACE® ABA Software System (www.acenecc.org).NECC is based in Southborough, MA, and operates the Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Special Education in Abu Dhabi, UAE, as well as Clinics in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar. Learn more at www.necc.org.