Firefly Autism Appoints Dr. Amanda Kelly As New CEO and Executive Director


Dr. Amanda Kelly

I am so honored to have been appointed to lead this incredible organization. Firefly Autism has been my home for the last nine years and I am so excited to take the reins and continue to drive our mission forward.

Firefly Autism announces that Amanda Kelly, Ph.D., BCBA-D, has been appointed new CEO and Executive Director of the nonprofit organization. An experienced leader in Applied Behavior Analysis, Dr. Kelly will succeed Jesse Ogas and assume responsibilities going forward.

Born and educated in Ireland, Dr. Kelly decided to take her expertise in Behavior Analysis, Relational Frame Theory, Staff Management, Organizational Behavior Management, Interpersonal Skills, and Training Delivery to Denver, Colorado. She has been with Firefly Autism for over nine extraordinary years, actively aiding individuals on the spectrum, from toddlers to adults. Dr. Kelly’s selfless work earned her current position, leading Firefly Autism as it continues to expand its services beyond Colorado.

“I am so honored to have been appointed to lead this incredible organization. Firefly Autism has been my home for the last nine years and I am so excited to take the reins and continue to drive our mission forward. There is something very special about this organization. It is filled with the most incredible people who care so deeply about the children, adults, families, and community members that we serve. Meeting everyone where they are at, celebrating individuality and differences, and encouraging meaningful growth is at the heart of what the Firefly team does every day. I get to see this in every interaction I encounter, from administrative duties to direct care – it’s all about the mission to positively impact and transform lives,” states Dr. Kelly.

Firefly Autism has always been a visionary and is focused on transforming the lives of children and adults with autism by partnering with families and creating life-long relationships through thoughtful, innovative, empirical learning treatment programs. Dr. Kelly’s knowledge of child development, the principles of applied behavior analysis, and the importance of functional applied skills will help continue to guide their programming decisions.

“It is an incredibly exciting year ahead for us – our annual event Laugh Yourself Blue is taking place on April 14th and promises to be the biggest and best yet! We have just secured a partnership with the Chickasaw Nation to provide remote behavioral health services to its members, which provides the ability to reach far and wide with our services to individuals who may be vastly underserved,” states Dr. Kelly. “ Another exciting event we are delighted to be involved in is the Colorado Women’s Ride, which will see a world record attempt of women riders across 22 states. In addition to all of this we continue to offer our excellent, individualized care for all of our clients in our two Centers (Lakewood and Colorado Springs), Home-Based Services across the entire Metro and Southern Colorado areas, adult groups, social skills groups, sibling groups, summer camps and much more!”

About Firefly Autism

Firefly Autism is a nonprofit organization with a vision of a world where the lives of children with autism, their families, and communities, are transformed through learning. Firefly Autism is Colorado’s leader in the treatment of families living with autism since 2003. Firefly Autism not only continues to support the Colorado community with an array of services but also focuses on changing the narrative of what autism is and what autism isn’t.

If you’re interested in learning more, please visit http://www.fireflyautism.org contact Nicole Abunassar at nicole@nkgroupe.com.

Share article on social media or email:

Leave a Reply