OUR STAFF

Ronald B. David, M.D. FAAP FAAN FANA, is an honors graduate of the Virginia Commonwealth University/School of Medicine and completed his fellowship in pediatrics and neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He is an emeritus member of the Child Neurology Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Neurology, the American Neurological Association and an active member of Doctors Mayo Society.

Dr. David is board certified in Pediatrics and Neurology (with special competence in Child Neurology).  He has a keen interest in classification issues. He holds two U.S. patents (7,433520B1 and 7,7613343) in this area. His interest in developmental cognitive neuroscience and classification became intertwined in 1985 when he initiated and became the principal investigator for a multi-center National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke Program Project, Nosology: Higher Cerebral Function Disorders in Children. (1 PO1 NS20489-01A1) Bon Secours’ ST Mary’s Hospital Richmond was the grantee institution. He has contributed to peer reviewed medical journals and was Co-Editor of Practical Neurology (Blackwell).

Believing classification and structure as key to communication and understanding, Dr. David then developed a child neurology textbook that had a unique format and incorporated classification skills developed in association with the many colleagues with whom he worked during the period of the National Institutes of Health grant.  He was the Series Editor of the Blackwell Neurology/Psychiatry Access Series, Second Edition. He was the Editor of Child and Adolescent Neurology text in that series. He was also the editor of Demos Medical’s Clinical Pediatric Neurology. He was an associate editor of Demos Medical’s Clinical Adult Neurology (Third edition).

Dr. David is a Richmond, Virginia native.  He began his Child Neurology practice in Richmond in July, 1970. He, with his dedicated support staff, is now in his 50th year of practice. He has evaluated and treated more than 25,000 patients. His primary practice focus now involves evaluation and treatment of children and young adults with neurodevelopmental disorders

Dr. David is active in the Virginia Autism community. He contributed to the development of the Faison School and the Peninsula School for Autism. He was a co-founder of Northstar Academy and has been a more than 20 year member of the board of CA (formally Commonwealth Autism/Dominion School for Autism/The Autism Program of Virginia).

Dr David along with his wife Susan and many others, is helping to create a sustainable medical health delivery system in the south of Honduras.  He is a founder of KHISH Proyecto Visión ONGD/Honduras and is the founder and Acting Executive Director KHISH Project Vision/US.

Christine “Christy” Evanko, BCBA®, is a board-certified and licensed behavior analyst who has experience providing behavioral services for children and adults with Autism and other disabilities. She owns and operates Snowflakes ABA, through which she delivers ABA services to private clients and provides consulting. She is certified to provide Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) through the Tourette Association of America.

Christy has a Bachelor of Arts in technical theatre from Penn State, a Masters in Business Administration from UNC-Chapel Hill, and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from University of North Texas.

Christy is a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA), and the Virginia Association for Behavior Analysis (VABA), where she is the Administrative Director.

Christy loves team swimming and volunteers as the manager for her local swim team, as well as works for the Greater Richmond Aquatic League during the summer. She is also the leader of her daughter’s Girl Scout troop.

Christy is blessed with a wonderfully supportive husband and three children, one of whom is diagnosed with Autism.

Kari S. Fotis, M.Ed, Wilson Dyslexia Therapist, Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI/IDA) Certified Structured Literacy/Dyslexia Specialist, Austim Specialist and ADOS certified examiner, comes to VCARRD with a wealth of experience, knowledge, and passion for serving students with special needs. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Mrs. Fotis went on to obtain a Master of Education degree in Special Education Curriculum and Instruction from The College of William and Mary. Kari holds a current Virginia teaching license in Special Education K-12 with endorsements in Learning Disabilities, Emotional Disturbances, and Intellectual Disabilities. Prior to her partnership with VCARRD, Kari spent nearly 20 years as a special education teacher in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. She brings with her, extensive experience in educational testing to identify learning disabilities and develop research-based interventions. In addition to her time teaching in the public school system, Kari has developed and presented professional development for effective reading interventions for neighboring school divisions.

Kari has a keen interest in identifying and working with students with dyslexia. Her interest in this area propelled her to seek further education and certification through the Wilson Language System. Mrs. Fotis completed the first level of Wilson certification 15 years ago. She then went on to earn the highest level of certification offered through Wilson as a Dyslexia Therapist. Additionally, Kari is a Structured Literacy/Dyslexia Specialist with CERI, a subsidiary of the International Dyslexia Association (IDA). In addition to her work with VCARDD, Kari is the owner and director of Hampton Roads Dyslexia Center in Newport News, VA.

Kari holds professional memberships with the IDA, CERI, and the Council for Exceptional Children. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time with her family.

Rebecca Lam,M.Ed., BCBA, LBA earned her certification as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia Board of Medicine. She received a Master’s in Counseling Education from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology.

Rebecca has experience providing behavioral and assessment services for children and adults with developmental disabilities, autism and related special needs in the home, school, and community settings. She is certified to conduct developmental evaluations and is a certified ADOS-2 examiner.

Rebecca is a member of the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) and the Virginia Association for Behavior Analysis (VABA).

In her free time, Rebecca enjoys spending time with her husband and children. She also enjoys cooking, discovering new recipes and hiking trails.

Pamela A. Pardue, M.Ed. 

educational diagnostician, consultant and child advocate moved to Richmond, Va. in 1976 bringing a college degree in elementary education and psychology and a dedication to children with disabilities. Pam has forty- three years’ experience working with children and families struggling with neurological and mental health disorders. Pam has a Master’s Degree from the University of Richmond in Education, a current Virginia teaching license endorsements in Learning Disabilities , Emotional Disturbance, School Principal and Elementary Education grades K-8, coursework with The College of William and Mary doctoral program in Educational Leadership, graduate coursework in Autism Spectrum Disorders, and certification as an ADOS 2/Autism examiner.

Pam has thirty-one years of experience as a special education teacher and administrator. She has proven to be innovative and creative in designing, developing, and administering specialized services for children. Pam dedicated twenty-six years of her professional career in leadership roles at St. Joseph’s Villa, Richmond, Virginia. Following her position as Principal, she assumed the role of Chief Operations Officer with responsibility for a collaborative system of services for children with severe disabilities. One such service was the development of specialized educational academies within the Dooley School, including Brook Road Academy, a research-based school for children diagnosed with Learning Disabilities and/or Asperger’s Disorder. Under her leadership, The Dooley School was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for Excellence in Education. Pam has also served in other significant leadership roles in Virginia including President of The Virginia Association for Independent Specialized Education Facilities.

In 1999 Pam left The Villa and opened a private practice as an educational advocate, consultant, and diagnostician working with children and families seeking specialized educational services required by federal law- Individuals With Disabilities Education Act 2004 (IDEA 2004).

Ramon E. Pardue, M.S.W.   “Ray” is a child advocate and educational consultant with over fifty years’ experience working with children in Virginia. Ray served as the Chief Executive Officer at St. Joseph’s Villa for twenty years. Services he created were a Respite Care Center for children with Developmental Disabilities; Flagler Home a service for women and their children who were struggling with homelessness; a fully accredited, licensed, research-based, special education service known as The Dooley School which provided special education to children challenged with Learning Disabilities, Emotional Disturbance, Autism Spectrum Disorders; and MentalRetardation/Intellectual Disabilities and other behavioral disorders; an Emergency Shelter for children subjected to physical and emotional abuse.

Ray’s initial work experience was in juvenile corrections in Virginia. He served in a number of different specialized settings for Virginia youth in both line and administrative positions. Ray also served on the Virginia Department of Social Services Advisory Committee on Policies and Standards Governing Investigations of Child Abuse and Neglect in Out-of-Family Settings, and he received The Commissioner’s Award “For Outstanding Leadership and Services in the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Ray is currently working with his wife in private practice focusing on child advocacy and educational consultant services for children and their families struggling with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental disabilities requiring special education services. He also conducts educational group counseling with young adults and children struggling with High Functioning Autism/Asperger’s Disorder. As a subject expert in the Federal Law- Individuals With Disabilities Education Act 2004 (IDEA 2004), Ray also serves as a consultant to various attorneys in Virginia regarding the implementation of this law in the public schools.

Brandy Hart, M.S.W, Supervisee in Social Work ,  recently received her Master of Social Work degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is currently in the supervision process to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Brandy joined the VCARDD team in summer 2018 and is certified to conduct developmental evaluations and is a certified ADOS-2 examiner.

Brandy’s initial coursework focused on international relations. She received her Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from James Madison University in 2013. Following her undergraduate career, Brandy joined the United States Peace Corps and served in Lesotho, Southern Africa. During her service she taught middle school English language and literacy classes and led after-school social skills groups for boys and girls. Eager to learn more about Lesotho and the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Brandy continued to serve the country until 2017 working as a Fellow for the Touching Tiny Lives Foundation (TTL-F). TTL is a non-profit based in the mountainous region of Lesotho working to mitigate the effects of HIV/AIDS and malnutrition on infants and children under the age of 5.

When she is not doing assessments for VCARDD, Brandy works full time as a clinician for Dominion Outpatient Services. Her clinical interests include severe mental illness, personality disorders, and Autism Spectrum and co-occurring disorders. Brandy integrates trauma and attachment theory with a family systems perspective and uses a person-centered, strengths-based approach in her evolving practice.

In her spare time, Brandy loves being outdoors, consignment shopping, and taste-testing Richmond’s ever-expanding food and drink scene!

Susan Lewis Pillsbury David MD is a Buffalo New York native. Her life has been defined by her faith, her keen unaffected intellect and transcendent care for others.

In High School, she distinguished herself by receiving both a New York State Regents and a National Merit Scholarship. She completed her undergraduate education at the State University of New York at Buffalo with a major in Psychology. She received her postgraduate medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia in 1977. She completed Pediatric Residency there in 1980 and thereafter entered a career in private practice Pediatrics. Her practice focused on the general pediatric care of poor and disabled children (primarily those with Autism). She has been the Director of Pediatric Training for the Chesterfield Family Medicine residency program for 13 years.

She became a part-time physician with the Virginia Center for Autism and Related Disorders in 2010. She was invited to join the International Society for Autism Research in 2011.

In 2012 she was the recipient of a Health Corporation of America's Frist Humanitarian Award. This award was given “In recognition of exemplary service to patients and the healthcare community and in recognition of a dedicated spirit and concern for others” and for an “outstanding commitment to humanitarian values…” She was cited for "serving the Richmond area in pediatrics for over 30 years" and for taking "her love for helping others to Central America." In doing this she "has built a reputable foundation of caring and trust to the people of Honduras."

She recently completed the University of the South's School of Theology four year program, Theological Education for Ministry. This is an affirmation of her faith, a complement to her Honduran mission and a living testament to her life’s values.

When she is not herding grandchildren, her husband or Honduras volunteers she enjoys cooking, reading, or completing crossword puzzles in ink!

Emma Evans, M.S.W