Ronda Ellison

Ronda Ellison has worked in the human services field since she was young, primarily with the intellectual and developmental disabilities population. She began her career as a direct support staff in residential settings while in high school and college. After receiving her undergraduate degree, she continued in residential roles before advancing to a skills trainer leadership position at the Center for Discovery upon earning her first master's degree. She then pursued a second master's in mental health counseling and worked as a mental health counselor for a year following COVID, specializing in trauma-informed therapy and intellectual disabilities. Ronda later moved to New York to serve as a behavior intervention specialist for individuals with intellectual disabilities. She joined her current agency as a START Coordinator and advanced to clinical team lead supervisor and then Clinical Director. She is currently pursuing a PhD in developmental psychology with the goal of becoming a professor at a local university. Ronda attributes her success to strong personal supports, including family and mentors such as Dr. McNair, Maya, and Dr. Rose Haslett, and advises maintaining professionalism and focus on one's dreams.