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About Us
philosophy
At NSSA we believe that each individual with autism, as well as their family members, deserve access to resources that will help them maximize their full potential. NSSA is dedicated to developing and providing those resources so that individuals with autism will be able to live lives filled with promise, dignity, and purpose and their families will have hope as well as peace of mind.
mission statement
Nassau Suffolk Services for Autism offers hope to people with autism and their families by providing high quality life-long support through services which enable people with autism to function better in everyday life. NSSA offers the most advanced treatment and training programs for the benefit of people with autism, and will continue to pioneer, through research, comprehensive treatment models which can be adopted nationally.
Key Staff
Nicole Weidenbaum, M.S. Ed., SAS, Executive Director
Nicole Weidenbaum received her Masters Degree in Special Education from C.W. Post’s C.A.S.E. Program (Competencies in Autism and Special Education) and is a certified special education teacher. She received her certification in School Administration and Supervision from Columbia University's Teachers College where she is currently a Doctoral candidate in the Department of Behavioral Analysis and Disorders. She began her career as a teacher at NSSA and, in addition, has over 14 years of experience working with individuals with autism and their and families and providing consultation services and training in Long Island school districts for their inclusion programs and self-contained classrooms. Ms. Weidenbaum is an adjunct Professor at Queens College and has presented at local and national conferences on a variety of topics addressing effective education for individuals with autism.
Kathy Mannion, Associate Executive Director
Kathy Mannion is the parent of four children, two of whom have autism. Before assuming her position as Associate Executive Director of NSSA, she served as the President of NSSA’s Board of Directors from 2001 through 2004 and as a member of the Board of Directors since 1997. In addition to her association with NSSA, she has worked in a variety of capacities within the autism community. Her past positions include, the Executive Director and a founding Board member of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment and the Development Coordinator for the Connecticut Center for Child Development. Over the past thirteen years she has been an avid advocate for individuals with autism and has presented nationally on the topics of the need for science-based intervention, early and accurate diagnosis, pediatrician education, and parent/professional partnerships.
Nassau Suffolk Services for Autism
Board of Directors
Allen Perl, CPA, President
Allen Perl is the managing partner of Perl, Grossman & Associates, LLP, a CPA firm in Garden City, NY. He is a member of the NYS Society of CPA’s. Mr. Perl lives in Westchester along with his wife Ann and their two children, Dara and Brett. He has served on NSSA’s Board of Directors since 2001 and has served as Board President since November, 2003.
Gayle V. Fremed, Vice President
Gayle V. Fremed owned her own jewelry business for thirteen years. In addition to serving on the Board of NSSA, she also serves on the board of The Five Towns Community Chest and The School Board of Temple Hillel in North Woodmere. Ms. Fremed, along with her husband David, has two children; a daughter Jamie, who attends the Martin C. Barell School and a son Brandon. Ms. Fremed has been a member of NSSA’s Board of Directors since 1995 and has served as Vice President since 2001.
Joseph Keenan, Treasurer
Joseph Keenan is a partner in the law firm of McCanliss & Early in New York City. He is a graduate of Manhattan College with a BA in Government and earned his JD at Western New England College School of Law. He has previously worked as an Assistant District Attorney in Queens County and later at the Law Department at E.F. Hutton & Company followed by Prudential Securities. He is the past President of the Emerald Association of Long Island, a 501(c)3 organization, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Greybeards, a charitable organization in Rockaway. Mr. Keenan is married and has three children.
David Stollwerk, Secretary
David Stollwerk taught English at Herricks High School for over 30 years. He has degrees from Duke University and NYU. He is Chairman of the Nassau County Alumni Admissions Advisory Committee for Duke University. Mr. Stollwerk has also served as a Trustee and Vice-president on the Board of Trustees of the Herricks School District. He is married to Susan and is the father of Alissa, a graduate of Yale University, and Alan, who attends NSSA’s Adult Services Program. He has been a member of the NSSA Board since 1992.
William Akley, Director
William J. Akley is Vice President of Gas Field Operations, Long Island at KeySpan, a holding company that was created when Brooklyn Union merged with the Long Island Lighting Company in 1998.
Mr. Akley joined Brooklyn Union in 1983 as a management trainee and over the years has held a number of management positions. He has held various positions of responsibility in Gas Distribution Operations, System Design Engineering, Corrosion, Dispatching, Facilities Management, Security and Real Estate. He was elected Vice President in 2002. Mr. Akley is a NYS licensed professional engineer and a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
Mr. Akley is active in the community, as a board member for several not for profit organizations and serves as a director on his local Little League. He is a 2005 David Rockefeller Fellow of the NYC Partnership and participates in career mentoring for Clarkson University undergraduates. In 2000, Mr. Akley was named one of the year’s Outstanding Gas Industry Managers by Gas Utility & Pipeline Magazine.
Mr. Akley has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical & Industrial Engineering from Clarkson University and a Master’s in Business Administration from Adelphi University.
Lawrence A. Ceriello, Director
Lawrence A. Ceriello is a partner at Dechert LLP. He previously held the position of special counsel in the Real Estate Department in the New York office of Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft. With extensive experience in commercial real estate law, Mr. Ceriello has handled numerous complex transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions, construction and permanent financing, environmental compliance and development projects. Mr. Ceriello received his B.A., cum laude, from Manhattan College and his J.D. from St. John’s University. He has served as a member of the Board of NSSA since 1994.
Peter Obre, Director
Peter Obre is a graduate of the University of Southern California. He has been an Associate at CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) since 2004 where he is responsible for brokerage services and business development. He is the recipient of the “Long Island Power Broker 2005” award for ranking among Long Island’s Top 20 Brokers. In addition, Mr. Obre was named one of Commercial-Industrial Brokers Society of Long Island’s “2005 Rising Stars in Real Estate.” Prior to joining CBRE he was a sales consultant with Home Depot Installed Products.
Bram D. Weber, Director
Bram D. Weber joined Weber Law Group LLP in 2002 after beginning his career at Greenberg Traurig LLP and a clerkship in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Mr. Weber received his Bachelor of Arts degrees in both history and American Studies from Brandeis University and a Juris Doctor degree from the Hofstra University School of Law, where he was the Managing Editor of Notes and Comments of the Labor and Employment Law Journal, one of the most well respected labor and employment law journals in the country.
In addition to his activity in the legal community, Mr. Weber holds leadership positions in numerous community organizations including serving as the Co-Chairman of the Young Leadership Division of the American Israel Political Affairs Committee (AIPAC); as a Co-Founder of the Brandeis University Recent Graduates Network; as a Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Brandeis University Emerging Leaders Society; and as a Member of the Real Estate Executives (REX) Steering Committee and the Building Repair Committee of the JUA-Federation of New York.
Gerard Weldon, Director
Gerard Weldon is the Managing Director of Marine Transportation, Buchanan Marine, LP in West Nyack, New York. He received his B.S. in Management from St. John's University in 1979 and his M.B.A. in Management from St. John's University in 1993. Mr. Weldon is the parent of autistic child who attends NSSA’s Adult Services Program. He has served on the Board of Directors since 1991.