Meet the Team

Founder/Owner

M. Kate Sallade MS BCBA, LBA – an Autistic adult, Autism mom, and Autism and ABA advocate, Kate has worked in the ABA field since 2008 and has a passion for revolutionizing the industry by promoting self-advocacy, individuality, and wellness. Kate was awarded the Charles Kimber award by the Florida Association for Behavior Analysis in 2019 for her legislative advocacy that prevented massive cuts to Medicaid services in the state of Florida. Kate runs the company with passion and humility and is the primary crisis management, CPR, and first aid trainer for all staff, ensuring that she gets to know every employee across every location. Kate works directly in the school throughout the week and provides her direct email and phone number to families for anything they might need. Growing up in Deltona and working in Volusia County for all of her life, Kate has known some of the children that we serve for many years, even since birth. With experience working with clients from 2 to 65 years old, she approaches every case with a life-long outlook and advocates for individuality, independence, and happiness.

Director of Education

Ronald Diaz Almanza, BA Psychology is a full-time teacher and advocate for persons with disabilities and neurodiversity. He currently serves as Director of Education for E.L.I and helping with anything that is needed to ensure the progression and success of the students at E.L.I. Ronald has a Bachelors’ degree in Psychology with a concentration in Business and Social Science teaching certificate. He has worked with individuals aged 2-24 since 2017, before embarking on his teaching career Ronald worked as a Registered Behavioral Technician for 3 and a half years. During his free time, Ronald enjoys working on his hobbies like photography and cooking. Ronald is extremely passionate about E.L.I’s mission and is here to support the academic growth for all of our students.

Assistant Director of Education

Kelsey Cash is a dedicated professional with a passion for supporting children boasting over 7 years of invaluable experience in this field. Alongside her impactful work, Kelsey also finds fulfillment as an art teacher, nurturing creativity and expression among her students. Additionally, she adeptly manages administrative responsibilities, showcasing her organizational prowess and commitment to operational excellence. Kelsey’s multifaceted career reflects her deep-seated commitment to education, creativity, and compassion for her students.

Teacher

Rebecca Marchand has her Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education along with two minors, one in Autism and the other in Creative Writing. She graduated from Liberty University with magna cum laude and honors including Alpha Lambda Delta and National Society of Collegiate Scholars. She has her DCF credentials and her Florida teaching license.

Despite all her educational accomplishments, at the age of 7, Rebecca was diagnosed with Trisomy X Syndrome and knows the difficulties of learning with challenges. When told that she could never learn or function as an adult, she took on the challenge to overcome everything. From a Sensory Processing Disorder to a Auditory Processing Disorder and a reading comprehension disorder, she has learned to overcome the challenges that had once seemed to control her life. Now, she is ready and willing to teach children who struggle in learning and everyday challenges.

Rebecca has a passion to teach children of all backgrounds and learning abilities. She believes every child can thrive in their own style of learning, because every child deserves a chance at education. She has a very caring attitude and a big heart towards familes and children with special needs. She resides in Enterprise Florida on a farm with her family, two horses, ten rabbits, two dogs, two fish, and one cat.

3rd-5th Grade Teacher 

Troy Duzant, BS from UCF and is getting his M.Ed from Stetson university.

Troy has worked with children and young adults for over 20 years in all aspects of life. He grew up in Connecticut and is an avid sports fan. Troy has children of his own and is very active in the community.

This will be Troy’s 5th year teaching students with disabilities, he takes pride in helping students find the fun in learning.

In his free time Troy plays softball, kickball, coaches soccer and spends time with his family. Troy is looking forward to working with the students of E.L.I. and helping them grow.

1st-2nd Grade Teacher 

Jamiliz Marrero has been a teacher for 12 years. She graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Puerto Rico. After moving to Florida, she earned endorsements in English as Second Language and Reading.

During her free time, Jamiliz enjoys traveling with her family, beach days and cuddling with her two dogs

Special Intervention Teacher

Katie Meier has her AA in Human Services with an emphasis on Early Childhood Development and Childhood education and is continuing her education in Childhood Education. She has been with E.L.I.’s sister company BFC working as a registered behavior technician since June 2022. Before that, she was a diverse education professional with over 7 years’ experience working with students from different backgrounds, in the civilian and military aspect, focused on implementing highly effective instructional practices to improve students learning and academic performances as a paraprofessional. She began her passion for working with children, and children with special needs, as a lead pre-K teacher for 3-year-olds. She is compassionate and devoted to creating a healthy, constructive life and future for her students. Katie married her high school sweetheart and together they have three daughters. They traveled the US with her husband’s military career for 11 years before settling in Orange City, Florida. Katie loves going to the beach, outdoor adventures and dancing in her spare time.

Menu