KATHARINE CLARK-KEENE
Huntley,IL
Summary
Transformative leader in healthcare and education, specializing in operational excellence and team development. Expertise in enhancing service delivery through data-driven strategies and process improvements, resulting in elevated client satisfaction and compliance. Committed to fostering inclusive cultures and building scalable leadership pipelines to support organizational growth.
Overview
1
1
Certification
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
Vice President
LOVE YOUR CLASSROOM LLC
11.2021 - Current
- Directed operational and clinical functions to drive strategic growth and scalable infrastructure.
- Oversaw multi-state compliance and credentialing, ensuring seamless geographic scaling and operational consistency.
- Collaborated with executive team members on major decisions regarding company-wide initiatives.
- Led strategic initiatives to enhance educational programs and classroom experiences.
- Established KPI tracking systems for high-quality delivery of clinical and educational services.
- Implemented process improvement procedures that resulted in cost savings across the board.
- Mentored functional team leaders to build a scalable leadership pipeline and inclusive culture.
- Established performance standards for staff, driving accountability and alignment with organizational goals.
- Spearheaded enhancement of customer service processes, maintaining quality assurance standards and improving client satisfaction.
- Designed incentive programs that motivated staff members while ensuring profitability targets were met.
- HR leadership designed talent pipelines and streamlined clinician recruitment.
- Evaluated program effectiveness through stakeholder feedback and data analysis.
- Ensured compliance with applicable laws and regulations related to operations activities.
- Oversaw quality assurance efforts to maintain high standards of product and service delivery.
Lead BCBA & Operational Consultant
INDEPENDENT CLINICAL & OPERATIONAL CONSULTANT
09.2019 - 11.2021
- Conducted clinical supervision and parent training, fostering collaboration among multidisciplinary stakeholders to enhance service delivery.
- Applied organizational behavior management principles to monitor clinical progress and analyze performance metrics, supporting data-driven decision-making.
- Established continuous improvement protocols, elevating service quality across all roles and ensuring adherence to best practices.
- Managed scheduling systems and clinical documentation workflows across multiple platforms, enhancing operational efficiency.
Director of Special Education / Lead Autism Coordinator / Lead Teacher
AUTISM & SPECIAL EDUCATION LEADERSHIP
Chicago
04.2005 - 08.2016
- Managed multidisciplinary teams of specialized service providers and certified staff, fostering collaboration to optimize program delivery.
- Oversaw compliance with IEP management, federal and state regulations, and training for certified staff.
- Directed educational and behavioral programming across public and private institutions, improving student engagement and learning outcomes.
- Implemented crisis prevention institute (CPI) protocols, enhancing safety and support for students in educational settings.
Education
Applied Behavior Analysis (Post-Graduate Coursework) -
Florida Institute of Technology
Melbourne, FLESL in Special Education & ASD Doctoral Coursework -
Northern Illinois University
Chicago, ILMaster of Education (M.Ed.) - Special Education
North Georgia College & State University
Dahlonega, GABachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Psychology, Sociology, & Theatre
University of Mississippi
Oxford, MSSkills
- Executive leadership and scaling
- Strategic planning
- Operational leadership
- Performance measurement
- Process improvement
- Data analysis
- Change management
- Multi-state operations
- Talent acquisition
- Business growth strategies
- Budget administration
- Contract negotiation
- Metrics management
- Risk management
- Staff development
- Performance oversight and evaluation
- Team management
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Cross-functional team leadership
- Stakeholder collaboration
- Team building
- Staff retention
- Coaching and mentoring
- Mentorship development
- OKRs and KPIs
- Performance monitoring
- Resource allocation
- Industry best practices
- Effective communication
- Verbal and written communication
- Problem solving
- Presentations
- Operations management
- Business development
- Recruiting and interviewing
- Staff training
- Budget oversight
- Staff training
- Operations management
- Business development
- Presentations
- Educational programming
Certification
- BCBA: Board Certified Behavior Analyst, IL LBA: Licensed Behavior Analyst (Illinois), LBS1: Licensed Special Education Teacher (Illinois), OBM: Organizational Behavior Management Certificate, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Memberships: Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM Member), Applied Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), Autism Society of America (ASA), IL Association of Behavioral Analysis (ILABA), Illinois Association of Administrators of Special Education (ILABA), Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Timeline
Vice President
LOVE YOUR CLASSROOM LLC
11.2021 - Current
Lead BCBA & Operational Consultant
INDEPENDENT CLINICAL & OPERATIONAL CONSULTANT
09.2019 - 11.2021
Director of Special Education / Lead Autism Coordinator / Lead Teacher
AUTISM & SPECIAL EDUCATION LEADERSHIP
04.2005 - 08.2016
Applied Behavior Analysis (Post-Graduate Coursework) -
Florida Institute of Technology
ESL in Special Education & ASD Doctoral Coursework -
Northern Illinois University
Master of Education (M.Ed.) - Special Education
North Georgia College & State University
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Psychology, Sociology, & Theatre
University of Mississippi