Request Services
Donate
Menu
Search
Close this search box.

Meet Our MVPs

MVPs are driven by a vision where people living with autism are able to engage fully in the world around them—empowered to engage others, make friends, learn, live and work in the community.

Alana and James Langdon

Alana and James Langdon’s connection with SARRC began over a decade ago when their son, Haden, was referred to SARRC by their pediatrician for a developmental screening. “As a family living with autism for over a decade, we’re committed to ensuring Haden has every opportunity to live a fulfilling life

Read More »

Audrey Metzler

Audrey Metzler has had a connection with the autism community for the entirety of her life—whether it was through friends, peers, family friends, or friends of her siblings. “When I turned 18, I got licensed to be a habilitation/respite provider for children and teens with autism,” says Audrey. “That transitioned into

Read More »

Callie and Robert Maxwell

Callie and Robert Maxwell were introduced to SARRC in 2019, when their son, Jackson, received an autism diagnosis at 2 years old. “Jackson’s preschool principal mentioned SARRC and put us in contact with the Community School team,” Callie recalls. “Fortunately, we were able to enroll Jackson in the Community School

Read More »

Dr. and Mrs. Richard Tayrien

Ceci and Richard Tayrien were compelled to join SARRC as Multiyear Visionary Partners. But their involvement, in the nonprofit community, goes much deeper. An Arizona native, Ceci met her husband while she was in nursing school and he was in his medical residency. His career in Internal medicine and healthcare

Read More »

Julie Alpert

More than a decade ago, Julie Alpert and her husband, Gregg, attended SARRC’s Annual Community Breakfast. She had some familiarity with autism as her adult cousin had an autism diagnosis. “I knew it was difficult for my aunt and uncle to raise their family of four children with limited autism

Read More »
Karen and Steve Ewing

Karen and Steve Ewing

Karen and Steve Ewing’s journey with SARRC started in 2019 after their grandson, Owen, was diagnosed with autism. Soon after, Owen and his parents enrolled in SARRC’s 12-week Parent Training Program, where the family received 12 weeks of individualized support and one-on-one coaching with a clinician. “Our son and his

Read More »

Kathy and Bob Hubbard

For the Hubbard family—parents Kathy and Bob, and their son—autism intervention has been crucial in their journey. “We were fortunate to get services when he needed them as a teen and adult,” they share. “The ability to receive coaching services earlier, on both the youth-side and adult side, was very important.” During

Read More »

Krystal and Kyle Vanvales

Krystal and Kyle Vanvales first learned about SARRC through their pediatrician and a close friend when they noticed signs of autism in their 18-month-old daughter. “In the beginning, the specific signs that first alerted us was her anxiety around any type of confinement. And as time progressed, we noticed more

Read More »

Kymberly and Richard Kent

Kymberly and Richard (Rick) Kent were introduced to SARRC in 2019 after an attorney at Rick’s firm, Kent & Wittekind, P.C., shared that her son had been diagnosed with autism. Rick was immediately supportive of this new journey that Callie was about to take with her young son. After her

Read More »

Patty and Phil Dion

Patty and Phil Dion were MVPs long before joining Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center’s Multiyear Visionary Partner (MVP) program. They were inspired to become involved with SARRC many years ago to honor their son, Dave. Dave struggled with health issues related to his premature birth and developmental challenges during

Read More »

Julie Alpert

More than a decade ago, Julie Alpert and her husband, Gregg, attended Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center’s (SARRC) Annual Community Breakfast. Julie had some familiarity with autism as her adult cousin had an autism diagnosis.

More »

Rob and Jenni Leinbach

Rob and Jenni Leinbach’s journey to becoming a Multiyear Visionary Partner began in a personal way—their son, Lucas, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) when he was 20 months old.

More »

The Wallace Family Sue and Scott Wallace’s journey with SARRC began after their grandchild was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. One of their friends passed along information about SARRC, which they then shared with their children. More »
Kathy and Bob Hubbard For the Hubbard family—parents Kathy and Bob, and their son—autism intervention has been crucial in their journey. During high school, the Hubbards connected with SARRC, where they were able to enroll their son into several inclusive volunteer and camp programs. More »
Stuart and Rebecca Rodie Being involved with SARRC is a family affair for Stuart and Rebecca Rodie, and they’ve been avid supporters since day one. Rebecca, herself a physician, suspected autism when her son, Willie failed to respond to their voices or make eye contact. The Rodies eventually connected with SARRC co-founder Dr. Raun Melmed. More »
The Steinmetz Family Impressed with SARRC’s long-term commitment to their granddaughter and others on the autism spectrum, Kate and Terry Steinmetz have made a long-term promise of their own. More »
Susie and Phil Goldman A desire to help children and support critical research motivated Phil and Susie Goldman to become SARRC Multiyear Visionary Partners. Not directly impacted by autism, the Goldmans were moved hearing the story of their friends’ grandson. More »
Tom Kelly “I believe in giving to good organizations that make excellent use of their resources,” says Tom Kelly, a retired leader in health care administration and finance. That philosophy led him to SARRC, first as a board member, then getting family members involved, and most recently becoming an MVP. More »
Patty and Phil Dion Patty and Phil Dion were MVPs long before joining SARRC’s Multiyear Visionary Partner program. They were inspired to become involved with SARRC many years ago to honor their son, Dave. More »
Ruth Darby and Family Ruth Darby became aware of autism when she was just 11, babysitting for a neighbor’s granddaughter who was on the autism spectrum. Later, as a single parent, she found her son struggling with unexplained symptoms as well. More »
The Harper Family Dr. Oliver and Sharon Harper have had a major impact on the Phoenix area through Sharon’s real estate projects, Oliver’s continuing involvement in the medical community and their dedication to continuing to support community growth. More »
The Hilton Family Passionate about helping people with autism throughout their lifetimes, the Hiltons have become SARRC Multiyear Visionary Partners to help SARRC realize its vision. More »
The Tayrien Family Ceci and Richard Tayrien call themselves “cheerful givers” as new Multiyear Visionary Partners at SARRC. But their involvement in the nonprofit community goes much deeper. More »
The Page Family Since 2016, the Pages have been dedicated to supporting SARRC, including becoming Multiyear Visionary Partners or MVPs, pledging an annual donation for five years or more in support of SARRC’s programs, services and research. More »
The McDonald Family After Jeremy and Sara McDonald’s daughter turned 2, they enrolled her in the Community School program where she would receive ABA intervention and the chance to learn, play and interact alongside her typically developing peers. Since that time, the McDonald family has enrolled in several SARRC programs and has seen the benefits first-hand. More »
Regeanna and James Mwansa As Multiyear Visionary Partners or MVPs, Regeanna and James Mwansa have pledged an annual donation for five years to support SARRC’s programs, services and research. Regeanna and James and their children called Arizona home for many years. But after college, their children chose to move out of state. As for Regeanna and James, they also made a move and currently live in Indonesia where James works as a Technical Expert in underground Planning for Freeport-McMoRan. More »
©2023 Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center. All rights reserved. | FEIN# 31-1496646 | Privacy Policy