Melissa Kenig-Davis
Founding Partner
Melissa is the spirited parent of an adult child with Asperger Syndrome. Determined to provide the right framework for her son and all adults within the autism spectrum, Melissa is a visionary who is intent on designing a revolutionary social program. Melissa leverages her personal experience, 20-year professional career in corporate America, and recent executive MBA from Penn State to achieve change towards those with social differences, devoting herself to non-profit solutions.
Teresa J Avery
Founding Partner
A veteran of professional marketing and public relations in an agency environment, Teresa left a successful career leading award-winning efforts on behalf of a wide range of clients specifically to pursue her passion for non-profit work. A graduate of Penn State's executive MBA program, Teresa believes combining business acumen with the passionate pursuit of organizational goals is the best path to success in the non-profit world.
Larry Moody
Board Member
Larry has been with Autism Works since its beginning, and represents the very essence of the organization's mission. Larry received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1979 from the University of Florida and his certificate of registration as a Professional Engineer in 1984 from the State of Texas. He worked most of his professional career in the natural gas industry. He developed his skills to world-class level in the narrow field of compressible fluid hydraulics.
Larry has Asperger Syndrom and ADHD (inattentive type) with mild learning and sensory disorders. He has succeeded while many similarly situated persons have faltered. He has never been fired from a job. He has found ways to utilize his talents productively and minimize the impacts of his disabilities. Larry currently occupies much of his time in voluntary support of the Autism community in Minnesota as a presenter at various regional support agencies, school districts, autism support groups, and the Minnesota Autism Conferences in 2008 and 2010; as a participant on various autism discussion panels; and as a presenter/trainer of various Autism Society of Minnesota SkillShops in 2008, 2009, and 2010.
Larry is a mentor and a model for success. He mentors ASD clients to enhance performance and teamwork, trains others in the meaning of working with ASD clients, models the potential benefits of working with individuals with ASD to employers, and orients employer human resources and supervisory personnel toward optimizing relations with their employees with ASD.
Jennifer Monteith
Board Member
Jennifer has over 20 years experience working within the field of developmental disabilities. She has held direct care positions, managed vocational and residential programs, and as a case manager with a case load of 100 individuals with dual diagnosis.
Jennifer is currently working as the Community Outreach Director for a residential provider and is a Private Professional Guardian for a case load of 55 individuals with varying diagnosis. She has a strong understanding of all social services systems affecting persons with disabilities, including housing, vocational supports, state and county benefits, case management services and advocacy.
Jennifer is the proud mother of three sons who are active and endlessly entertaining.
David Clausen
Board Member
David brings over 25 years of corporate expertise to Autism Works having served in roles ranging from financial analyst to CEO of two businesses. He also brings a passion for service to individuals with autism. Married 20 years to wofe Dorinda, David is blessed with two teenage boys, both assessed at an early age with Asperger Syndrome. The family became well-versed in the treatment options and came to establish and direct the East Bay Parent Support Group. That group focused on education and support for parents of special needs children, which enriched over 200 families for over 5 years.
Originally from White Bear Lake, David's parents of 6 children moved west to Orange County California where David spent his formative years, coming back to Minnesota in summers to run a food concession operation for the Minnesota State Fair. Those summers planted to seed to move back to Minnesota.
David's professional experience includes positions as Branch manager for Rockwell International, Financial Analyst for Fairchild Semiconductor, and a Corporate Recruiter for a national investment firm before acquiring a company he owned and operated that was sold in 2007. David ahs since been hired to head up other small businesses, while Dorinda started a career working with special needs children in the Shakopee School District.
David has a BS from California State University, East Bay in Business Administration, Corporate Finance and an MBA from Schiller International University in Paris, France. David looks forward to working with other stakholders in the autism community to contribute to enriching the lives of adults.
Melva Radtke
Board Member
Melva Radtke is the mother of a young adult son with Asperger's Syndrome. She is the principal founder of a company called 9th Planet which produces social skills training videos for young adults on the autism spectrum. She is a licensed attorney and she holds a Master's Degree in Teaching from the University of Chicago.
Melva worked fourteen years in the Minnesota State Senate and House of Representatives as a researcher and media writer, providing practical and strategic analysis on a broad range of policy issues for legislators, including capital investment, transportation, early childhood education and public health. Melva was also in private law practice where she specialized in family law cases and truancy matters. She served on the Stillwater School Board for seven years, four of those years as Board Chair.