ACT Today! Team

Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh is a world-renowned clinical psychologist and expert in the field of autism research and therapy. Dr. Doreen has worked with a wide range of patients – from high-functioning children with autism to the most challenging individuals whose families have been told to give up hope. Dr. Doreen has an unparalleled recovery rate, enabling children with autism to lead independent lives. With a PhD in Psychology from UCLA, Dr. Doreen is licensed by the medical boards of California, Texas, and Virginia and Arizona State Boards of Psychologists and is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst. She is the 2011 recipient of the American Academy of Clinical Psychiatrists’ prestigious Winokur Award.

Dr. Doreen founded the Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc., (CARD) in 1990, the world’s largest and most experienced organization effectively treating children with autism. CARD develops individualized treatment plans utilizing the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA), a behavioral treatment approach which the scientific community has empirically validated. Under Dr. Doreen’s leadership, CARD has seen success with every child over the past 20 years.

Click here to see Doreen Granpeesheh's full bio.

Nancy Alspaugh-Jackson is a former high-powered television producer turned author and activist on the subject of fearless aging and autism awareness. She co-authored Not Your Mother’s Midlife: A Ten Step guide to Fearless Aging (Andrews McMeel) and Fearless Women: Midlife Portraits (Stewart, Tabori & Chang). She wrote and performed in the stage show “Boomer Babes” and has done motivational speaking to sold out audiences around the country. Alspaugh-Jackson is an Emmy-Award winning television producer and executive who pioneered the magazine program format with Westinghouse’s PM Magazine. After serving as Vice-President of Group W Productions, she served as executive producer for a number of network and nationally syndicated programs, including the long-running NBC talk show, LEEZA. She has been honored with the United Press International Award, the Associated Press Award, the Gabriel Award, the Genesis Award, as well as having been named one of the Hollywood Reporters “Women to Watch”.

Alspaugh-Jackson feels her most important assignment came after her adopted son Wyatt was diagnosed with autism at the age of three (Wyatt is now 8 and making tremendous progress). She saw an urgent need for families to have somewhere to turn to for advice and assistance when dealing with this devastating disorder. “As difficult as it was getting the diagnosis for our son, we have never forgotten that we are the lucky ones in that we have the resources to find help – what about those families that don’t have the time or money to access treatment and care?” With that in mind she began the annual Denim and Diamonds for Autism fundraiser to benefit ACT Today! at the ranch home she shares with her husband, Fox television executive Read Jackson. Denim and Diamonds just celebrated its fourth year as an annual ACT Today! event, the most successful ever! Nancy has now been at the helm of ACT Today! for the last year and a half, overseeing its numerous annual fund raisers, special events and campaigns. Nancy is married to FOX SPORTS television executive Read Jackson. When she is not running the activities at ACT Today!, she runs marathons and spends time with her family and their menagerie of animals -- one Bernese Mountain dog, two Jack Russell Terriers, and three and a half horses (one miniature).

Gregory C. Anderson is a Managing Member of TWIW Insurance Services, LLC. He is responsible for strategic planning and direction of their marketing effort, including the recent growth of its Employee Benefit Division. A keystone of his employee benefit marketing effort has been the recognition of the service needs of not just the corporate client but its employees and Human Resources function. The TWIW strategic stance is that the retail broker must be an extension of the client's Human Resources function. Informing its marketing efforts with that basic principal has allowed TWIW its dramatic and unparallel growth and impact on the local health insurance marketplace.

Gregory C. Anderson has been a principal of TWIW Insurance Services and Tolman and Wiker Insurance since 1992. He has been active as an insurance adjustor, underwriter, educator, training professional, producer, sales manager and corporate sales and marketing principal since 1972. He has been an active fundraiser for non-profit causes. His Past service has included membership and service as the President of the Oxnard Chapter of the American Heart Association. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in education and has pursued doctoral level studies in human organizational development.

Bill Cernius is a Partner in the Corporate Department of the Orange County law firm, Latham & Watkins.  He also serves as the Secretary on the ACT Today! Board of Directors. He received his BA at the University of Southern California and graduated from Hastings College of the Law.

Bill Cernius has practiced law with Latham & Watkins since 1985 and has been a resident attorney in each of the San Diego, Los Angeles, London and Orange County offices of the firm. Bill has extensive mergers and acquisitions experience representing both sellers and buyers. Bill is a member of the Orange County and American Bar Associations. He is also the Editor of the Hastings Law Journal.

JoAnn Albers, founder of Albers Consulting, a professional fundraiser consulting firm has over 25 years of direct non-profit experience. She has become known for her expertise in fundraising and has the flexibility, insight and resources to help nonprofit organizations carry out their visions and exceed their expectations.

JoAnn has served both for profit and non-profit organizations, successfully conceptualizing and implementing sales and marketing programs. As a fundraiser she has had a leadership role with a nationally renowned women’s health center in organizational development cultivation, community involvement and awareness.

Her background includes co-founding a non-profit organization using her skills in fundraising development, and strategic planning. She co-founded a Circle of Giving campaign, and was also involved in a solicitation committee on a $35 million capital campaign. She also served as an effective board member doing board enhancement in a $300 million campaign.

JoAnn currently lives in Newport Beach and is involved with the O.C. Women in Philanthropy Fund and Hoag Hospital Diabetes Center as a volunteer.

She has a son, daughter, and five grandchildren that live in the Pacific Northwest.

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Mark Celentano has worked with special needs children for over 25 years. He has acted as a Trail Guide and counselor for Big City Mountaineers which introduced inner city children from the East Coast to a camping experience for 8 days in the Rocky Mountain West. During high school and college, Mark volunteered at Camp Harmony which enabled special needs children to experience summer camp.

Mark is currently an active board member with ACT Today!.

Mark is a founding partner of Apptico Technology Group and Red Sky Media and resides in Los Angeles, California

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H. Read Jackson is a veteran television executive who brings an extensive background as a writer-producer-director in advertising, marketing and journalism to the creation and production of television programs.

He has been nominated for the EMMY, OHIO STATE and GEORGE POLK awards for journalism, and was the winner of the 1985 CLARION AWARD for his ABC series, “The Abused Child” with Peter Jennings. He won the AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY’S Community Service Award, Philadelphia, in 1979 and 1980. And he won the 1994 GENESIS AWARD for his work on “The Crusaders”. He has won the Telly Award four times.

He is currently the Senior Vice President Original Programs for Fox Sports Net in Los Angeles. During his 10 year tenure at Fox, he has been responsible for the development of the Emmy nominated news magazine series, “Goin’ Deep”, The 11 time EMMY nominated biography documentary series, Beyond the Glory and the highly successful strip series’, “You Gotta’ See This”, and “Preps: Chicago Hoops”, sports programming’s first venture in reality series program. He oversees the programs for the FSN networks 15 regional cities.

Mr. Jackson lives in Hidden Hills, California with his author wife, Nancy Rousseau Alspaugh, also a veteran television executive and executive producer, currently the Executive Director of ACT Today!, a grant foundation for children with autism and related disorders. They have a seven year old son, Wyatt Read Jackson.

Jake is a founder and the current CEO of ONEHOPE Wine. Jake started on the quest to build the ONEHOPE brand after his close friend, Morgan Lewis, found out she got cancer at the young age of 23. He was recognized by Business Week as the "Top 25 under 25", Orange County's "Top 40 under 40", and was the youngest nominee for entrepreneur of the year by Ernst and Young, and the youngest male nominee for San Francisco's Man of the Year for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. He was recently honored to fly on the "medal of honor" flight with surviving medal of honor winners and got to meet the president. Jake was a 3 year Scholar Athlete at UC Berkeley graduating from The Haas Business School and taking home two national championships in college Rugby. Jake is proud to have served over 5,000 volunteer hours since 2001.

Los Angeles Rising Star Chef Raphael Lunetta is one of the most talented and well-known chefs in southern California. In May 2008, JiRaffe received the prestigious "Fine Dining Award" from Nation's Restaurant News, showing Lunetta continues to soar as one of LA's premiere chefs and personalities.

As well as for his work in the kitchen, Lunetta is known for his second passion … surfing, and has gained the title "the surfing chef" as he is often seen on Southern California beaches spending time in the water.

Lunetta was named to the prestigious group of "Top Ten New Chefs" by Food and Wine Magazine (April 1997) and "Rising Stars – 1997" by Restaurant Hospitality Magazine (May 1997). Additionally, Lunetta is a favorite special guest chef on several shows at the national Food Network and has appeared as a guest chef at many locations throughout the world, including Hawaii, Orlando, New York City, Bali and Singapore, Sundance Resort, Utah and on Crystal Cruises. In 2006 he was a guest chef for BRAVO TV's "Top Chef" series when Top Chef Tom Colicchio brought the show to Los Angeles. In July 2007 he was a guest chef of famed Chef Alan Wong at the Hualalai Grille at Wong's restaurant at the Four Seasons hotel, Kona, Hawaii.

Raphael co-owns Lemon Moon restaurant, a more casual restaurant in West Los Angeles, with his former JiRaffe partner Josiah Citrin.

Raphael is a true "favorite son/chef" in his hometown of Santa Monica and was named to the Santa Monica High School "Hall of Fame" for its outstanding alumni. He is married to television news personality Gabriela Teissier. They have two sons.

J Ocana is Director, President & COO of Reaction Audio Visual. He is an entrepreneur in Orange County and has been involved in several start up organizations. He has a B.S. in Business from USC, and an Executive MBA from Pepperdine. His background includes over 20 years in the high technology industry as a manager and/or executive for such companies as Nokia, GE, and Peregrine Systems. He brings a wealth of business acumen to the team along with the experience of being the father of a child recovering from autism. He lives in Ladera Ranch with his wife Jennifer and their four children: Aubree, Alexis, Christian, and Cole.

Tiffany O’Day is Operations & Marketing Director of the Center for Autism & Related Disorders (also known as CARD). CARD is a private organization that provides Applied Behavior Analysis therapy to children with autism. The organization, with almost 400 employees, has satellite offices worldwide, most in the state of California.

Tiffany O'Day graduated from UCLA’s Anderson School of Business 2003, earning an MBA. She focused on marketing and corporate environmental management while in business school and has built a career working for socially responsible companies. Tiffany’s experience prior to Anderson School of Business includes six years in automobile marketing, specializing in environmental vehicles. She also has experience working with environmental non-profits including the California Climate Action Registry.

She lives in Santa Monica, California with her husband Terry, her daughter, Teagan and her two rescued Chihuahua-mix dogs, Zoey and Nelson.

Sandra (Sandy) Stone is a SoCal native who has worked 35+ years in real estate development as well as property management in Orange and Riverside Counties.

Sandy’s philanthropic work in the community spans over 25 years beginning with the Assistance League of Newport-Mesa where she served as Building and Expansion Chairman and helped to move the organization from their cramped quarters to their new state of the art 20,000 square foot facility. She and her husband David are also active in the United Way of Orange County where Sandy was a founding member of the Women’s Philanthropy Fund. They are committed to making a difference through causes they care deeply about including children, education, and scientific research on aging that impacts the future of humanity. Sandy and David are also devoted patrons of Chapman University, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, UC Irvine Medical Center, American Red Cross and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

Sandy is currently semi-retired and lives in Newport Beach with her husband David and has two children and four grandchildren. When she is not home in the OC she is traveling the globe with her husband on their boat Solaia.

Gabriela is Co-anchor of “First Edition” for KMEX-TV, Channel 34, and the number one television station in Spanish in the nation.  She joined the program “First Edition” in March of the 2004, after she was an co anchor of the news program Telefutura 46 on  KFTR-TV, the station’s sister station of Telefutura.

Teissier is better recognized by many as the original Co-host of the noon program Telefutura, “Scandal TV”. She is also known for her coverage of all of the Latin Entertainment industry.

While she studied communications and graphical design in the university, Teissier worked as model for several commercial television stations and obtained his first position as news anchor in Telerey, Mexico.  Using her varied artistic abilities, she decided to experiment with music and for a time, worked with successful artists on tour.  Another facet of the professional development of Teissier includes her participation in films doubled in Spanish.  One of these films was the animated production of Disney “Tarzan”, where she was the voice of the role of “Terk” the taking monkey.

Teissier arrived in the United States and was known as the host of “Cinemamotion”, a program of USA Networks that was transmitted by cable to all Mexico, Central America and South America.  Recently, she also participated in the translation of Billboard Magazine for the Internet.

Teissier began her introduction to the media while she served as host for several news programs of Aztec TV, Mexico, and for Telemundo Network in the United States. In 1998, Teissier received the prize of “Latin of the Year” in honor to successful personalities within her race.

Tessier is married to Santa Monica Chef/Restaurateur Raphael Lunetta and they have two young sons and live in Mar Vista, California.

Julia van Hees-Aidner is the epitome of style and always makes a powerful statement. Her dedication to maintaining long-term relationships and her willingness to always help others led to LA Confidential Magazine naming her “Our favorite philanthropic glamour gal.”

Raised in Salem, Oregon, Julia is the oldest of five children. Even as a child she was a Type A+ personality and a trendsetter. Her parents, who recently celebrated their 50th anniversary, encouraged her creativity. After college, she opened what was only the second surf shop in Oregon. But Julia wanted to spread her wings further and moved to Los Angeles.

She arrived in LA in 1981 and within six months had a position at The Hollywood Reporter. She established strong relationships there and after leaving went on to enjoy a successful career in public relations, working for prominent companies like CBS Records, Rogers & Cowan, Orion Pictures, DIC, and The Walt Disney Company’s Buena Vista Television Division. She kept that pace until a day in 1995 when she had a “wake-up” call. Julia was diagnosed with the chronic disease lupus. At that time she was told that while it was not a severe case, it could become debilitating or even fatal. The prescription was to avoid stress, fatigue, and the sun. This sounded like a prison sentence to her. Not one to accept defeat, Julia forged ahead and began an entirely new chapter in her personal and professional life.

She established JVH Communications, a luxury branding company in Beverly Hills and New York. In addition to securing major press for her clients, she appeared regularly in fashion and lifestyle publications including the New York Times Sunday “Style” section. Her newest venture is Nature’s Harmony and Wellbeing, an Italian skincare company. Julia will soon begin making appearances on the Home Shopping Network as the company’s spokesperson.

Coming soon.