Ms. Farmer founded ACES in 1996 with a mission to enhance the quality of life for individuals and families impacted with autism or other special needs. In her role as CEO for nearly three decades, she has grown ACES to serve 75 communities across nine states, with more than 3,000 clinical team members and a demonstrated commitment to excellence in clinical practice, timely access to care, compliance, and culture. Under Ms. Farmer’s leadership, ACES has pioneered industry efforts around national and state-level insurance mandates, clinical innovation, the integration of digital tools into clinical practice, and compliance best practices.

In her new role as Chairwoman, Ms. Farmer will focus on clinical innovation, thought leadership, partnerships with universities and research organizations focused on advancing critical clinical research, and serving as a mission-driven leader to ACES and the people it serves.

Justin Sunshine, Managing Director at General Atlantic and board member at ACES, commented, “On behalf of ACES’ Board of Directors, I extend our deep gratitude to Kristin for her leadership. Her vision over nearly three decades has established ACES as an industry leader, including helping to elevate standards in care, championing clinical excellence and innovation, and fostering extensive community building. We look forward to working with Kristin in her new capacity as Board Chair, in which she will support ACES at a strategic level and continue to further the mission of the organization.”

Ms. Farmer added, “Twenty-seven years ago, I started ACES based on my experience as a teacher in the classroom, with the vision to help as many people as possible with ACES’ unique blend of applied behavior analysis and a humanistic approach. I’m extremely proud of ACES’ achievements to set and elevate the standards in autism services, which we achieved through building a company whose purpose and culture is front-and-center every day; developing clinicians to do more than they ever thought possible; and ensuring ACES demonstrates excellence in all ways – clinical, compliance, culture, and outcomes. I am confident in the direction of ACES and look forward to serving in the years ahead as Board Chair as the organization continues to thoughtfully grow.”

Lisa Dawe will succeed Ms. Farmer as CEO. Ms. Dawe joined ACES as President in August 2020 and previously spent 15 years in healthcare services general management and executive leadership positions at DaVita, IntegraMed Fertility, and Western Dental, where she served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy & Growth Officer. During her tenure at ACES, Ms. Dawe helped lead the growth of the organization from 23 communities to the 75 served today, in addition to leading the company’s day-to-day clinical operations, culture, growth, transformation, product, finance, and technology functions.

“The Board is pleased to announce Lisa Dawe as Kristin’s successor,” Mr. Sunshine continued. “She is a seasoned leader with a track record of improving clinical outcomes and scaling companies across the healthcare services spectrum, including during her last two years of leadership across key business and operations functions at ACES. We believe Lisa is strongly positioned to lead ACES as it deepens its stature as a provider, employer, and partner of choice in the coming years.”

Ms. Dawe commented, “I’m humbled and thrilled to serve as ACES’ next CEO. Kristin built a strong and enduring company on her own for decades and has been an invaluable mentor to me over the last two years. I look forward to working with her in her new capacity as Board Chair. I am grateful for the opportunity to continuously elevate our team to advance ACES towards our vision: to be the household name for the highest quality autism care in America. We are passionate about scaling with excellence the ACES Way: through high-quality clinical services, a mission-driven culture, a seamless experience, and an innovative model that is accessible anywhere.”

About ACES

ACES is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for individuals and families impacted with autism or other special needs. Founded in 1996 by Kristin Farmer, ACES provides comprehensive, professional services to maximize individuals’ potential in the home, school, clinic, and community using accepted teaching and ABA therapeutic methodologies, with a long track record of outcomes. ACES operates in more than 60 markets in nine states, serving thousands of clients in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Washington. Learn more about ACES.