Kristy Johnson, Chief Legal Officer of ABA Centers, Becomes Sole Board member with a Legal Background
October 17, 2023 –
Chief Legal Officer of ABA Centers, has been appointed to the University of Florida’s Psychology Advisory Board and will serve a three-year term, where she will provide support and guidance to the department to inspire students, alumni, and others to develop an enduring relationship with the Department of Psychology.
Kristy Johnson
Ms. Johnson is a proud Double Gator, having received both her undergrad degree and her Juris Doctor from the University of Florida. While attending UF, she was a model student and an avid civic leader, serving on the Board of Managers for the J. Wayne Reitz Student Union.
Since her time in Gainesville, she has led a distinguished legal career over the past two decades in both the public and private sectors, leading up to her current role as the Chief Legal Officer of ABA Centers, a vertically integrated behavioral healthcare organization that provides applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy services to children with autism. She spearheads the delivery of legal services to accomplish the company’s corporate goals while building out a full-service in-house legal team to provide legal support for the company’s diverse service areas. Additionally, she advises leadership on healthcare regulatory compliance, corporate governance, finance, intellectual property, information technology, mergers & acquisitions, employment, hospital licensure, and more.
She has been a member of the Florida Bar since September 1998 and is a past President of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, Miami Dade Chapter. Ms. Johnson has also served the Florida Department of Health in Broward County as Chief Legal Counsel, she was Associate General Counsel for Turnberry Associates, a Shareholder with the law firm of Carlton Fields, and a Senior Attorney at the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration. In 2018, the Daily Business Review selected Ms. Johnson as the Most Effective Lawyer in Employment Law.
The mission of the University of Florida’s Psychology Advisory Board is to support and advocate on behalf of the Department of Psychology and to support the Department’s achievement of its goals through Engagement (strengthening relationships with students, alumni, and professional communities through communications, events, advice, and guidance), Leadership (helping to set the vision for the department), and Philanthropy (supporting the department with an annual financial gift and providing guidance on fundraising and alumni engagement).
Ms. Johnson is the sole member of the board with a legal background, and she will be able to lend her experience and expertise to support the mission of the advisory board.
About ABA Centers
ABA Centers is a vertically integrated behavioral healthcare organization that provides applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy services to children with autism spectrum disorder through a play- based approach rooted in positive reinforcement. The company is disrupting the autism care industry by demolishing wait times traditionally experienced by those in search of a diagnosis or treatment through a tech-centric modus operandi. Its strategically designed behavioral care centers and in- home therapy services are available in Georgia, Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. More information can be found at www.abacenters.com.
