ACT Today! Team

Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh is the founding member and President of Autism Care and Treatment (ACT Today!), a non-profit organization that helps families’ access effective treatments.

Dr. Granpeesheh started her work in autism as an undergraduate student at UCLA. While completing her graduate degree there, she worked with Dr. Ivar Lovaas on the world-renowned outcome study published in 1987 which showed a recovery rate of close to 50% among the study’s research participants. She earned a PhD in Psychology from UCLA in 1990. She is licensed by the Medical Board of California, the Texas and Arizona State Boards of Psychologists, and the Dubai Healthcare City Board of Psychologists. She earned a Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

Dr. Granpeesheh founded the Center for Autism & Related Disorders (CARD) in 1990. Today, CARD is a worldwide leader in providing effective autism treatments to thousands of clients. CARD provides both regional and remote services around the globe through its 19 satellite sites in California (11 sites), New York (2 sites), Virginia, Illinois, Texas, Arizona, Australia, and New Zealand as well as its franchise clinics in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa. With a mission to increase access to the most effective treatments, CARD has developed strong working relationships with parent organizations, schools and government agencies all over the world, including the Middle East, Europe, and Hawaii.

Through her active participation and direction in research, curriculum development and treatment, Dr. Granpeesheh has consistently demonstrated the effectiveness of Applied Behavior Analysis intervention. She has not only helped tens of thousands of families, but has successfully helped many children and young adults attain their highest potential, giving further merit to the notion that autism is treatable and that affected individuals can lead independent, meaningful lives.

Click here to learn more about Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh

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.

Award winning Actor and Director, Lou Diamond Phillips, has been involved with television, cinema, and Broadway for several decades.  He has served as a spokesperson for ACT Today! since it’s inception leading to heightened autism awareness across the nation.

Lou feels very strongly that people with this life-altering disability must have the treatment they deserve and each individual deserves a chance. “ACT Today! helps fund treatments for individuals with autism and creates a road to recovery for families that might not otherwise have it.” Lou, along with his production company, held a special screening for his  film “El Cortez” benefiting ACT Today!

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.

Martie Maguire along with her sister Emily Robinson, and lead singer Natalie Maines are the three members of the Dixie Chicks.

From around 1983 on, Martie toured with her sister Emily in the teenage bluegrass group Blue Night Express. Martie and Emily were then part of the formation of the Dixie Chicks in 1989. She plays fiddle, mandolin, viola, and sings background vocals, in the group.

She now lives in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She finds time with her busy personal and professional life to assist with the cause of autism treatment. The Dixie Chicks were present at the ACT Today! Inaugural event.

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.

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.

J Ocana, Director, is an entrepreneur and business man in Orange County, CA.

His background includes a B.S. in Business from USC, and an Executive MBA from Pepperdine. He has over 15 years of sales and executive management experience in high technology for companies like GE, Nokia, and Peregrine Systems. He is now an entrepreneur and is currently running his second successful company called Reaction Audio Visual. He brings a wealth of business acumen to the team along with the experience of being the father of a child recovering from autism named Christian. Along with Christian, J and his wife Jennifer also have 2 daughters named Aubree and Alexis, and are expecting their 4th child this summer.

Gretchen practices with the Greenberg Traurig law firm in Phoenix, Arizona in the governmental Affairs division.  She received her BA from University of Southern California and her Law Degree from the University of Santa Clara.

Gretchen Jacobs has worked effectively to promote the passage of technical and complex bills before the Arizona Legislature. Prior to establishing her practice in government relations and regulatory law, she represented corporate clients in civil court. Her concentrations include the high tech industry, insurance, health care, municipalities, and general business interests. She also is a member of the State Bar in both Arizona and California.  She is very active in her community.

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.

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 pursuing his  passion and enjoying the ocean.

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 Gabriella Teissier de Lunetta.  They have two sons, Etienne and Enzo and they reside in nearby Mar Vista.

Holly is the mother of three children and an active autism advocate in our community. Born and raised in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Holly came to Phoenix in 1990 to attend Arizona State University, where she received her Bachelor’s in Special Education in 1994. In 2001 she completed her Master’s in Educational Counseling from the University of Phoenix. She spent nine years working in the school system as a special educator and guidance counselor. It was several years after her career began that her oldest child was diagnosed with autism. This work experience gave her the tools to advocate not only for her son, but for many families in our community who need a voice.
After working for Gilbert Public Schools and Tempe Union High School District, Holly has maintained an active role in her community through her development of a parent support group called EVAN (East Valley Autism Network), a local affiliate of the Autism Society of America. EVAN played a key role in the passing of Arizona’s Steven’s Law, a law which requires insurance companies to cover autism treatments. She is also a member of the Arizona Autism Coalition and the Gilbert Public Schools Special Education Parent Council. Holly and her husband, Ken, passionately support philanthropy work related to children’s causes.