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The founders and senior management of The Futures HealthCore have a long, successful history of providing services designed to meet the individual needs of each program that we serve. All management staff members are also skilled and seasoned practitioners of the service delivery systems they support.
Peter Bittel, Ed.D., CCC/SLP Peter Bittel is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Futures HealthCore. Dr. Bittel has more than 30 years of clinical and executive leadership experience in the areas of special education, rehabilitation and developmental disabilities. He is an advocate for people with handicapping conditions and has served on several non-profit boards. He has held several faculty positions including serving as adjunct faculty at the University of Massachusetts School of Public Health and serves on the Board of Directors for the American International College. Dr. Bittel co-founded the Medial Knowledge Institute (infomki.org), a non profit foundation committed to promoting healthcare education and healthcare information as a human right around the world. He is a certified member of the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) and continues to practice as a speech and language pathologist in addition to his management responsibilities. Dr. Bittel holds a Masters Degree in Urban History, a Masters Degree in Communication Disorders and a Doctorate in Organizational Development.
Erin Edwards is co-founder and President of The Futures HealthCore. Prior to co-founding Futures, she served as Vice President of Rehabilitation for a thriving rehabilitation business. Prior to that, she served as the Director of Clinical Services for a national health care company. Throughout her career, Ms. Edwards has held several executive leadership positions in the areas of Early Intervention and Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities in a variety of clinical settings including schools, skilled nursing facilities, home care, outpatient clinics and other community-based programs. Ms. Edwards has been a practicing speech and language pathologist for nearly 20 years, and continues to do so in addition to her management responsibilities. Amy Guay, COTA/L In her capacity as Vice President of New England Operations, Amy Guay is responsible for management of clinicians, contract sites and program development in a variety of clinical settings. Prior to joining Futures, Ms. Guay held management positions in both private and public companies that provide therapy services to a variety of public and private schools, early intervention programs, programs for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, skilled nursing facilities and outpatient clinics. For over 10 years, Ms. Guay has worked both as a clinician and as a manager of clinical programs. She has considerable experience in the provision and management of services to children and adults with special needs. John Anderson Jr., Ed.D., ABPP Dr. John Anderson, Jr. is a licensed psychologist with over 20 years of experience. He is board certified in Clinical Psychology (ABPP) and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Psychologists (FAACP). Dr. Anderson has provided treatment, assessment and consultation services to schools, treatment facilities, state government and a variety of other organizations. In the past, Dr. Anderson has been chief psychologist and department director at a children’s hospital, Professional Affairs Officer at the Massachusetts Psychological Association and Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School as well as a LEND fellow in the school's Shriver Center. His research interests include the experience of disabled youth in the juvenile justice system and evolving models of assessment. Dr. Anderson holds a Doctorate of Education in Counseling Psychology as well as a Masters of Arts in Teaching. Brian Edwards, M Ed As the Chief Operating Officer, Brian Edwards is responsible for all operational functions of The Futures HealthCore. Mr. Edwards has over 20 years of operations, marketing, IT, recruiting and staff management experience interacting primarily with public and private schools, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, clinics, and assisted living facilities. Throughout his career, Mr. Edwards has held senior leadership positions with regional and national firms in operations, marketing, sales, client relationship management, and staff management. Susan Murtagh, RN, BSN Susan Murtagh brings over 16 years of nursing experience to Futures. As Regional Director, her primary responsibility is to support and manage clinicians in nursing, dietary and speech language pathology. Prior to joining Futures, Ms. Murtagh spent several years at a community agency servicing persons with developmental disabilities where she provided health services and supports to people with a broad range of complex medical and psychiatric disorders. Her past nursing experience also includes several years in acute medical surgical nursing and case management. Ms. Murtagh has been a contributing member on various committees such as Workplace Safety, Patient Education, and Peer Review. Michael Neiman, Ph.D., CCC/SLP In his capacity as Vice President of Clinical Programs, Michael Neiman is responsible for the management of therapists, contract sites, and program development. Dr. Neiman has been a practicing speech and language pathologist for nearly 15 years. In that time, he has provided speech therapy services in a variety of settings including hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and day habilitation programs. In addition to his clinical experience, Dr. Neiman has been a manager of numerous rehabilitation facilities and is currently an adjunct professor at Elms College in Chicopee, MA. He continues to provide clinical services, in addition to his management responsibilities. Dr. Neiman holds a Doctorate in Adult Neurogenic Communication Disorders. Tom Watkins , MSW Tom Watkins has served as an education, business, government consultant, and advisor in the public, private, education, and nonprofit sectors. He has held numerous distinguished high level positions in both the public and private sectors. His most recent leadership roles include: President and CEO of Economic Council in Palm Beach County Florida, Superintendent of Public Instruction and Mental Health Director for the state of Michigan.
Richard Holzman , Ed.D Richard Holzman has served as a school Superintendent in Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey for the last thirty years. Dr. Holzman has the distinction of having been a Fulbright Scholar in the Republic of China and has been a lieutenant in the United States Army as well as a volunteer in the Peace Corps. Dr. Holzman has long been an advocate of partnerships between schools and the private sector especially in those areas that have the potential to improve economy and efficiency while advancing the quality outcomes for students.
Irene Rule
Special Education Staff Director of Special Education ProgramsSuzanne is a lifelong educator, having started as a classroom teacher working with students with severe/profound disabilities in an institutional setting. She has worked with all levels of students, from preschoolers to those transitioning to adulthood and has a special interest in students on the autism spectrum. She has served as a Principal, Director of Support Services, and Director of Special Education in both traditional public and charter public schools and is interested in the dynamics of the change process. Suzanne served as a Special Education Advisor at the state level for 5 years and conducted compliance/quality reviews of special education programs and also developed the monitoring instrument used. Suzanne worked for a member organization of the first IDEA Partnership, a special training and resource initiative of the Office of Special Education Programs of the United States Department of Education, and she has traveled the country presenting professional development sessions on the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Improvement Act. Suzanne’s approach to special education is one that supports practitioners to blend best practice and legal compliance to serve students appropriately. Jack Kelley, M.Ed. Jack Kelley worked for Longmeadow Public Schools for 36 years as a teacher, Special Education Administrator, and Director of Special Education. Since his retirement from Longmeadow, he has been interim Special Education Director in Farmington River RSD, Ware Public Schools and Ludlow Public Schools. He is currently the part-time Special Education Director for the Martin Luther King Charter School, an adjunct professor at American International College, and is consulting with school districts. Jack has evaluated special education programs and services and has provided support to a number of school districts as they approached their DOE audits. In addition, he has experience with 504, Title One, Grant Writing, ADA and budgets. Mr. Kelley is certified as a Special Education Administrator and as a Director of Special Education. Ray Sylvain, M.Ed. Mr. Sylvain graduated from North Adams State College in 1974 with a B.A. in Psychology. He began his career in education as an Elementary Special Education Teacher in Haverhill, Massachusetts. In 1975, he moved to Western Massachusetts and took a position as a Special Education Teacher at Ludlow High School. In 1980, he graduated from Westfield State College with a Masters in Special Education and Administration and became the Director of Special Education in Hatfield, Massachusetts. Upon leaving that position, he was the Administrator of Student Services at Pioneer Valley Regional School District. In 1987, he joined the East Longmeadow Public Schools as the Director of Student Services where he remained for twenty years. In East Longmeadow, his responsibilities included Special Education’s Health Services, Title I and Management of the METCO Program. He retired from East Longmeadow Public Schools in 2007.
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