Have Dreams Staff

Kristina E. Johnsen, MA Chief Executive Officer

With over four decades of experience in the field of autism and Special Education, Kris founded Have Dreams in 1996. As a special education teacher, Kris taught in cross-categorical classrooms in a local public school district. There she started the first autism-specific classroom and found her mission as an educator. Kris attended the TEACCH® Autism Program and became an Autism Trainer, presenting at the International TEACCH® conference. She is trained in administering the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS); Applied Behavior Analysis; Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS); and TEACCH® Transition Assessment Profile (TTAP). Kris is also a network partner of The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP), North Suburban Autism Professionals (NSAP) and a member of The Midwest Autism Consortium (MAC), In addition to her duties as the Chief Executive Officer of Have Dreams, Kris was the Director of The Leventhal-Keshet Autism Center and served on the TAP Professional Advisory Council. Kris is grateful for the privilege of being part of the lives of so many intriguing children and adults with ASD, their remarkable families, the incomparable Have Dreams staff who care so deeply for people with autism, and all those who have joined us on this journey.

Dana Fenceroy, MNA, MA Chief Operating Officer and Therapist

Dana Fenceroy serves as Chief Operating Officer at Have Dreams and has been an integral part of the organization since 1998. Over the course of her career with Have Dreams, she has held multiple leadership roles, including Program Director and Outreach Director, before stepping into her current executive position. Dana holds a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Administration, as well as a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from North Park University. She brings three decades of experience supporting autistic individuals and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across school, home, community, recreational, and therapeutic settings. Her leadership experience provides her with a comprehensive understanding of service systems, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the evolving landscape of autism and developmental disability supports.