Rita Gardner M.P.H., LABA, BCBA, CDE

Examiner
DISC Type : cs

President and CEO at Melmark

Andover, Massachusetts, United States

Overview

Rita M. Gardner is the President and CEO of Melmark, a multi-state human services organization she has led since 2015. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst with a Master of Public Health from Boston University, she has over 40 years of experience developing community-based services for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities.

She is a accomplished legislative advocate who has shaped public policy impacting special education and disability services across the U. S. Her work focuses on ensuring equitable access to high-quality, evidence-based care and creating fair pay for direct support professionals.

Interesting fact: She has been named one of the Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts by The Commonwealth Institute for seven consecutive years (2018-2024).

Personality Overview

Overcautious

Unexpressive

Process Oriented

The only way to convince them is by showing them examples and ample proof.  They are heavily focused on quality and prefer doing things the right way, even if it takes time. Being observant comes to them naturally.

Topics They Care About

Special Needs Advocacy
A persistent legislative advocate, she has shaped public policy and co-authored licensing legislation to improve services for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities.
Non-Profit Leadership
Leads a $165M multi-state organization and has made growing its endowment a strategic priority, increasing it from $6. 8M to over $80M during her tenure as CEO.
Evidence-Based Practice
As a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), she champions clinically-sophisticated, evidence-based program models to ensure the best outcomes for the individuals Melmark serves.

Media Appearances

An Interview with Rita Gardner. Featured in Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT)

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Q&A: Melmark's Rita Gardner. Featured in Main Line Today

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Rita Gardner, CEO of Melmark New England, on Morning MAGIC. Featured in Audacy – Magic 106.7 (Morning MAGIC)

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Work History

11-2015
President and CEO at Melmark
3-1998 - 11-2015
Executive Director at Melmark

Education

1993 - 1998
M.P.H. from Boston University
1979 - 1983
Bachelor's degree from University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 27 Location : Andover, Massachusetts, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : President and CEO at Melmark
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Insights For Selling To Rita

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Expect them to be vague in response to your questions, ask firmly and pointedly
  • Ask them which other stakeholders would be important for this purchase decision
  • Spend time addressing concerns around risk and change, they will have them even if they don't express them

DONT's

  • Don't use phrases like 'do not worry', 'i promise' etc.
  • Don't rely on relationship building even if they act pleasantly
  • Avoid getting into storytelling mode, especially when they ask specific questions

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Rita is

  • Adoption by others is very important to them, followed by confidence in ROI.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Rita

  • Often, they don't say no, or keep going about it in circles.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Rita move?

  • They don't like to hasten, so their speed of decision-making may be slow.
  • Can Rita take some risk or not?

  • They have little willingness to take risks, and prefer making calculated decisions.

You And Rita

Personality Compatibility


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