Senior Leadership

Dr. Laura Ganci

CEO

Dr. Collette Doe

Vice President of Programming

Tyler Hendricks

Director of Operations and Compliance

Becky McCarthy

Camp Director

Mason Duffy

Director of Family Support Services

Holly Zipperer

Principal

Casey Stradcutter

Director of Development

Madison McCalman

Director of Therapy

Whitney Merrick

Nurse Practitioner

More About Our Team

  • Dr. Laura Milena Ganci brings to Pattison’s her extensive experience in research and planning, specializing in children's services. Originally from Barranquilla, Colombia, she has spent the last 30 years in Broward County, Florida, before relocating to Charleston.  Prior to joining the Pattison’s team, Dr. Ganci spent 11 years with the Children's Services Council of Broward County, most recently as the Director of Research and Planning. She was responsible for overseeing the evaluation of almost 150 programs and the strategic planning efforts through the Broward Children's Strategic Plan. Dr. Ganci earned her Ph.D. in Family Therapy, with her dissertation research focusing on the training experiences of Latinas in Family Therapy education. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Qualified Supervisor in the state of Florida. Her clinical and research expertise lies in the areas of child welfare, substance abuse treatment, and culturally responsive service delivery. 

  • Following her leadership of our therapy for over 5 years, Collette now oversees all four of our Programs with innovative perspective and expertise. She received her Bachelors in Food Science and Human Nutrition, and her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. Collette leads the implementation of innovative services, creates training and mentorship programs for staff development and spearheads Pattison’s integrated service curriculum. Externally, Colette has researched and benchmarked innovative services delivery models (therapeutic intensives, early intervention models) and has collaborated with industry leaders to create prototypes for adaptive environments including: hydrotherapy, multisensory gyms and prototypes of adaptive furniture and equipment.

  • A career special education leader, Holly Zipperer’s journey began in 1991 with a young boy named Sammy, a camper at Camp Burnt Gin, a summer camp for children with complex disabilities from across the state of South Carolina. After earning a master’s degree in special education from the University of South Carolina, Holly taught in a local school district’s preschool special education program. It was there that she cultivated a love for collaboration and innovation to meet the needs of her students. She led the development of the district’s first preschool autism program and served as a district-wide resource teacher in other schools serving students with autism. In the years that followed, Holly relocated to Philadelphia where she continued teaching as an early childhood special educator. In 2007, she began working at Valley Forge Educational Services where she developed innovative educational and recreational programs for students with intellectual and physical disabilities from 56 area school districts and directed the private school’s Extended School Year program; then starting the school’s first summer day camp and overnight camp during her tenure. Holly then served as the strategic co-chair and director for a new service, Customized Workforce Solutions, for job seekers with disabilities.

  • Mason leads our Early Intervention team which serves children birth-6 with varying developmental delays. She has worked for Pattison’s Academy for almost 10 and has 16 years experience working with individuals with disabilities. A native of Georgia, Mason graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Child and Family Development. She has lived in Charleston for almost 10 years. She has a passion for working with children and holds a firm belief that every child has a purpose and potential regardless of any diagnosis, delay or adversity they may face. For Mason, there is nothing more fulfilling than bearing witness to a child’s progress and seeing a family’s hope restored as a result of that progress. When not working, Mason enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 children. hanging out anywhere by the water and cooking for her family and friends.

  • Tyler Hendricks has been with Pattison’s Academy since July 2021 where he started as the AmeriCorps Program Coordinator before assuming his current role in July 2022. Tyler graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2017 from the University of Pittsburgh and has worked in the non-profit sector for five years. His passion lies in serving his community. Tyler served in three AmeriCorps service terms, supporting youth literacy development, engaging volunteers into their local communities, and establishing healthier eating and physical activity practices into schools. Tyler is the assistant varsity wrestling coach at Philip Simmons, co-started a youth wrestling program, and coaches youth soccer. When not at Pattison’s or coaching in the community, Tyler is out exploring the Charleston area with his significant other and indulging in some good food.

  • Becky first joined the Pattison’s Academy Summer Camp team in 2017 as a lead counselor and has since dedicated her summers as Camp Director, ensuring that campers have a fun and enriching experience. Becky holds a degree in Special Education from The College of Charleston. Upon graduation, she began her career as a Special Education teacher serving children and families in the community. She currently lives with her husband and son in Camp Pendleton, California, but makes the trip back to Charleston every summer just for camp!

  • Whitney has joined us as our very first Family Nurse Practitioner and comes to us with nine years of pediatric emergency and labor and delivery nursing experience and most recently two years of working with Medicaid clients as an advanced practice provider. In this newly created position, in partnership with MUSC, Whitney is ready to dive in with Pattison's and build strong, trusting relationships with our kiddos and their families while creating dynamic connections with the providers they are cared for by. This collaboration will allow us to streamline primary and specialty service interactions in efforts to unlock the potential for broadening the spectrum of services and opportunities we can provide to our Pattison community. Whitney lives on James Island with her husband and 12 year old son, where you can find her DIY'ing anything she can get her hands on or trying to not kill her beloved houseplants!

  • A speech therapist for the past 5 years, Madison now oversees our therapy team. She has a long history if working with children with multiple disabilities, and a particular focus on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). After attending Summer Camp in 2020, she made the decision to join our team. “I am genuinely excited about thinking creatively and designing communication systems that are uniquely tailored to each child's individual needs. I firmly believe that everyone deserves a voice, and I am honored to be part of the journey in helping your children find theirs.”

  • With a Bachelor's in Arts History/Arts Management from the College of Charleston and ongoing pursuit of a Master's in Public Administration at Clemson University, Casey brings over ten years of experience in nonprofit development. She has worked at organizations such as Carolina Youth Development Center, Helping and Lending Outreach Support (HALOS), and Neighbors Together before assuming her current role as Development Director at Pattison’s Academy. Throughout her career, Casey has successfully led fundraising initiatives, securing significant grants, major gifts, and increased philanthropic support. Beyond her professional endeavors, she volunteers as a Guardian ad Litem in Berkeley County and serves on the board of Stratford Youth Athletics. Committed to driving positive change, Casey is dedicated to empowering communities through philanthropy and strategic development efforts.

Pattison's Academy Staff Directory