Leadership Team

ADRIAN M. FORD
Chief Executive Officer

JESSICA HASSLER BARISANO
Chief Operating Officer

VERONICA C. SYKES
MA. CCC-SLP

Executive Director

Adrian is a 20-year Community Solutions Leader, nonprofit leader, entrepreneur, and mentor. He specializes in providing technical assistance, Program Development, Staff development, Leadership development, advocacy, education, and guidance to communities and nonprofits.

Adrian has the heart to serve and the unique ability to engage and meet people where they are and grow their ideas, programs, and agencies from thought to execution.

Throughout his various roles within communities, nonprofit agencies, and family services, Adrian’s mission for Collaborative Corner is to expand the whole-family, whole-child approach to coordinated care.

Contact Adrian

Jessica Hassler Barisano is the Founder of Collaborative Corner for Exceptional Children, a Central Florida-based non-profit organization created for families and children within the disability community.

With a focus on Coordinated Care, Special Education, and Family Services, Jessica enjoys collaborating with families, school-based teams, and medical professionals, nationally and throughout the various Florida school districts, to bring a whole-child, whole-family approach to education.

Earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Hospitality and Tourism from the University of Central Florida in 2006, Jessica’s diverse background in hospitality, tourism, business management, and philanthropy has given her a solid foundation to develop and grow Collaborative Corner.

In 2019 Jessica opened Collaborative Corner for Exceptional Children using her professional background in overlapping, multi-service business models. Offering free, instant access to various professionals within the disability community, Collaborative Corner (virtually) served and supported families and children across the nation. Continuing her passion for assisting families with coordinated care, in 2021, Jessica founded and opened a Coordinated-Care Clinic in West Orange County (alongside her business partner). Offering diagnostic services, a collaborative model to a child’s therapies, services, and more, Collaborative Corner (Clinic) serves many families throughout their journey - all in one place.

Jessica and the Collaborative Corner team are building upon their education, coordinated-care planning, and advocacy models while expanding into family services to enhance their whole-child, whole-family approach to care.

Contact Jessica

Veronica C. Sykes is the Executive Director of Collaborative Corner for Exceptional Children. In her role, she serves many families by providing coordinated-care planning. Veronica supports Collaborative Corner by developing and maintaining various service models, organizational partnerships, and community development.

Veronica graduated from the University of Central Florida with her Bachelor’s Degree in 2007 and her Master of Arts in 2012, both in Communication Sciences and Disorders. In 2013, she earned her Certificate of Competency (CCC) from the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA).

As a mother to two children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, along with her experience as a pediatric Speech and Language Pathologist, Veronica is crucial to families in assisting them (and their children) in developing personalized coordinated-care plans across all settings.

In 2021 Veronica was asked to join the University of Central Florida- Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) constituency board. As a parent member, Veronica remains in this role and has furthered her knowledge of autism, therapies, education, and community resources for the last two years.

Through her personal and professional experiences, Veronica has the unique ability to relate and understand the many challenges other families and their children face while navigating the complex journey as a special needs parent.

Contact Veronica