NJ Chapter Leadership

Patricia Miller
NJ Chair

  • Pat is a co-founder of Beloved Bath, a local bath and candle company whose mission is to provide meaningful employment to people with autism. She has worked extensively with individuals at all levels of autism/IDD and their families. Pat has been invited to speak in school districts, local chapters, and healthcare settings, acting as an ambassador for those who do not have a voice and educating the community to support the needs of parents. Pat Miller is also the co-founder and director of Be Bold Coaching and Consulting. She has dedicated her career to providing compassion and support for clients and advocating for the special needs/IDD community and their families. Pat is committed to offering a safe space for clients to identify goals and strategies that reduce stress, manage expectations, and lead fulfilling lives.

    As a parent of a 23-year-old son with profound autism, she understands firsthand the challenges that IDD and severe disabilities pose to the entire family, including siblings, grandparents, and extended family members. Over the past 20 years, she has counseled, advocated, and offered support to hundreds of families in the educational, social, and emotional realms, and she understands the day-to-day challenges they face. Her experience and insights assist clients and family members in navigating the complex, high-needs world.

    Previously, Pat worked as the Director of the Cancer Center at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ, and has over 25 years of experience in healthcare administration. In 2016, she received the Healthcare Advocate of the Year award from Hudson Milestones, along with a citation from Hudson County, for her creation and implementation of the Special Needs Ambassador Program at Barnabas Health. This program was established to raise awareness and assist individuals with special needs and their families in navigating the hospital system, removing barriers, and promoting a better patient experience.

    Pat is a certified life coach and holds a master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology from NYU, as well as a postbaccalaureate certificate in applied behavior analysis from Caldwell University. She has worked in early intervention, developing, coordinating, and implementing individualized instruction and programming in families’ homes to enhance independence and increase learning. In 2006, she was part of a small group of parents that started a school for children with autism ages 3-21 and recently served on the Board of Directors of this school. Pat has been married to her husband, Vince, for 30 years and has 27-year-old twin sons, Vincent and Philip, as well as a 23-year-old son, John, who has profound autism and has been an inspiration and driving force in her life.

Mitchel A. Baum
NJ Co-Chair

  • Mitch has a BS and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He spent much of his early career in leadership roles at major advertising agencies guiding national and international marketing campaigns for Fortune 500 clients. In 2016 Mitch founded the MABStrategic Marketing Group, a boutique marketing strategy consultancy which he now heads.

    Research and analysis conducted by Mitch and his group is routinely used to help guide state agencies and investment plan managers in their efforts to better serve their public. Mitch has presented to the National Association of State Treasurers on more effectively helping disabled individuals and their families take full advantage of ABLE savings programs, and to other groups of national leaders on helping low- and moderate-income families provide for higher education. He is also published on a range of topics related to his research and analysis.

    Mitch is a long-term trustee of the NYC Autism Charter Schools, which provide a quality science-backed education to children with moderate and severe autism from some of NYC’s most economically-challenged neighborhoods. He has served as a strategic consultant for NEXT for Autism and on the Board of Garden Academy, a school for children with autism in East Orange New Jersey. He has also advised major corporations on making their workplace more accommodating to parents of children with severe disabilities.

    Mitch is guided by the belief that every individual deserves the support and opportunity to reach their potential.