John M. McLaughlin
Managing Partner
John M. McLaughlin, Ph.D. has advised hundreds of clients and been involved in some 40 transactions in the autism and special education markets. He served as Managing Director of Behavioral Innovations with ten ABA clinics in the Dallas Fort Worth area from 2009 to 2011. An education entrepreneur his entire working life, at age 24 he started a school in Nashville now in its 48th year for students who benefited from a highly personalized education. In the mid-80’s John become an associate professor of educational administration at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. While a professor, he researched the role of the private sector in school reform and started the influential Education Industry Report, tracking private investment in the education arena. He left his tenured post in academia in 1997 to focus full-time on the business of education and behavioral health.
John has worked with dozens of groups interested in investing in education, special education, and behavioral health clinics using applied behavior analysis. He has also advised numerous operating companies in those fields looking to grow or sell their enterprises. John has served on the corporate boards of Benton Hall (Nashville); National Heritage Academies (Grand Rapids); Behavioral Innovations (Dallas); ChanceLight Behavioral Health, Therapy, and Education (Nashville); and the advisory boards of Bright Horizons Family Solutions (Boston), The Catholic Digest (St. Paul), and The Orpheum Theater (Sioux Falls).
His most recent book, How Autism Is Reshaping Special Education: The Unbundling of IDEA (Rowman & Littlefield) won a dozen awards including Social Impact Book of 2017 by the Human Relations Indie Book Awards. John has also written dozens of articles and opinion pieces and addressed audiences from the World Bank to the National School Boards Association. John received degrees from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, The University of Chicago, and The University of Minnesota.
John's Experience
Roles
Board Seats
Board Seats
- Founder, Benton Hall Academy, established 1977
- Tenured Associate Professor, Saint Cloud State University, 1988-98
- President, The Education Industry Group, 1992-2000
- Publisher, The Education Industry Report, 1993-2000
- President, The John McLaughlin Company, 2000-2004
- Executive Vice President, Educational Services of America/ChanceLight, 2004-2020
- Managing Partner, McLaughlin Advisors, established 2019
- Founder & Chair, Galileo Education, 2020- 2024
Board Seats
Board Seats
Board Seats
- National Heritage Academies
- The Catholic Digest (advisory)
- Behavioral Innovations Therapy
- Bright Horizons Family Solutions (advisory)
- ChanceLight
- Mater Dei USA
- Galileo Education
- Orpheum Theater
- Benton Hall Academy
- St. Anthony, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, & Christ the King Catholic schools
Speaking
Publications
Publications
- I've addressed a wide array of groups - from public education organizations such as The National School Boards Association and The American Association of School Administrators to financial organizations like Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch; global groups like the World Bank and the Canadian Education Industry to think tanks like the Pacific Institute and universities like Harvard and Pitt; and from industry specific groups like the Council of Autism Service Providers, and the American Association of Educators in Private Practice, to state specific groups like Autism New Jersey and the California Association of Resource and Special Education.
Publications
Publications
Publications
- How Autism Is Reshaping Special Education: The Unbundling of IDEA. Rowman & Littlefield, 2017. -- Social Impact Book of the Year
- We’re in This Together: Public-Private Partnership in Special and At-Risk Education. Rowman & Littlefield, 2015.
- The Last Year of the Season. North Star Press, 2014.
- The Education Industry Report , Monthly 1993 - 2000
- Guidelines for Contracting for Educational Services, National Schools Boards Association, 1995
- Most states fail education obligations to special needs students: So, what else is new?, USA Today, August 8, 2020 and dozens of articles, by-lines, and opinion pieces.
Sarah Trautman
Advisor
Sarah has been in-love with Behavior Analysis since she took her first intro to ABA class as an undergraduate student at Gonzaga University. Sarah has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2004 (she even took the exam using real paper and a pencil). Sarah founded and was President of an ABA services business, STE Consultants, from 2004-2019. During that time STE Consultants worked to provide quality ABA services to individuals with ASD and developmental disabilities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento and Washington state.
Sarah is the past-president of the California Association for Behavior Analysis (CalABA) and was a founding Board Member of the Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP). Sarah has presented at over 30 professional conferences throughout the United States. Sarah has provided consultative services for ABA providers in Belize, Kenya and Brazil. Sarah currently works as a Development Consultant for the CalABA, is a founding partner of On Location, a media company, and provides consultation to ABA associations and businesses throughout the United States. Sarah loves to workout, drinks far too much coffee and enjoys public speaking (really).
David Remund
Advisor
Leaders across many industries turn to Dave for strategic advice and coaching given his expertise in business operations, financial management, public relations and marketing. He has worked with more than 100 clients over the span of his career, including nonprofit organizations, industry associations, municipalities, state governments and educational institutions, in addition to multinational corporations and small-to-medium sized businesses.
Dave draws on nearly two decades of experience in business, as well as another decade in higher education. He has designed and managed enterprise-wide strategic communications programs for Citigroup, Bank of America, Principal Financial Group, and multiple divisions of Wells Fargo & Company, in addition to having served as director of strategic marketing and public relations for a private company with clients ranging in size from startup to Fortune 250. Most recently, he led communications and marketing for Drake University, including a refresh of the 140-year old institutional brand, the launch of online education and two-year degrees, along with oversight for a Democratic presidential debate and a global broadcast partnership with CNN during the most recent Iowa caucus season.
In 2011, Dave earned his doctorate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is also a former research fellow of the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication and the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations. In addition to serving on the teaching faculty at UNC, Dave has designed and delivered courses at Drake University, University of Oregon, Florida State University and San Diego State University, where he remains an active instructor of record. He has also led or participated in educational exchanges to Asia, Europe and South America.
Dave has been nationally accredited by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) since 2003. In 2015, PRSA named Dave to its prestigious College of Fellows, an exclusive honorary organization for those who have made a significant and distinguished impact on the PR profession. He has subsequently served on the Commission on Public Relations and the editorial board of Journal of Public Relations Research.
Tracy Harrison
Advisor
Tracy Harrison's journey in behavioral science began as a school psychologist. In 2013, she transitioned to a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). She founded and is the President of Harrison Behavioral Consulting, where she equips teachers and school systems to address and prevent problem behaviors, improve relationships with students, and enhance overall educational outcomes.
With nearly two decades of experience, Tracy has excelled in both medical therapy centers and educational settings. From honing her skills alongside world-class Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) experts as Clinical Director at the Behavior Analysis Center for Autism to helping educators in both the private and public sectors achieve desired results, Tracy focuses on empowering others to become efficient and effective in their fields.
As an experienced educator, Tracy has served as Adjunct Faculty and Program Supervisor for Bay Path University's ABA graduate program. She has taught online graduate-level ethics courses, supervised students, and advised them on ABA practices. Tracy has delivered numerous presentations at conferences, educational institutions, and community events on topics such as ABA, autism, and behavior management.
Tracy holds degrees from Western Michigan University and the University of Kentucky, focusing on school psychology, behavioral psychology, and business.
Tracy's passion for developing operational systems, combined with her extensive experience, has been crucial to her professional success. Operating out of South Bend, Indiana, Tracy provides consulting services and support in behavioral health and education.
Bill Bavin
Partner
Bill Bavin has more than three decades of financial, business, and management experience. Throughout his career, Bill has advised dozens of clients on complex financial markets matters and business strategy. He has advised companies in numerous industries, with a focus on the education, healthcare and technology sectors.
Prior to co-founding Altus Investment Banking in 2023, Bill was a Partner at the investment banking firm Chessiecap, Inc., where he led the education industry practice. Previously, Bill founded two specialized investment banking firms in the Washington, DC area, Education Capital in 1998 and The Washington Corporation in 2010, the latter of which merged with Chessiecap in 2013. Since 1994, Bill has specialized in advising primarily education companies and investors on accessing capital, mergers & acquisitions, divestitures, valuation, and strategy. His practice includes all facets of the education market across the life-long learning continuum, including content companies, education service providers, and infrastructure. He also has extensive experience advising companies in healthcare and information technology sectors. Bill began his career as a generalist with significant experience in a broad range of industries and financial instruments, and has had stints at The Chase Manhattan Bank, Ferris, Baker Watts, and Sallie Mae. Bill received his BA in History from the University of Virginia and his MBA from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. He is FINRA registered Series 7, 24, 63 and 79.
Scott Lurding
Partner
Scott Lurding has more than two decades of financial, strategic advisory, and management experience. He has worked with companies in the education, healthcare, information services, and manufacturing sectors, helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses, prepare for transitions and exit their businesses.
Prior to co-founding Altus Investment Banking, Scott was a Partner at the investment banking firm Chessiecap, Inc.. Prior to that, Scott was President of Venture First, a financial services firm focused on middle market and venture-backed companies. Before that, he founded Altus Advisory Partners, a financial advisory firm advising higher education institutions on complex financial matters. His earlier experience included: serving as Associate Secretary (Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer) for the Phi Beta Kappa Society national office; a business development role with CEB (now Gartner); and managing M&A for two entrepreneurial health care companies. Early in his career, Scott served as an analyst at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris and he was a consultant at Accenture. Scott is the author of a Harvard Business School case study about an entrepreneurial healthcare company and has been a guest lecturer at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. Scott received a BA in English from Indiana University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is FINRA registered Series 7, 24 and 63.