Rita M. Gardner Led Melmark Joins Top Women-Led Businesses in MS

Rita M. Gardner, President and CEO of Melmark, Inc., has been named to The Women's Edge's renowned list of the Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts for 2023, a testimonial to her unwavering leadership. Gardner's sixth straight inclusion on the list was announced in the Globe Magazine's Women & Power edition.

Gardner oversees Melmark's roughly $110 million multi-state activities, which include renowned private special education schools, adult programs, professional development, training, and research facilities. Melmark's evidence-based programs, in particular, serve people with autism spectrum disorders, acquired brain injuries, medical fragility, and extreme demanding behaviors.

This honor is part of The Women's Edge's yearly collection of 100 powerful women from Massachusetts who will together produce more than $84 billion in sales in 2022. It emphasizes the importance of women as vital economic drivers in the state.

Rita M. Gardner, co-founder of Melmark New England and Melmark Carolinas, is well-known for her legislative work, notably in securing access to free and adequate public education (FAPE) and improving services for people with autism across the country. Gardner's dedication to pay fairness in the human services area has left a lasting imprint, particularly in tackling the salary disparity encountered by direct support providers.

Gardner said of the accolade, "It is a great honour to be recognized with this elite cohort of powerful and accomplished female leaders." We serve a vulnerable population at Melmark and think that our work and advocacy is more than simply a job; it is a duty to create a positive social effect on the lives of people we serve."

Gardner's impact goes beyond Melmark, as she serves on advisory groups for organizations such as the Massachusetts Advocates for Children and the Massachusetts Advocates for Autism. She is a founding member of the National Council of Autism Providers and now serves as vice chair. The Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers has recognized her dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Melmark, a non-profit organization, is widely regarded as the nation's premier provider of specialized services, with over 1,200 committed employees spread among service divisions in Pennsylvania, New England, and the Carolinas. Gardner's vision drives Melmark's purpose of providing high-quality education, care, and support to people with autism spectrum disorders, developmental and intellectual impairments, acquired brain injuries, and other neurological and genetic problems.