Chicago, Illinois, United States, October 2025 — Lighthouse Autism Center has appointed Sarah McKinnon, MA, ACC, PMP, Prosci Change Certified, as Vice President Human Resources. With more than three decades of experience in human resources, organizational development, and leadership coaching, Sarah brings a wealth of expertise in people strategy, change management, and culture transformation.
Before joining Lighthouse Autism Center, Sarah served as President & Founder of Catalyst Coaching & Consulting, where for nearly eleven years she delivered executive coaching, employee experience consulting, and transformation management solutions. She successfully guided organizations and leaders through strategic planning, leadership development, and team effectiveness programs.
Previously, Sarah was Senior Vice President, People & Culture at Moments Hospice, where she built a robust performance management process, enhanced succession planning, and launched strategic talent acquisition programs for a multi-state healthcare organization.
She also held the role of Senior Vice President, Employee Experience & Organizational Development at AccentCare / Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care, where she introduced the organization’s first-ever employee experience model, unified DEI strategy, and leadership development initiatives, driving measurable improvements in engagement, succession planning, and organizational efficiency.
Her earlier leadership journey includes serving as Director of Organizational Development & Training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Senior Director of Organizational Development & Education at VITAS Healthcare, where she led enterprise-wide learning, leadership, and employee engagement strategies. Sarah began her career in clinical and community roles, including positions at Gilda’s Club South Florida, AuSable Valley Community Mental Health Agency, and VITAS Healthcare.
At Lighthouse Autism Center, Sarah will focus on advancing HR strategy, enhancing employee engagement, and supporting organizational growth through people-first leadership, culture building, and continuous transformation initiatives.
About Lighthouse Autism Center
Lighthouse Autism Center provides compassionate, center-based ABA therapy services for children with autism across Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska. Its innovative Lighthouse Fusion® model combines ABA and speech therapy into a one-of-a-kind program designed by dually certified BCBA/SLPs, among the few in the world. The center offers children a play-based environment that fosters exploration, sensory learning, and language development, enabling faster progress and joyful experiences.
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