Devereux Pennsylvania Leadership

Melanie Beidler, M.S.
Vice President of Operations – Children’s Services

Melanie Beidler, M.S., serves as Devereux’s vice president of operations – children's services. In this role, Beidler oversees the organization’s Connecticut, Massachusetts/Rhode Island and western Pennsylvania operations, focusing on the care, education and treatment of children and adolescents with emotional, behavioral and cognitive differences.

Beidler joined Devereux in 1982 as a group counselor for children with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Since that time, she has taken on positions of increasing responsibility, serving in multiple direct care and supervisory roles at three Devereux centers. From 2011 to June 2018, she held her most recent position as executive director of Devereux Pennsylvania’s Children's Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Services center (now Devereux Pennsylvania Children’s Services).

Beidler earned both a Bachelor of Science in Individual and Family Studies and a Master of Science in Business Administration from Pennsylvania State University. She is a graduate of the Leadership Main Line Program, an intensive leadership program. Beidler sits on the board of TCV Community Services, an affiliate of Devereux. She previously served as a board member of Safe Harbor, a shelter providing housing and services for Chester County’s homeless population, and the Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth and Family Services (PCCYFS), where she also co-chaired the PCCYFS Behavioral Health Committee.

Stephen Bruce, M.Ed., BCBA
Vice President of Operations – Adult Services

As Vice President of Operations – Adult Services, Stephen Bruce, M.Ed., BCBA, manages the care, treatment and outcomes of Devereux’s adult population throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and California.

Devereux’s adult programs provide services to more than 1,000 individuals, supported by 2,600 staff. Services are delivered in community group homes, campus settings, apartments, day and vocational programs, and life-sharing and in-home arrangements.

Bruce brings more than 35 years of nonprofit leadership and behavioral healthcare experience to his role. Before joining Devereux in 2015, he was president and CEO of Midland, a provider of educational, residential and day services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in New Jersey. Prior to that, he served a significant part of his career at Bancroft, a nonprofit provider of services for individuals with brain injuries, autism and intellectual disabilities. During his 25-year tenure at Bancroft, Bruce held early roles such as director of pediatric and adolescent services, and more recent positions including: vice president of planning/marketing/admissions, vice president of clinical operations and vice president of strategic planning.

Bruce holds a master’s degree in special education, with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis, from Temple University. He serves on the Board of Pennsylvania Advocacy and Resources for Autism and Intellectual Disability (PAR). In addition, he is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and has served as an adjunct professor at Temple University, where he has taught courses in Applied Behavior Analysis.

Christopher Betts, M.A.
Senior Executive Director

Christopher Betts, M.A., serves as senior executive director of Devereux Pennsylvania, overseeing both the Devereux Pennsylvania Adult Services and Devereux Pocono centers.

Betts joined Devereux Pennsylvania in 2000 as a residential counselor at the organization’s Devereux Pennsylvania Children’s Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Services center (now Devereux Pennsylvania Children’s Services). He was promoted to lead counselor in 2001 and program coordinator and treatment manager in 2002. In 2010, Betts transited to Devereux Pennsylvania Adult Services as program director, later moving into the role of program administrator. In 2016, he was promoted to assistant executive director, and then executive director in 2018. He assumed his current position in 2025.

Prior to joining Devereux, Betts held behavioral health positions in the United Kingdom, including youth worker positions at the Somerset County Youth Service and the Somerset Rural Youth Project. He holds a Professional Diploma and a Bachelor of Arts in Youth and Community Work from the University College of St. Mark and St. John (Exeter University, UK), as well as a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Immaculata University.

Betts serves as Board president of the southeastern Pennsylvania provider organization Moving Agencies Toward Excellence (MAX).

Richard F. Dunlap Jr., Ed.D.
Executive Director

In his role as Devereux Pennsylvania Children’s Services executive director, Richard F. Dunlap Jr., Ed.D., oversees the day-to-day operations of the Chester County-based center, which serves children, adolescents and young adults with emotional, behavioral and cognitive differences. His responsibilities include oversight of clinical, medical, quality improvement, physical plant and staffing, among other areas.

Dunlap joined Devereux Pennsylvania Children’s Services in 2024 as assistant executive director. He was promoted to executive director in 2025. Before Devereux, Dunlap spent eight years at Chester County Regional Education Services (CCRES), most recently in the role of executive director. He also served as interim superintendent of the Coatesville Area School District (2019-2020 and 2022-2023). Before his time at CCRES, Dunlap held the following positions: superintendent of the Upper Darby School District; principal of East High School; principal of Garnet Valley Middle School; assistant principal of East High School; assistant principal of Fugett Middle School; and teacher at East High School. He also served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps.

Dunlap earned his Bachelor of Science in special education from West Chester State College; a Master of Arts in bilingual/bicultural studies from Marywood College; and a Doctor of Education from Immaculata College. He also holds a secondary principal’s certification from Immaculata College. He is a recipient of the “Superintendents to Watch” award (2015-2016) from the National School Public Relations Association.

Tina Skoda, LSW
Executive Director

As Devereux Pocono’s executive director, Tina Skoda, LSW, oversees the center’s day- to-day operational, clinical and administrative functions.

Skoda holds more than 20 years of behavioral healthcare experience. She joined Devereux Pocono in 2003 as director of operations, overseeing the center’s residential, day and community programs. In 2012, she moved into the role of assistant executive director, responsible for the center’s overall operations and quality improvement initiatives, as well as all licensing, financial and administrative processes. She was promoted to executive director in 2017.

Prior to joining Devereux, Skoda served as a behavioral health program director for Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, and as a regional director of behavioral health rehabilitation services for New Hope of Pennsylvania, Inc., in Wyoming, Pennsylvania.

Skoda is a licensed social worker and has earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Marywood College. She also is a certified paralegal.

Megan Robinson Joy, Ph.D., BCBA
National Director of Autism Services

Megan Robinson Joy, Ph.D., BCBA, is Devereux’s national director of Autism Services, serving as the national clinical subject matter expert for autism and the national consultant for assigned centers.

Joy joined Devereux in 2017 as director of Pennsylvania’s autism services before being promoted to director of autism clinical support services in 2023. Prior to Devereux, Joy spent 10 years at the May Institute, most recently as regional director of home and school consultation services. Her other roles at the May Institute included: director of home-based services, regional team leader for school consultation, regional coordinator for home-based services and pre-doctoral intern/post-doctoral fellow. Before that, Joy held the following positions: behavior specialist at Positive Behavior Support Consulting; behavior consultant at the Developmental Disabilities Institute’s Family Behavior Support Program; therapist at the Psychological Center at Stony Brook University; and teacher/senior academic teacher at the New England Center for Children.

Joy earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Hamilton College and her master’s in psychology and doctorate in clinical psychology from Stony Brook University. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a licensed psychologist in Pennsylvania. She serves as an adjunct faculty member at Lehigh University and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.