Alison Tepper Singer (Senior Vice President for Communication & Strategy, Autism Speaks)

Alison Tepper Singer is Senior Vice President, Communication and Strategy for Autism Speaks.  Singer has been with the foundation since its launch in March, 2005 and is a member of the Board of Directors, in addition to overseeing the strategic communications and development of the growing organization.  She served as Interim CEO of the organization from March through July 2005.

Prior to joining Autism Speaks, Alison spent 14 years at CNBC and NBC, in a variety of positions. From 1994-1999 she served as Vice President of Programming in NBC's Cable and Business Development division, where she launched NBC Desktop Video and oversaw long-term planning for both CNBC.com and MSNBC.com.  Prior to that she had served as Producer of CNBC's MoneyWheel and MarketWrap programs. Most recently at CNBC, in her role as Special Projects Producer, Alison produced the award-winning series "Autism: Paying the Price".

Singer has come full circle since beginning her broadcasting career at NBC as an intern on the Today Show. She moved to Norfolk, Virginia after graduating magna cum laude with a B.A. in Economics from Yale University, to assume the associate producer and later producer role for the 6:00 PM and 11:00PM nightly news broadcasts at CBS affiliate WTKR.  Her combined love of television and business led her to Harvard Business School, whereupon completing her MBA she worked as the Director of Business Development for Knight-Ridder Financial News.

Alison Singer brings unequivocal vision and creativity to the senior management of Autism Speaks. She has both a daughter and an older brother with autism, providing inside, long-term and day-to-day experience with the disorder. As a mother, sister and businesswoman she is also a natural advocate, serving as both the Chair, Westchester/Fairfield "Walk Far for NAAR" (National Alliance for Autism Research), and as Chair of Scarsdale CHILD (Children Having Individual Learning Differences), in addition to her work at Autism Speaks.