CHAIR

Carl Clark, MD
Mental Health Center of Denver, Denver, Colorado

Dr. Carl Clark is the current CEO and former Medical Director of The Mental Health Center of Denver, a private, not-for-profit, community mental health care organization providing comprehensive, recovery-focused services to more than 6,500 residents in the Denver metro area.

In 1993, Dr. Clark was chosen as NAMI’s Exemplary Psychiatrist of the Year and in 2000, he was elected Professional Man of the Year by the Colorado Business Council. Dr. Clark is also Assistant Clinical Professor at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

VICE CHAIR

Jeffrey Walter
Rushford Center, Inc., Meriden, Connecticut

Jeff Walter is president and CEO of Rushford in Meriden, CT. Walter is responsible for ensuring the organization is able to achieve its mission to provide affordable, accessible behavioral healthcare services to children, adolescents, adults and families in need. He has been with the organization for more than 28 years and has been integral to Rushford evolving into one of the leading behavioral healthcare providers in the state.

SECOND VICE CHAIR

David Ptaszek, LCSW
CEO, Pennyroyal Center, Hopkinsville, Kentucky

David Ptaszek has served as the Executive Director of the Pennyroyal Center since January 2002.  Pennyroyal provides a full continuum of services for persons affected by mental illness, substance abuse, and developmental disabilities and serves eight counties in western Kentucky.  From 1978 until 2001, Ptaszek was president and CEO of Bridgeway (formerly Spoon River Center), providing a full array of services in substance abuse, mental health, and developmental disabilities to 27 counties in western Illinois and eastern Iowa. During his tenure at Bridgeway, Ptaszek supervised the development of over 120 units of community housing for persons with disabilities. He also served on the Blue Ribbon Committee appointed by Governor Jim Thompson to recommend low-income housing alternatives for the homeless.

SECRETARY-TREASURER

Susan Blue
CEO, Community Services Group Mountville, Pennsylvania

Susan Blue has been president and CEO of Community Services since 1987. CSG provides a full array of community based behavioral health and intellectual and developmental disability services in 20 counties in central and northeast Pennsylvania. Susan has also held leadership roles with the Pennsylvania Community Providers Association (the state trade association), the Community Behavioral Healthcare Network of Pennsylvania (a provider-owned behavioral health managed care company) and the Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare.

Committee Leaders

PUBLIC POLICY CHAIR
Tim Swinfard
President and CEO, Missouri Coalition of CMHCs

VICE-CHAIR
Rich Leclerc
President & CEO, Gateway Healthcare

ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES CHAIR
Vicker (Vic) DiGravio III
President and CEO, Association for Behavioral Healthcare

100% ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVE
George Delgrosso
Executive Director, Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council

Directors

REGION I
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont

Ralph Provenza, MSW
Executive Director, United Counseling Services of Bennington, Bennington, VT

Katherine Wilson
President and CEO, Behavioral Health Network, Inc., Springfield, MA

REGION II
New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands

Peter Campanelli, PsyD
President and CEO, Institute for Community Living, New York, New York

James Marhold, PhD
President/CEO, Declarations, Inc., Manalapan, NJ

REGION III
District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia

Alan Hartl
CEO, Lenape Valley Foundation, Doylestown, Pennsylvania

Jeff Richardson
President and CEO, Mosaic Community Services, Timonium, Maryland

REGION IV
Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee

Thomas (Tom) Ford, PhD
Executive Director, Lookout Mountain Community Services, LaFayette, GA 

Jon Cherry, CPA
President/CEO, LifeStream Behavioral Center, Inc., Leesburg, FL

REGION V
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin

Ed Woods
Board Member, Lifeways Community Mental Health Authority, Jackson, MI, Board Chair, Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards

Donald Miskowiec
President and CEO, North Central Behavioral Health Systems, LaSalle, Illinois

REGION VI
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas

William (Bob) Brown, JD
Board Member, Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority of Tarrant County, Board Member, Texas Council for Community MHMR Centers, Mansfield, Texas

REGION VII
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska

Pat Connell
Director, Boystown National Research Hospital, Omaha, Nebraska

Cindy Kaestner
Executive Director, Abbe Center for Community Mental Health, Cedar Rapids, IA

REGION VIII
Arizona, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming

David W. Covington, LPC, MBA 
Chief of Adult Services, Magellan Health Services of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ

Neal Cash
CEO, Community Partnership of Southern Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

REGION IX
California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada

Richard Van Horn, MDiv
President Emeritus, Mental Health America of Los Angeles, Long Beach, California

Kita Curry, PhD
CEO, Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, Culver City, CA

REGION X

Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington

Shirley Havenga
CEO, Community Psychiatric Clinic, Seattle, Washington

AT-LARGE DIRECTOR

Jan Kelton
Victim/Witness Coordinator, Polk County District Attorney’s Office
Frederic, WI

Tribute to Bill Kyles, the immediate past board chair of the National Council and CEO of the Comprehensive Mental Health Center in Independence, Missouri who passed away recently.