Centerstone Leadership

Roger Johnson is the Regional Chief Operating Officer for Florida. He is responsible for operations including medical, outpatient and residential services. In addition, he oversees facility management and implements strategies for quality care delivery and growth.

Roger began his career with Centerstone in 1994 as a part-time behavioral health technician. Over the years he has moved up through the organization working on the fiscal side as the manager of accounts payable and receivable, as well as contract management, and on the clinical side as the Director of Medical Services. Roger has been instrumental in the development of new programs including our satellite office in Sarasota, our clinical programs within the Sarasota and Manatee County jails and Centerstone’s psychiatric residency program.

Roger currently serves on the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Board of Directors.

He has a BA in business management and has lived in the Bradenton community for more than 50 years.

Sean Gingras is Regional Finance Officer in Florida. After college, Sean began as an audit intern for a big five accounting firm and within three years became an audit supervisor at a local firm. In 2007, he became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Sean joined Centerstone as the Director of Finance in early 2010.

Sean is a current member of the American Institute of CPAs, the Florida Institute of CPAs, the Government Finance Officers Association, the Florida Government Finance Officers Association, the Healthcare Financial Management Association and the Manatee Young Professionals. He is also a current finance committee member for the Humane Society of Manatee County, a finance committee member for the Central Florida Behavioral Health Network and a board member of the Pinnacle Plaza Condo Association.

He studied accounting at both the University of Florida, where he received a BA, and at the University of Central Florida, where he received his MBA in accounting.

Ebony King is Vice President of Quality Improvement for Centerstone in Florida. King has over 20 years of leadership experience built on a strong record of accreditation in healthcare and academic arenas, strategy, and project management accomplishments. King is instrumental in the preparation and overall process of Centerstone’s continued accreditation, by ensuring we are providing exceptional care and the safest healing environment.

Charles Whitfield, M.Ed., is a certified life coach and Vice President of Community Care in Florida.

He graduated with a BA in business administration and an MA in elementary education from Temple University in Philadelphia.

Charles has been working for Centerstone since 2008, managing multiple programs including adult and child med clinics, targeted case management, forensic case management, adult and child therapy services including school-based therapy, child trauma services, rape crisis adult therapy, child advocacy trauma services, prevention and intervention programs. All operations for the outpatient front desk, Call Center, Walk-in Center, Access Center and mobile crisis services are under Charles’ management.

He also manages Centerstone’s community paramedicine program and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Gemma Clayson is Director of Community Programs. With Centerstone since 2009, she has been working to help those with mental health and substance abuse issues for more than 15 years.

Clayson started with Centerstone as a counselor with the children’s Community Action Treatment (CAT) team. After obtaining her license in marriage and family therapy, Clayson was named Supervisor of the CAT team in Manatee County. From there, she went on to manage three CAT Teams covering Manatee, Sarasota, and Desoto Counties. Clayson currently serves as Director of Children’s Community Programs, managing CAT teams in Manatee, Sarasota, Desoto, Hendry, Glades and Lee County as well as the Child Welfare Diversion Program in Manatee County. In this role, she participates on several community workgroups and boards.

Clayson has a BA in Psychology, an MS in Counseling Psychology and a License in Marriage and Family Therapy.

Jane Roseboro is Vice President of Community Alignment at Centerstone. With Centerstone since 2009, Jane has been working to help those with mental health and substance abuse issues for more than 18 years.

She started with Centerstone as a counselor in the children’s substance abuse and mental health program. After less than a year, she was promoted to supervisor over the children’s substance abuse program to include outpatient counseling and prevention services and the Manatee County Drug Court Program. As Centerstone continued to grow, she began managing all of the new Centerstone treatment courts in Sarasota County. Jane was then promoted to Director of Forensic Services, where she oversaw the drug court and jail programming in Manatee and Sarasota counties, the Comprehensive Treatment Court Jail Diversion Program in Sarasota, homeless and forensic outreach in Manatee County and integrated care at the Department of Health in Sarasota and North Port.

As Vice President of Community Alignment, Jane added the four FACT teams in Manatee, Sarasota and Lee counties to her oversight. She serves on several community workgroups and boards, forensics and integrated care, focusing on growth of programs.

Jane has a BA in psychology and a MA in sociology with dual concentrations in addiction and family.

Jayne Tingley is the Director of Community Care in Florida. Jayne has over 25 years of experience after being drawn to the field while she was a student at The Ohio State University. Jayne started with Centerstone as a counselor in 2011, from there she had the opportunity to provide leadership and guidance in the role of Manager of the Children and Adult Outpatient Therapy Program, targeted case management to include the forensic specialist, and more recently the Med Clinic Program on an interim basis. With the support of Manatee County Schools and guidance of Charles Whitfield, Jayne was instrumental in the development of the Manatee County School Based Therapy Program. She has BA in Psychology and a Masters in Counseling from Spring Arbor University. She is a Qualified Supervisor for the State of Florida providing supervision and education to student interns. In addition, she has a certification in Case Management Supervision.

Joseph Rea is the Director of South County Practices in Florida. Joseph began his tenure with Centerstone in 2022 and brings more than a decade of experience in the behavioral health field to our South County programs.

As Director of South County Practices, Joseph oversees Lee County’s programs including FACT, CAT, Assisted Outpatient Treatment, Housing Outreach and Treatment, and Lee County’s Mental Health Court and Veterans Treatment Courts. Joseph serves on various community boards dedicated to the growth and development of Lee County’s behavioral health continuum of care.

Joseph has also been serving as an Adjunct Instructor at Florida Gulf Coast University since 2015, endeavoring to shape the next generation of behavioral health and criminal justice professionals.

Melissa Larkin-Skinner is the Regional Chief Executive Officer for Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments. As Regional Chief Executive Officer, Larkin-Skinner is responsible for the leadership and oversight of Centerstone’s operations in Florida.

Larkin-Skinner has more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of mental health and addiction care. As a licensed mental health counselor, she has worked with children and adults of all ages in diverse treatment programs including inpatient, outpatient, crisis intervention, intensive community-based care, and child welfare. She has designed and operated innovative programs to meet community needs such as the Children’s Community Action Treatment Team (CAT) which was adopted as a statewide model of care for Florida’s youth and their families.

Larkin-Skinner serves as a persistent voice bringing attention to the opioid epidemic. She is an authority on the disease of addiction’s devastating effects on communities, regularly providing state and federal policy feedback and engaging in legislative advocacy as a mental health and addiction subject-matter expert in Tallahassee, Florida, and Washington, D.C. She also serves as the sole behavioral health provider on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission. She is a recipient of the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association Administrator of the Year Award for her efforts combating the opioid epidemic. She is the past Chair of the Florida Council for Behavioral Health, is current Chair of the Florida Behavioral Health Association, and has been appointed to serve on the Florida Commission on Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

Larkin-Skinner holds a master’s in healthcare administration from Saint Leo University and a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from the University of South Florida.

Dr. Mirza Baig has served as Medical Director for Centerstone in Illinois and its legacy organizations for nearly 15 years. Previously, he managed the forensic unit of an Illinois state operated facility for 20 years.

Dr. Baig received his MD from Kakatiya Medical College in India and completed his psychiatric residency at the Missouri Institute of Psychiatry. He is board certified in addiction medicine, psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, geriatric and administrative psychiatry, and has over 35 years of experience in psychiatric medicine.

Janette Heath oversees quality management, clinical training, implementation of evidenced-based clinical models, and measurement of clinical outcomes for clients. She has more than 20 years of experience at Centerstone and its legacy organizations in assessment, crisis, community-based services, counseling and administration in Illinois. She received her BS in psychology with a minor in sociology from Culver-Stockton College and her MA in human development counseling with an emphasis in community counseling from the University of Illinois-Springfield. She is a member of Chi Sigma Iota, the National Honor Society for counseling professionals.

Jean Alstat serves as Clinical Director for behavioral health, community and prevention services in the Carbondale, Marion and West Frankfort offices in Illinois. In this role, she oversees a variety of services including Prevention, Early Head Start, Community Outreach, and Family Services. Alstat received her Master’s of Education in Educational Psychology with a specialization in Community Counseling. She has worked for Centerstone and its legacy organizations for 25 years including 20 years of providing crisis services. She is a long-term resident of Jackson County.

Dalus Ben Avi serves as Director of Marketing and Community Engagement in Illinois. In this role, she develops and implements new strategies for marketing, community outreach and both internal and external communication campaigns. She also promotes and advances Centerstone’s mission and serves as liaison to legislators on key issues.

Ben Avi received her bachelor’s of science degree from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and her master’s of science in organizational leadership from Argosy University.

Helen Blackburn is Director of Vocational & Residential Services in Illinois. In this role, she oversees residential and vocational programming for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities and/or mental health needs.

Blackburn received her MS in Rehabilitation Counseling from Southern Illinois University. She is a qualified intellectual disabilities professional (QIDP) and a licensed clinical practicing counselor (LCPC). She has worked for Centerstone and its legacy organizations for a combined 11 years. She resides in Carbondale.

Emily Dellamano is the Director of Quality Improvement in Illinois. In this role, she provides day-to-day Quality Improvement oversight to programs and staff. She is also involved in ensuring that the organization is adhering to all certification, licensure and accreditation standards.

Dellamano received her Masters of Social Work from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. She has worked for Centerstone and its legacy organizations since 2009. She was born and raised in the Alton area and resides in Madison County.

Kimberly A. Fleck, Regional Human Resources Director, has worked for Centerstone and its legacy companies in Illinois for more than 30 years. Fleck has experience in support services, administration and human resources over the course of her career. She began working in human resources specifically in 1998 and was promoted to director in 2012.

She was certified as Professional in Human Resources (PHR) in 2009 and as a Society for Human Resource Management-Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) in 2015. She is a long term resident of Franklin County.

Jessica Harman is the Director of Behavioral Health Nursing in Illinois. In this role, she is responsible for the organization and management of nursing services and medication assisted treatment (MAT) services state-wide. She also provides direct supervision of the nursing staff.

Harman received her nursing diploma from Lutheran School of Nursing in south St. Louis and her BSN from Central Methodist University. She has worked in behavioral health for more than five years. With Centerstone, she has experience assisting with medication monitoring, completing MAT assessments, administering MAT medications and helping coordinate most medication.

Rebecca Hudzik, LCPC, currently serves as a Clinical Director for Centerstone in Alton, Ill. In this role, she oversees office and community-based clinical services, as well as residential programming.

She has been with Centerstone and its legacy organization for over 10 years in residential, community-based, quality improvement and administration in the behavioral health field.

She received her master’s degree in professional counseling from Lindenwood University.

Anne has served Centerstone and its legacy organizations for more than 20 years and brings us the diverse set of skills needed to lead this significant portion of our organization. Many of you have interacted with Anne in her previous role as Regional Chief Operating Officer, but she has also served Centerstone in leadership roles in other capacities, including financial management, marketing, business development, fundraising, and as the executive sponsor for Centerstone’s Veterans and Military Families Employee Resource Group.

Anne is a graduate of the American Public University with a master’s degree in public administration and from the University of Illinois-Chicago with a bachelor’s degree. She is a member of the Community Behavioral Healthcare Association of Illinois, The Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, The Illinois Association for Behavioral Health, and the Illinois Health Practice Alliance. Anne is also a proud veteran, having retired from the Illinois Air National Guard after serving as an enlisted member and becoming an officer.

Stacey Overturf serves as Regional Finance Officer in Illinois. In this role, she oversees the organization’s fiscal operations, supervising finance and revenue cycle staff. Overturf received her BA in accounting from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. She has worked in finance for Centerstone and its legacy organizations for more than 30 years. She is a long-term resident of Franklin County.

Deniece Shivers serves as the Housing and Facilities Director in Illinois. In this role, she manages the facilities and permanent housing offered by Centerstone in Alton.

Shivers received her BS in Business Management from the University of Phoenix in St. Louis. She also received her Assisted Housing Manager Certification for HUD housing. She has held multiple roles for Centerstone and its legacy organizations for over 20 years.

Chrissy Wedel serves as Director of Customer Experience in Illinois. In this role, she works to improve customer service, supervises customer experience specialists, serves on an enterprise customer improvement team, works with the customer experience sub-group affiliated with the board of directors and acts as the team lead for customer experience in numerous special projects.

Wedel started working in customer service in 1996 and has been with Centerstone since 2007.

Robb Backmeyer serves as Regional Chief Operating Officer in Indiana. He is responsible for adult services, including community support services, assertive community treatment (ACT) and residential services; child and family services, including SOC and therapeutic foster care; grants; and employment services.

Backmeyer graduated from Wabash University with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and history, and received a master’s in social work from Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI) and an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University.

He serves on the Board of Directors for Affiliated Service Providers of Indiana (ASPIN) and the Board for Communities in Schools, Wayne County, and the Board for Community Corrections, Wayne County.

He has been with Centerstone for 20 years and has worked with child and family services, quality improvement, utilization management and older adult services.

Linda Grove-Paul is Vice-President of Adult Services in Indiana. SHe is responsible for all programming related to adults including addiction, forensic, supportive housing and several state and federal grants.

She attended Indiana University where she earned an MA in public administration, Finance, as well as her MSW. She is a member of NASW and the American Correctional Association.

Jenny Harrison is CEO, Centerstone Health Services. She is dedicated to program development and education surrounding suicide prevention, both for her staff and for the communities they serve.

She has more than 25 years of experience in behavioral health, serving in a broad range of roles in service delivery both prior to and during her tenure in administration. She became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker after completing an MSW at Indiana University.

Darcey Knote Meridith is Vice President of Child Services in Indiana. She oversees all aspects of child and family services, including clinical and administrative oversight of programs including home-based services, school-based services, systems of care and foster care.

Meridith got her BA in human development and social relations from Earlham College in Richmond, Ind., and her MSW from Indiana University-Indianapolis. She is a member of the Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers and sits on the child services committee. She started working with Centerstone (then Dunn Center) in 1996.

Dr. Vinita Watts serves as Chief Medical Officer in Indiana and has been at Centerstone since 1990.

Watts earned her MD at the University of Kentucky with her adult residency and child/adolescent fellowship there as well. She is board certified in both fields.

Her professional Memberships include AACAP and ISMA and she is on the Indiana Psychotropic Medication Advisory Committee (PMAC) for Indiana Department of Child Services. Watts is a consultant to Southern Indiana Health Organization (SIHO) doing utilization review for mental health/addiction services. She has participated in clinical trials for Concerta and Adderral XR.

Scott Lewellen is Director of Marketing in Indiana. He is responsible for setting strategic marketing, public relations and referral marketing goals. Lewellen has over 25 years of behavioral health experience in referral marketing, business development and program supervision.

Lewellen has worked in the for-profit, non-profit, inpatient and outpatient sectors. Under his leadership, the Centerstone referral marketing program in Indiana has been recognized by CARF as unique and contributing to positive treatment outcomes. He is a member of the American Marketing Association and has been with Centerstone since 2005.

Richard Prather is the Compliance & Privacy Officer in Indiana. In this role, he administers and oversees the Compliance & Privacy programs in Indiana.

He was employed as a clinician by Centerstone’s legacy organization in Columbus, Ind., in 2002 where he specialized in the treatment of the most severe and persistent forms of mental illnesses. He transitioned to the Compliance program in 2011.

He is certified in Healthcare Compliance and Healthcare Privacy Compliance by the Health Care Compliance Association. He received a Master of Social Work degree from Indiana University and is licensed as an LCSW in Indiana.

Suzanne Koesel is the Regional Chief Executive Officer for Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments. As Regional Chief Executive Officer, Koesel is responsible for the leadership and operational oversight of Centerstone’s clinical divisions and specialized services, as well as strategic business development and fiscal accountability, in Indiana.

Koesel has more than 30 years’ experience in behavioral health and has been a part of Centerstone since 1996. She has held previous positions as Chief Operating Officer, Business Development Director, Therapist, Community Planner, and Grant Writer. Under her Leadership, Centerstone has expanded its operations in Indiana by more than 65%, opening seven new addictions residential treatment centers, adding 110 new permanent supportive housing units, and doubling school-based services.

Koesel currently serves the Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers as Chairperson for the Board of Directors and member of the Public Policy Committee. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Mental Health America of Indiana and on the Bloomington Safe and Civil Cities Leadership Council.

Koesel holds a master’s degree in social work from Washington University.

Beth Hail serves as Regional Vice President of the central region in Tennessee, which encompasses Davidson, Wilson, Williamson and Rutherford counties.

Previously director of the Centerstone school-based services as well as child and adolescent services, she is a 23-year veteran of the organization.

Hail holds a MA in social work administration from the University of Louisville and is a licensed clinical social worker.

Matt Hardy is chief operating officer for Centerstone in Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina, overseeing all clinical and business operations provided by the organization in those areas. These include outpatient clinical services, community based clinical services, residential and housing services, veterans and military families services, and more. Hardy joined Centerstone in 2000 as a therapist, specializing in the treatment of adolescents and adults with severe and persistent mental illness. Additionally, Hardy is a critical incident responder, providing post-crisis aid to clients such as the National Football League and Nashville Fire Department. He also helped launch the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Centerstone, a facility that seeks to improve the quality of life for veterans and their families. Hardy holds a PsyD in psychology from Wheaton College and is a licensed clinical psychologist.

Ken Stewart serves as Regional Vice President for the southern region in Tennessee, including Hamilton, Franklin, Coffee, Moore, Bedford, Lincoln, Maury, Lewis, Giles, Lawrence, Marshall, Perry, Hickman and Wayne counties. He joined Centerstone 28 years ago.

Stewart holds an MA in Psychology from East Tennessee State University and is licensed as a senior psychological examiner.

Lisa Eggebeen is regional director for the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinics at Centerstone. She is a licensed clinical social worker with more than 12 years of behavioral health experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a master’s in the Science of Social Work, and frequently conducts speaking engagements locally and nationally on an array of mental and behavioral health topics. Her professional experience has included both clinical and management responsibilities. Her clinical concentration includes assessment and diagnosis, trauma and traumatic grief and loss, individual and family therapy with children and adults, crisis response, suicide prevention, critical incident stress management and mental health disaster response.

Sallie Allen is Vice President of Support Services in Tennessee. In this role, she provides leadership for the people who experience Centerstone first: our customer call center and our front office professionals. She also manages the construction, expansion, maintenance and effective management for each of the Centerstone facilities throughout Tennessee.

Allen brings over 20 years of experience and expertise in facility management and customer service to her position in Centerstone’s leadership team.

Brad Nunn serves as Chief Clinical Quality Officer in Tennessee. This role involves identifying opportunities for improvement and planning for improvement in clinical care and services. He provides leadership and direction for the Quality Council and other forums for clinical improvement. His department plays a significant role in the ongoing preparation for CARF accreditation. They coordinate and facilitate clinical audits and the response to such audits done by external agencies. They also maintain primary responsibility for oversight of follow-up regarding adverse occurrences and are responsible for oversight of the coordination of clinical training in line with strategic initiatives in Tennessee. Dr. Nunn obtained a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Auburn University in 1987 and has been licensed as a Clinical Psychologist in the state of Tennessee since 1988. He has worked at Centerstone since 1987 and during that time he helped establish both research and data analytics functions at Centerstone.

Julie Spears serves as Regional Finance Officer in Tennessee, responsible for the general ledger and billing. Since joining Centerstone in 2009, she and her team have reduced bad debt from $3.6 million in FY09 to approximately $1 million in FY17, while net client service revenue for that same time period grew from $37 million to $59 million.

Spears is a 1993 graduate of Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kent., and has worked in mental health since 2001.

Carol Cox oversees Centerstone’s continuum of care model for Therapeutic Foster Care and Adoption, while meeting the performance-based contracting standards set by the Department of Children’s Services. She also directs Early Childhood Services grant programs that serve children ages five and younger and their families, including the Regional Intervention Program, Fatherhood Engagement, Breastfeeding Support, Parent Coaching and others. Ms. Cox received her MA in Clinical Psychology from Middle Tennessee State University, is a licensed psychological examiner and has more than two decades of experience working with children and families in foster care.

Tonya L. Gilbert is the Human Resources Director in Tennessee. In this role, she oversees employee relations issues and litigation matters, develops and implements cultural initiatives, ensures staffing requirements are met, ensures all procedures regarding employment and employees — including compensation, hiring and termination, assigned job responsibilities and others — are administered lawfully, equitably and in a manner that motivates employees to reach their full potential as individual staff members.

Her more than 15 years of HR experience has included support services, administration and labor relations over the course of her career.

Gilbert is a proud alumna of Tennessee State University, where she received a BS in speech communication/broadcast journalism. She also holds an MBA and a PHR and SHRM-CP certifications. She resides in Nashville.

Ben Middleton is the Regional Chief Executive Officer for Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments. As Regional Chief Executive Officer, Middleton is responsible for the leadership and operational oversight of Centerstone’s clinical service lines in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia, as well as strategic business development, fiscal performance and accountability, and the organization’s philanthropic fund development efforts.

Middleton has worked in behavioral health care since 1979, specializing in substance use treatment and the continuum of services for those with mental illnesses. He began his career as an alcohol and drug treatment therapist in Alabama. As a consultant for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health, he led an advisory committee to develop a statewide culturally competent system of care for children and youth. He first joined Centerstone in 1985 and was named Director of Program Development for Alcohol & Drug Services at Centerstone in 1990. Middleton later advanced to Vice President for Core Services and Regional Chief Operating Officer before becoming Regional Chief Executive Officer.

Middleton is an active volunteer board member with the King’s Daughters Home and the Madison Kiwanis. His professional memberships include the Nashville Substance Abuse Forum, Licensed Alcohol and Other Drugs of Abuse Counselor, and National Certified Addiction Counselor II.

Middleton graduated from Oakwood University with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology and from Alabama A&M University with a master of science degree in clinical psychology.

Sherry Randles is Director of Mobile Crisis Care services in Tennessee. In this role, she oversees the mobile crisis care services for Bedford, Cheatham, Coffee, Dickson, Franklin, Giles, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Marshall, Maury, Montgomery, Moore, Perry, Robertson, Stewart, and Wayne counties.

Randles has worked for crisis services in some capacity for over 10 years. She began her career at Centerstone as a therapist in 1995.
She holds a MA in Counseling from Trevecca University and is a licensed professional counselor.

Kathy Rogers is Director of Quality Improvement in Tennessee.

After starting her career at Dede Wallace Center as an outpatient therapist, she worked for Miller Medical and Nashville Healthcare, providing outpatient services to Prudential/PruCare members, before moving into more administrative and UM roles with Columbia Healthcare Network. She began Quality Improvement work in 2000 with Magellan Behavioral Health and was hired at Centerstone in 2005.

She received her BA degree in psychology from Stonehill College in North Easton, Mass., and her MSSW from The University of Tennessee School of Social Work.

Rogers is a native New Yorker who has been in Nashville for nearly 40 years. She and her husband, Bob, have two children and one grandson.

Mandi Ryan is Vice President of Healthcare Integration in Tennessee. She is the Health Link administrator, which provides health home services by promoting whole-person care coordination, health promotion, and wellness coaching across all of the organization’s 19 outpatient clinics throughout Tennessee. She is leading the organization’s Behavioral Episodes of Care Initiative and Integrated Care primary care partnership in four of the outpatient clinics. She also serves as the project director for two Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration (PBHCI) grants, which provide health home services to adult clients in Nashville and Clarksville, resulting in improved mental and physical health outcomes.

Under her leadership, Centerstone became one of the first providers to receive accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) as a Behavioral Health Home for children and adults in May 2015 in four of the organization’s outpatient clinics and, in May 2016, received Health Home accreditation in all of the organization’s nineteen outpatient clinics throughout Tennessee.

Ryan has over 15 years of experience in nursing, behavioral health, primary care and integrated services. She received her BS in nursing in leadership and administration from Walden University and her BS in biology from Ouachita University. She enjoys spending time with her family and reading.

John Sanders is the Director of Housing Services. He has been with Centerstone since 1999.

Sanders attended MTSU and TSU, and received an MS degree in guidance and counseling. He is part of the Homeless No More steering board.

Phyllis Viltz is the Director of Special Projects. In this role, she oversees several Federal, State and local government grants. Among these are the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF), the U.S. Department of Labor Re-Entry Services for Young Adults, the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Criminal Justice Liaison, Targeted Transitional and Community Targeted Transitional grants.

She has been with Centerstone for more than 20 years and has been in her current position since 2014.

Viltz graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Tennessee State University, and holds a Master of Science degree in guidance and counseling. She is licensed by the State of Tennessee as a Senior Psychological Examiner. She is a member of NAMI-TN and the American Psychological Association.

Scott Valentine is Compliance & Privacy Officer in Tennessee. In this role, he is responsible for the administration, implementation and management of the Compliance and Privacy programs. Valentine is considered a subject expert on healthcare privacy and is a valued member of the compliance staff. He also serves as Title VI Coordinator for Tennessee.

A graduate of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center with a BS degree in Health Information Management, he joined Centerstone in 1998. He holds certification as a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) from the American Health Information Management Association, and  certifications in Health Care Privacy (CHCP) and Health Care Compliance (CHC) from the Health Care Compliance Association.

Maria Wolfe is the Director of Advancement for Centerstone’s Foundation. As Director of Advancement, Wolfe leads the annual and major giving efforts in Centerstone’s Tennessee region as well as for its Military Services.

Maria joined Centerstone in 2020 with more than two decades of experience in the nonprofit sector. She spent ten years leading marketing, branding and membership efforts for the YMCA of Middle Tennessee. She has also led marketing and fundraising initiatives with the Jewish Community Association of Greater Phoenix, the YWCA of Nashville & Middle Tennessee, The Land Trust for Tennessee, and TechBridge, Inc.

Wolfe holds an MBA degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University.

Erin Camfield is the Director of Advancement for Centerstone’s Foundation. As Director of Advancement, Camfield is responsible for advancing Centerstone’s mission through philanthropy in the state of Illinois. She works in direct collaboration with the Foundation team, Illinois Board of Directors, and Centerstone leadership to steward relationships with community businesses and donors and advance annual and major giving efforts.

Camfield joined Centerstone in 2021, with several years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She developed a community sponsorship giving program with her prior non-profit organization and also managed a $5 million capital campaign project from start to finish. Camfield also contributes her time and talent with her community school’s parent teacher organization, where she serves as Treasurer.

Camfield graduated from Saint Louis University with a bachelor’s degree in Communications.

Neely Sims joined Centerstone’s Foundation team in 2017. She is responsible for working with senior directors and directors of advancement to research, identify and apply for grant opportunities. She focuses on developing strategies to increase Centerstone’s philanthropic funding and enjoys the challenge of identifying new opportunities for such a large organization with diverse program offerings.

Before joining Centerstone, Sims served as grants and research manager for a Nashville-based education technology company. She started her career working for Volunteers of America Southeast, writing federal and foundation grants to develop housing for low-income seniors and individuals with disabilities.

She has a Master of Social Work degree and certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Auburn University. She enjoys gardening and taking walks with her husband, son and dog, Guinness. Neely is based in Nashville.

As Administrative Officer for Centerstone’s Foundation, Nancy Low manages the administrative services team, coordinates the management and execution of donor record and donation processing, assists in the development of the Foundation budget and strategy, facilitates board and employee giving campaigns, assists in policy development and monitoring and is liaison to various Centerstone teams in developing, aligning and implementing processes, plan and staff development.

During her career at Centerstone that began in 2002, she has served as quality improvement assistant, executive assistant to the CEO and liaison to the board of directors in Indiana and leadership project manager. In the latter role, she collaborated on project objectives, such as the strategic plan and the development and implementation of Centerstone’s Leadership Academy. Low began her current role in 2015.

She earned a Master of Management–Non-Profit from Lipscomb University in 2017, having previously earned a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies from Indiana University and a Certificate in Organizational Leadership & Supervision from Purdue University. In addition, she is a certified provider of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and has been trained in Lean Sigma and Carver Policy Governance. She is married with two sons, three grandchildren and a puppy named Trixie.  Nancy is based in Columbus, Ind.

Ramona Rhodes is President of the Foundation at Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments. As President of Centerstone’s Foundation, Rhodes is responsible for advancing Centerstone’s mission through philanthropy. She works in direct collaboration with Centerstone’s Foundation Board of Directors in the areas of endowment investment and management, stewardship of donor intent, growth of philanthropic support, and day-to-day operational management of the nationwide Foundation team.

Rhodes has more than 30 years’ experience in marketing and fundraising and has been with Centerstone since 1989. Other roles she has served within Centerstone include Foundation Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Marketing & Communications. She created and developed the organization’s first marketing and communications office, including Centerstone’s first magazine, Reclaiming Lives.

Rhodes has been named a Health Care Hero by the Nashville Business Journal and is a member of the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy. She has also held positions with the Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations (TAMHO) and has been a member of the American Marketing Association and the Nashville City Cemetery Association Board of Directors.

Rhodes graduated from Lipscomb University with a dual bachelor’s degree in Music Education & Piano Performance.

Anna Goletz is the Director of Military Services for Centerstone’s Military Services. She supervises a team of clinical support specialists that locate the right counselor for veterans and military family members requesting services, maintains credentialing of each provider through Centerstone’s corporate policy and engages public and government organizations in the mission of Centerstone and Centerstone’s Military Services.

As a military spouse for the last decade, she has experience with both active duty and National Guard life. Goletz has extensive knowledge as both a mental health counselor and military spouse that aids in her passion for helping other military families and spouses.

Prior to joining Military Services in 2017, Goletz worked as a clinical therapist for Centerstone and as a Program Coordinator for the community-based services offered to children and families in Middle Tennessee. She has been a devoted Centerstone employee since 2009. She obtained a BA in psychology from Argosy University, and an MA in mental health counseling from Capella University.

Anna’s hobbies include spending time with her family, camping in Tennessee state parks, traveling or playing in her backyard. She loves to cook and hosts dinners and parties in the family home as frequently as possible.

Dr. Blas Villalobos is the Chief Executive Officer of Centerstone’s Military Services. As the Chief Executive Officer, Villalobos leads the organization’s delivery of mental health and substance use disorder services to veterans, active duty military personnel, and military families. Villalobos also leads the organization’s partnerships with other military-friendly organizations, including partnerships with Wounded Warrior Project, Cohen Veterans Network, and the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program.

Villalobos has more than 10 years’ of specialized experience working with veterans and the military community, most recently serving as the Director of Veterans Affairs for Chapman University. Villalobos has held previous positions as Veterans Affairs Manager for the Los Angeles Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Executive Director of External Programs for U.S.VETS.

Villalobos is a proud veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, having served honorably from 1999 to 2003. He is active in his community and currently serves on the California Community Colleges Board of Governors and Board of Directors for JVS SoCal. He previously served as a committee member for the Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on the Readjustment of Veterans and as a Board Member for the Los Angeles Community Veterans Engagement Board. He began his academic career at Long Beach City College and holds doctorate and master’s degrees in social work from the University of Southern California, as well as a bachelor’s degree in psychology from California State University – Long Beach.

Rona Krueger is the Chief Quality & Patient Safety Officer for Centerstone’s Research Institute. As Chief Quality & Patient Safety Officer, Krueger directs all quality and patient safety programming to ensure compliance and continued process improvement.

Krueger has worked in quality improvement since 2001, previously serving as Vice President of Quality Improvement for Centerstone’s operations in Indiana. Her career has spanned the behavioral health continuum, including work in case management programs for children and adolescents, as well as for adults with severe and persistent mental illness. Her clinical roles included providing therapy to children and families, as well as serving as a program manager for the same population.

Krueger earned a bachelor’s degree from Defiance College and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Cincinnati. She is a member of the Affiliated Service Providers of Indiana (ASPIN) and serves as Chair of the Indiana Council of Community Mental Health’s Quality Improvement Committee. Additionally, Krueger is a CARF Surveyor and is trained in Lean Sigma Six.

Dr. Shane Kuhlman is the Chief Psychology Officer for Centerstone’s Research Institute.  As an integrated clinical and counseling psychologist by training, his primary role is in reviewing evidence based practices for Centerstone and developing clinical models tailored to fit systems of care.  Additionally, he works closely alongside the Director of Implementation Science and the Director of Clinical Education to identify problems, develop tailored trainings, and implement specialized curricula for disorders, clinical problems, and clinical contexts. He specializes in substance use and clinical/community suicide prevention.

Kuhlman joined Centerstone in 2020 following his postdoctoral fellowship at the Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention at the Canandaigua VA Medical Center. He has a research program rooted in engaging clients in care and managing transitions of care to aid in suicide prevention.  His clinical experience ranges many contexts including crisis, inpatient, SUD residential, community outpatient, and substance use disorder treatment in an innovative inpatient medicine in psychiatry unit at the University of Rochester Medical Center.  Kuhlman has numerous peer-reviewed publications, primarily focused on risk factors for suicide prevention, upstream suicide prevention, substance misuse, and meaning making.  He was the project director and coordinator for two prior grants in suicide prevention.

Kuhlman has a history of advocacy and community involvement in suicide prevention, including campus community based leadership and advocacy, directing campus community walks fundraising for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and walking two 18-mile overnight walks for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in New York City and San Francisco.

Kuhlman earned his PhD in clinical and counseling psychology from the University of South Alabama and his master’s degree in psychology from the University of South Alabama.  Kuhlman completed his undergraduate degree in psychology as well as some of his masters work at The University of West Florida.

Dr. Laurie Lebo is the Vice President of Operations at Centerstone’s Research Institute. As Vice President of Operations, Dr. Lebo leads day-to-day operations of the Research Institute including financial management and establishing performance management strategies across departments. She also works with Centerstone colleagues to design operational plans and implement strategies for managing a large portfolio of projects, stakeholder engagement and staff development and engagement.

For more than 15 years, Dr. Lebo worked in the research space at Vanderbilt University Medical Center serving in management, compliance, program coordination and supervision, risk management and research leadership. She is responsible for developing the foundational infrastructure of ResearchMatch.org, a national, disease-neutral recruitment registry and leading the Trial Innovation Network, a national academic consortium that develops, implements and evaluates multiple research tools.

Dr. Lebo is a member of the Project Management Institute, the Health Care Compliance Association and the American Health Law Association. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and earned the Vanderbilt Business Management Certificate from Vanderbilt Owen School of Management.

Dr. Lebo holds a PhD in public health and community health education from the University of Tennessee and a master’s degree in exercise science and health education from the University of Missouri. She has contributed to multiple publications, presentations and research projects including those associated with Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Washington.

Mary Claire Leverett is the Director of Clinical Transformation and Quality for Centerstone’s Research Institute. Leverett leads a team of specially trained individuals who work with multiple stakeholders to improve quality of care and patient outcomes across multiple projects. She leads an interdisciplinary team to facilitate practice transformation through the use of specialized training, communication, collaborative learning, project and change management, workflow re/design, design thinking techniques, lean startup and continuous quality improvement techniques. Leverett works directly with quality improvement and implementation scientists to promote best practices and to advance the clinical integration, adoption, engagement and evaluation of clinical tools, including the use of data related to clinical decision support.

Prior to joining Centerstone in 2016, Leverett worked for a primary care physician’s association in Georgia. She began at Centerstone in a junior position in what was then the Center for Clinical Excellence. Using her knowledge of primary care and care coordination, Leverett helped implement the Centerstone Adult Health Home Model. The Center for Clinical Excellence gradually evolved into the Clinical Transformation and Quality (CTQ) team, the variety of projects the CTQ team works on expanded, and she moved into her current leadership position.

While earning her master’s degree, Leverett developed a passion for older adults and volunteered with her local council on aging to help implement new programs to address food insecurity in the community. She continues to donate and support those efforts through volunteerism.

Leverett received her MPH in health promotion and behavior as well as a certificate in gerontology from the University of Georgia. She also earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Georgia. During her time at Centerstone’s Research Institute, Leverett has also obtained her Certified Associate of Project Management (CAPM) certification and a Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma.

Ashley Newton is the Chief Executive Officer of Centerstone’s Research Institute. She directs all clinical research and program evaluation activities, as well as quality and patient safety programming to ensure compliance and continued process improvement. She also oversees the implementation of policies and procedures aimed at improving patient care and quality improvement throughout Centerstone, ensures continued survey readiness, and provides direct management to quality leaders.

Additionally, Newton serves as the Executive Director of Centerstone’s federally-certified Patient Safety Organization, which exists for the sole purpose of conducting activities to improve patient safety and quality of care. Newton also chairs the Enterprise Quality Council, a governance group leading system-wide initiatives that directly impact quality, risk management, and patient safety practices. Newton has more than 15 years’ experience in behavioral health service delivery and healthcare leadership, and more than five years’ experience in healthcare research leadership and clinical transformation efforts.

In her previous roles at Centerstone, Newton developed and implemented standards of care intended to improve access for those with complex needs, implemented standardized quality improvement methodologies that align with best practice, introduced technology-based solutions to manage key quality and risk processes, and led efforts for the Centerstone PSO to become federally certified through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Other clinical transformation efforts include integration of research and technology into clinical operations, implementation of clinical and quality metrics to drive value-based care readiness, implementation of change management and continuous quality improvement methodologies, new service line development and growth, and implementation of design thinking methodologies in community behavioral health settings. She also sponsors the Centerstone Women’s Network, an employee resource group that seeks to address the unique challenges women experience in the workplace.

Newton is a member of the Project Management Institute, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, National Alliance for Healthcare Quality, and other various professional organizations.

Newton holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in strategic leadership from Middle Tennessee State University. She is a Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS), Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ), certified ACRA-ACC clinical supervisor, Project Management Professional (PMP), Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and has a Design Thinking Certification from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Jane Bolin is the Vice President of Patient Experience and Engagement at Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments. In her role, Bolin works to improve and maintain the patient experience at Centerstone by developing infrastructure and support to better equip staff to effectively deliver care.

Bolin has nearly two decades of experience in mental health and person-centered services. She joined Centerstone in 2008 as a crisis care consultant and later served as a manager in the crisis care department where she oversaw the daily operations of the crisis call center program and call team staff. Throughout her career, Bolin’s focus has always been on the patient. She has built referral programs that improved partnerships and referrals, developed programs that increased the quality of behavioral health care, and built a customer-friendly front door that increased access to services and elevated engagement.

Bolin is a member of the National Association of Crisis Center Directors, Contact USA Nashville, the Nashville Health Care Council, the Centerstone Patient Safety Organization, and holds certification with the American Association of Suicideology.

She earned a bachelor’s degree from Emmanuel College and a master’s degree in professional counseling psychology from Richmont Graduate University.

Leslie McRuiz is the Director of Contact Center Operations at Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments. As director, McRuiz leads all aspects of contact center operations, including day-to-day management, staff training, call documentation, and measuring patient satisfaction. She partners with internal teams to improve service delivery, drive rapid and sustainable process improvement initiatives, and centralize and standardize best practices in the contact center to support the overall patient experience.

McRuiz joined Centerstone in July 2022 as a QA and Contact Center Training Manager and worked in the role to improve service delivery and engagement at the patient’s first point of contact.

Prior to her work with Centerstone, Leslie worked with Ascension St. Thomas, HCA, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. Her experience includes health information management, business analytics, EHR training, customer service, and operations as related to patient engagement.

She is a member of Toastmasters International and is a recipient of the Vanderbilt Information Technology Project Award.

McRuiz holds a bachelor’s degree in recording industry management and mass communications from Middle Tennessee State University.

As Vice President of Systems Development, Brad Bills focuses on software development for the various EHRs and business systems used throughout Centerstone. His teams include business analysis, software development, and configuration management. Bills joined Centerstone in 2011 as the Manager of Application Development to lead CenterNet development and assist with the implementation of myAvatar, Centerstone’s enterprise EHR platform replacing legacy systems across existing business units and incoming affiliates. After being promoted to VP, he took over responsibility for the design of all software including business systems. As Centerstone grows, he is responsible for ensuring that the software developed and implemented is meeting enterprise objectives and providing the value needed.

Bills has been working in IT since 2000 with the majority of that time in the behavioral healthcare space. Prior to joining Centerstone he spent 8 years at Qualifacts where he developed EHR software, implemented multiple EHRs, and architected the enterprise version of their current EHR.

Bills earned his BS in Computer Science from the University of Memphis.

As Vice President of Enterprise Services, Melissa Collette focuses on user engagement of technology for clinicians, physicians and staff across the Centerstone business units. Her teams include technology procurement, IT help desk, EHR support and she leads the Information Technology Services Directors for all Centerstone companies. Collette joined Centerstone in 2012 as the EHR Project Director leading the implementation of myAvatar, Centerstone’s enterprise EHR platform.

With 20 years’ experience in IT, Collette previously worked for Bass Berry and Sims law firm in IT management roles leading business intelligence, client intranets, research and libraries. She also worked in enterprise software sales as a pre-sales Software Consultant for BMC Software.

Collette earned her MBA from Tennessee Tech and her BA in Business and Computer Information Systems from the University of Houston.

Lauren Conaboy is the Vice President of National Policy. In this role she works to advance policy and regulatory initiatives to ensure access to affordable, patient-centered behavioral health services that are based in value and outcomes. Prior to joining the Centerstone team, Conaboy worked as the Government Affairs Director for Centerstone in Kentucky, where she advanced legislative and regulatory initiatives pertaining to mental health; ranging from engaging in the state’s 1115 waiver process to advancing policy objectives to bolster addiction and recovery services for Kentuckians seeking treatment for opioid abuse.

Conaboy holds a dual masters in Clinical Social Work and Marriage & Family Therapy from the University of Louisville and an undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. Prior to her engagement in the health care sector, she worked for almost a decade running state and national public policy and advocacy campaigns, has engaged in multiple United Nations negotiations, and worked as a political consultant on the Hill.

Jan Goodson, Vice President of Business & Service Development, oversees government grant writing and the Grants Office for the Centerstone enterprise. This includes engaging diverse funders in the organization’s work to ensure that people and families facing behavioral health issues find the best possible care and hope for recovery. This also involves coordination of federal grant funding across Centerstone to optimize and maximize the impact of related efforts.

Goodson received her BS in psychology, sociology and criminal justice from Middle Tennessee State University and her MBA from Washington State University. She led the Grant Writing team to earn the Centerstone Board of Director’s Outstanding Service Award in 2004, 2010 and 2012, and she has been recognized with awards from local business and medical publications.

Goodson co-authored the Community Mental Health Centers chapter of Mental Health Services, APublic Health Perspective, 3rd edition, a book which David Shern, PhD, President and CEO for Mental Health America, called an “exceptional book [that] should be required reading for anyone designing or implementing health reform changes within public health or mental health systems.”

Becky Stoll serves as Senior Vice President of Crisis Services. In this role, Stoll oversees the continuum of Centerstone’s crisis services, including the 24-hour crisis call center, the mobile crisis response team and Centerstone’s crisis management strategies, which is a public- and private-sector crisis preparedness and response service.

Stoll also represents Centerstone on a national and international scale through her roles as board chair and faculty member for the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF). In addition, she serves as mental health faculty for the American Red Cross, clinical director for the Nashville Fire Department’s Critical Incident Stress Management team, chair of the State Disaster Mental Health Response Committee and consultant and trainer for the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA), the Association of Flight Attendants and US Airways.

Stoll has been with Centerstone for more than two decades and previously served as director of crisis services and crisis management strategies. She holds a BA from Tennessee State University and an MA in Social Work from the University of Tennessee.

Shawn Brooks is the Executive Director of Special Projects and Initiatives. In his role, he will lead a number of special projects and support Centerstone’s strategic business units, shared services and Centerstone Solutions, the employee assistance program.

Shawn has worked in the nonprofit arena for 20 years and joined Centerstone over 10 years ago. He has held a variety of leadership roles at Centerstone, most recently serving as project management specialist and leading continuous quality improvement projects, strategic planning projects, affiliations and growth related projects.

Shawn graduated from Austin Peay State University with a B.A. in Psychology and minor in business management, as well as Claremont Graduate University with an M.A. dual concentration in program evaluation and developmental psychology. He is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Melanie Adkins is the Vice President of Payer Contracting & Strategy for Centerstone. In her current role, she offers day-to-day support of all contracting and managed care initiatives. This includes developing and maintaining client relations within the managed care industry and health care payer organizations. Adkins has been instrumental in Payer negotiations across all Centerstone locations. She has been able to increase revenues for our services and get Centerstone’s new services contracted in order to realize revenue from those services.

Adkins has also aided in contracting initiatives for Centerstone Military Services as well as a number of national agreements. She has also been part of Centerstone’s initiative to engage Payers in Value Based Care contracting arrangements.

She brings more than 20 years of managed care contracting experience. She has worked for a number of Payers contracting for Medicaid, Medicare, EAP and Commercial lines of business. She also spent 8 years as a consultant helping Health Plans move into new markets and build provider networks.

Chuck Pegg, who has more than 20 years of industry experience at Centerstone, is responsible for helping to oversee the overall technology infrastructure, including the company’s servers, network and hardware for security.

Pegg holds an associate degree in Communication Electronics from Ivy Tech Community College-Richmond, IN.

Eric Stein is the Director of Business Applications for Centerstone. In this role, he oversees all of the enterprise business systems, such as the financial, payroll and human resources software. His responsibilities include the integration of all the business systems between five states. He oversees a team of staff who focuses on gathering business requirements for new software and business systems.

Stein brings more than 25 years of experience working in information technology in a wide range of job experiences. He served as Information Technology Manager for Quinco Behavioral Health Systems in Columbus, Indiana prior to their merging with Centerstone in 2009. Stein began his career at Quinco in the finance department where he was integral in designing a new financial and budgeting system.

He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and a minor in computer science.

Nikki Tumey is Director of Enterprise Analysis for Centerstone. She and her team ensure that Centerstone’s operations have the information they need, when they need it, to support clinicians and to assist state leaders in making good data driven business decisions. She leads a highly distributed team, with skilled analysts based in every Centerstone state.

Tumey has been with Centerstone companies for most of her 29 year career, starting with Quinco Behavioral Health Systems in Indiana. Today as part of the Centerstone of America leadership team, she is able to use her extensive experience in billing, business operations, reporting, and process improvement to help streamline processes and information flow across all of Centerstone.

Tumey earned her Associates Degree in Accounting from Indiana Business College. She also holds a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma process improvement. She enjoys spending time with her family and reading.

Karen Keene is the IT Security Officer for Centerstone and is responsible for the operational and regulatory security of information technology throughout Centerstone. Keene is charged with the development, implementation and monitoring of security policies, procedures and technical means in order to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information in Centerstone’s electronic information systems. Throughout her tenure she has been instrumental in helping Centerstone implement new technologies while ensuring that the organization is compliant with federal and state regulations. Keene’s institutional knowledge of Centerstone’s IT system is invaluable. Keene is involved in the daily operations of Centerstone’ IT system and is a key member of the compliance staff.

She has been employed by Centerstone since 1984. She is a graduate of Western Kentucky University with a BS degree in information systems.

David Guth is the Chief Executive Officer at Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments. As Chief Executive Officer, Guth leads all areas of the organization, including quality of client care, strategies for growth, standards for operational excellence, and delivering strong financial performance.

Guth has more than 40 years of health care leadership and has served as Centerstone’s Chief Executive Officer since 1992. Under his leadership, the organization has grown from $6M in revenues and 300 staff serving 2,000 individuals to revenues of $278M and 3,800 staff serving more than 140,000 people each year.

Guth has served on the Board of Directors for many notable organizations, including Triad Learning, the Executive Committee of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, and the Board for University of Tennessee’s College of Social Work. He is highly-regarded in the industry and has received many recognitions, including the National Council Visionary Leadership award, Nashville Business Journal’s Health Care Power Leaders Award, and the Douglas Henry Award for Service to Children and Families at Risk from the University of Tennessee’s College of Social Work. Guth also works as an industry consultant, primarily in the area of affiliations, mergers, and acquisitions. The National Council for Behavioral Health published Guth’s book on mergers, “Strategic Unions: A Marriage Guide to Healthy Not-for-Profit Mergers.”

Guth graduated from Vanderbilt University with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and from the University of Tennessee with his master’s degree in social work administration and planning.

Kevin Norton is the Chief Operations Officer at Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments. As Chief Operations Officer, Norton provides leadership and management to Centerstone’s Regional Officers while ensuring operational excellence and positioning the organization for growth.

Norton has more than 25 years’ experience in health care leadership and prior to joining Centerstone, he served as Chief Executive Officer for Lahey Behavioral Health Services in Danvers, Massachusetts. There he led the integration of behavioral health clinicians into primary care practices, drove the establishment of an enterprise risk management process to ensure quality and minimize risk, and led the integration of Northeast Behavioral Health with Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, as well as the merger of a $20M substance abuse treatment agency with a $50M community mental health center.

Norton has served on the Board of Directors for many industry organizations, including the National Council for Behavioral Health, The Association for Behavioral Healthcare, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Norton graduated from State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, from Salem State University with a master’s degree in counseling psychology, and also from Suffolk University with a master’s degree in business administration.

Carol Bean is chief financial officer for Centerstone, a national leader in behavioral health and addiction services. She manages Centerstone’s revenues and leads a finance team of more than 225 professionals, including those working in financial planning and analysis, accounts payable, accounts receivable, procurement, and payroll. Bean also works alongside Centerstone’s chief information officer to have oversight of the organization’s robust information technology department.

Bean first joined Centerstone in 2014 as assistant corporate controller then advanced to director and vice president posts. Prior to that, she served as finance manager at Deloitte Services LLP, account specialist at Cigna Government Services, accounting services supervisor at Coventry Healthcare, and regional accounting manager at America Service Group.

She holds a Masters of Business in administration from University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Science in business administration, accounting from East Tennessee State University.

April Van Epps is the Chief of Staff at Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments. Van Epps supports the organization’s Chief Executive Officer and executive leadership team through a variety of administrative and strategic planning functions. She also serves as a liaison between Centerstone’s eight Boards of Directors and the executive cabinet team.

Van Epps has more than 15 years’ experience in executive administration and prior to joining Centerstone was the Executive Officer Manager for Seven Counties Services in Louisville, Kentucky. There she was responsible for coordination of the leadership team, strategic support of the CEO and the organization’s Board of Directors.

Van Epps is active in her community and volunteers regularly for the Green County Food Pantry, a local food pantry serving residents of Greensboro, Georgia. She also serves in a volunteer capacity as an Assistant Online Trainer for Bible Study Fellowship.

Van Epps graduated from Franklin College with a bachelor’s degree in business management & theatre.

Dr. Jason Hernández is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments. As Chief Human Resources Officer, Hernández leads all human resources efforts across Centerstone’s multi-state footprint. His teams include Centerstone staff members working in talent acquisition and onboarding, learning and development, employee benefits, and employee support and engagement efforts.

Hernández has more than 20 years’ experience in the human resources profession and prior to joining Centerstone was the Vice President of Human Resources for FedEx Freight in Memphis, Tennessee. There he was responsible for all aspects of the multi-billion dollar company’s human resources operations, including creating and delivering business-focused human resources strategies and implementing change management protocols and methodologies.

Hernández is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and honorably served our nation from 1988 to 1993.  He’s also served on numerous Boards of Directors, including those at Latino Memphis, MPact Memphis, Pi Kappa Alpha, Chapman University Alumni Association, and Porter-Leath Children’s Center.

Hernández graduated from Chapman University with a bachelor’s degree in social science & biology and from Union University with a master’s degree in business administration. He earned his doctorate degree in education – organizational leadership at Vanderbilt University.

Prasad Kodali is the Chief Information Officer at Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments. As Chief Information Officer, Kodali directs information technology operations and strategy for all of Centerstone’s strategic business units. As Chief Information Officer, Kodali manages approximately 90 staff members and budgets over $20 million in total.  He is responsible for ensuring that projects are delivered on time, within budget, and aligning deliverables with core business needs as well as Centerstone enterprise’s technology infrastructure.

Kodali has two decades of information technology experience. Prior to serving as Centerstone’s Chief Information Officer, Kodali led projects as a developer, solution architect, project manager, director of enterprise applications, and vice president at Centerstone and previous companies. He has managed teams that span multiple states in addition to staff in India and China. Kodali has led or been a part of over 50 different large scale implementations of technology projects in his career thus far.

Kodali has served on several non-profit Boards of Directors, including Middle Tennessee Futbol Club and Youth Movement Inc.

Johnel Reid is chief marketing officer for Centerstone, a national leader in behavioral health and addiction services. She leads strategy and oversight for the organization’s branding, communications, grant writing, national policy, and referral marketing.

Reid joined Centerstone as vice president of public affairs and marketing in 2018. Prior to that, she served with two Fortune 500 companies. At Community Health Systems, Reid was vice president for strategic planning and marketing, providing executive support to an operating division that included 38 hospitals and systems across several states. From 2003 to 2012, she was director of marketing and public relations at HCA Healthcare where she led development of market based branding into a consumer health network.

Reid holds a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology and political science from Longwood University in Virginia.

Tyler Roebke is the Chief Compliance Officer at Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments. As Chief Compliance Officer, Roebke leads the administration and oversight of Centerstone’s corporate compliance program, which covers patient privacy and data security matters across the organization’s multi-state footprint.

Roebke has nearly 15 years of experience in the regulatory compliance profession and prior to joining Centerstone served as Compliance Officer and General Counsel for Easterseals MORC, a nonprofit behavioral health provider in Michigan. There he directed all aspects of the organization’s legal, risk and compliance operations.

Roebke graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in humanities and from Wayne State University Law School with a Juris Doctor degree. He is certified in healthcare compliance by the Health Care Compliance Association and obtained a certificate in mergers & acquisitions from Harvard Business School’s Executive Education Program.

Ashley Newton is the Chief Executive Officer of Centerstone’s Research Institute. She directs all clinical research and program evaluation activities, as well as quality and patient safety programming to ensure compliance and continued process improvement. She also oversees the implementation of policies and procedures aimed at improving patient care and quality improvement throughout Centerstone, ensures continued survey readiness, and provides direct management to quality leaders.

Additionally, Newton serves as the Executive Director of Centerstone’s federally-certified Patient Safety Organization, which exists for the sole purpose of conducting activities to improve patient safety and quality of care. Newton also chairs the Enterprise Quality Council, a governance group leading system-wide initiatives that directly impact quality, risk management, and patient safety practices. Newton has more than 15 years’ experience in behavioral health service delivery and healthcare leadership, and more than five years’ experience in healthcare research leadership and clinical transformation efforts.

In her previous roles at Centerstone, Newton developed and implemented standards of care intended to improve access for those with complex needs, implemented standardized quality improvement methodologies that align with best practice, introduced technology-based solutions to manage key quality and risk processes, and led efforts for the Centerstone PSO to become federally certified through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Other clinical transformation efforts include integration of research and technology into clinical operations, implementation of clinical and quality metrics to drive value-based care readiness, implementation of change management and continuous quality improvement methodologies, new service line development and growth, and implementation of design thinking methodologies in community behavioral health settings. She also sponsors the Centerstone Women’s Network, an employee resource group that seeks to address the unique challenges women experience in the workplace.

Newton is a member of the Project Management Institute, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, National Alliance for Healthcare Quality, and other various professional organizations.

Newton holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in strategic leadership from Middle Tennessee State University. She is a Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS), Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ), certified ACRA-ACC clinical supervisor, Project Management Professional (PMP), Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and has a Design Thinking Certification from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Ramona Rhodes is President of the Foundation at Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments. As President of Centerstone’s Foundation, Rhodes is responsible for advancing Centerstone’s mission through philanthropy. She works in direct collaboration with Centerstone’s Foundation Board of Directors in the areas of endowment investment and management, stewardship of donor intent, growth of philanthropic support, and day-to-day operational management of the nationwide Foundation team.

Rhodes has more than 30 years’ experience in marketing and fundraising and has been with Centerstone since 1989. Other roles she has served within Centerstone include Foundation Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Marketing & Communications. She created and developed the organization’s first marketing and communications office, including Centerstone’s first magazine, Reclaiming Lives.

Rhodes has been named a Health Care Hero by the Nashville Business Journal and is a member of the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy. She has also held positions with the Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations (TAMHO) and has been a member of the American Marketing Association and the Nashville City Cemetery Association Board of Directors.

Rhodes graduated from Lipscomb University with a dual bachelor’s degree in Music Education & Piano Performance.

Melissa Larkin-Skinner is the Regional Chief Executive Officer for Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments. As Regional Chief Executive Officer, Larkin-Skinner is responsible for the leadership and oversight of Centerstone’s operations in Florida.

Larkin-Skinner has more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of mental health and addiction care. As a licensed mental health counselor, she has worked with children and adults of all ages in diverse treatment programs including inpatient, outpatient, crisis intervention, intensive community-based care, and child welfare. She has designed and operated innovative programs to meet community needs such as the Children’s Community Action Treatment Team (CAT) which was adopted as a statewide model of care for Florida’s youth and their families.

Larkin-Skinner serves as a persistent voice bringing attention to the opioid epidemic. She is an authority on the disease of addiction’s devastating effects on communities, regularly providing state and federal policy feedback and engaging in legislative advocacy as a mental health and addiction subject-matter expert in Tallahassee, Florida, and Washington, D.C. She also serves as the sole behavioral health provider on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission. She is a recipient of the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association Administrator of the Year Award for her efforts combating the opioid epidemic. She is the past Chair of the Florida Council for Behavioral Health, is current Chair of the Florida Behavioral Health Association, and has been appointed to serve on the Florida Commission on Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

Larkin-Skinner holds a master’s in healthcare administration from Saint Leo University and a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from the University of South Florida.

Anne has served Centerstone and its legacy organizations for more than 20 years and brings us the diverse set of skills needed to lead this significant portion of our organization. Many of you have interacted with Anne in her previous role as Regional Chief Operating Officer, but she has also served Centerstone in leadership roles in other capacities, including financial management, marketing, business development, fundraising, and as the executive sponsor for Centerstone’s Veterans and Military Families Employee Resource Group.

Anne is a graduate of the American Public University with a master’s degree in public administration and from the University of Illinois-Chicago with a bachelor’s degree. She is a member of the Community Behavioral Healthcare Association of Illinois, The Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, The Illinois Association for Behavioral Health, and the Illinois Health Practice Alliance. Anne is also a proud veteran, having retired from the Illinois Air National Guard after serving as an enlisted member and becoming an officer.

Suzanne Koesel is the Regional Chief Executive Officer for Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments. As Regional Chief Executive Officer, Koesel is responsible for the leadership and operational oversight of Centerstone’s clinical divisions and specialized services, as well as strategic business development and fiscal accountability, in Indiana.

Koesel has more than 30 years’ experience in behavioral health and has been a part of Centerstone since 1996. She has held previous positions as Chief Operating Officer, Business Development Director, Therapist, Community Planner, and Grant Writer. Under her Leadership, Centerstone has expanded its operations in Indiana by more than 65%, opening seven new addictions residential treatment centers, adding 110 new permanent supportive housing units, and doubling school-based services.

Koesel currently serves the Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers as Chairperson for the Board of Directors and member of the Public Policy Committee. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Mental Health America of Indiana and on the Bloomington Safe and Civil Cities Leadership Council.

Koesel holds a master’s degree in social work from Washington University.

Ben Middleton is the Regional Chief Executive Officer for Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments. As Regional Chief Executive Officer, Middleton is responsible for the leadership and operational oversight of Centerstone’s clinical service lines in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia, as well as strategic business development, fiscal performance and accountability, and the organization’s philanthropic fund development efforts.

Middleton has worked in behavioral health care since 1979, specializing in substance use treatment and the continuum of services for those with mental illnesses. He began his career as an alcohol and drug treatment therapist in Alabama. As a consultant for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health, he led an advisory committee to develop a statewide culturally competent system of care for children and youth. He first joined Centerstone in 1985 and was named Director of Program Development for Alcohol & Drug Services at Centerstone in 1990. Middleton later advanced to Vice President for Core Services and Regional Chief Operating Officer before becoming Regional Chief Executive Officer.

Middleton is an active volunteer board member with the King’s Daughters Home and the Madison Kiwanis. His professional memberships include the Nashville Substance Abuse Forum, Licensed Alcohol and Other Drugs of Abuse Counselor, and National Certified Addiction Counselor II.

Middleton graduated from Oakwood University with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology and from Alabama A&M University with a master of science degree in clinical psychology.

Dr. Blas Villalobos is the Chief Executive Officer of Centerstone’s Military Services. As the Chief Executive Officer, Villalobos leads the organization’s delivery of mental health and substance use disorder services to veterans, active duty military personnel, and military families. Villalobos also leads the organization’s partnerships with other military-friendly organizations, including partnerships with Wounded Warrior Project, Cohen Veterans Network, and the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program.

Villalobos has more than 10 years’ of specialized experience working with veterans and the military community, most recently serving as the Director of Veterans Affairs for Chapman University. Villalobos has held previous positions as Veterans Affairs Manager for the Los Angeles Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Executive Director of External Programs for U.S.VETS.

Villalobos is a proud veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, having served honorably from 1999 to 2003. He is active in his community and currently serves on the California Community Colleges Board of Governors and Board of Directors for JVS SoCal. He previously served as a committee member for the Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on the Readjustment of Veterans and as a Board Member for the Los Angeles Community Veterans Engagement Board. He began his academic career at Long Beach City College and holds doctorate and master’s degrees in social work from the University of Southern California, as well as a bachelor’s degree in psychology from California State University – Long Beach.