Dr. Robert “Bob” Vero is the Regional Chief Executive Officer for Centerstone, a not-for-profit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments. As Regional Chief Executive Officer, Vero is responsible for the leadership and operational oversight of Centerstone’s clinical service lines in Tennessee and Georgia, as well as strategic business development, fiscal performance and accountability, and the organization’s philanthropic fund development efforts.
Vero has worked in behavioral health care for more than four decades and helped Centerstone grow from a relatively small organization into one of the largest community-based behavioral health care providers in the country. His clinical experience includes both private and community-based practice with special focus on substance use prevention and treatment, marriage and family therapy, and critical incident stress management services. He has also served as a psychological consultant to the Nebraska State Highway Patrol and Metro Nashville Police Department.
Vero is an active volunteer board member for several not-for-profit organizations, including Cumberland University and the Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations (TAMHO) where he served three terms as president. He has also served as co-chair of the Nashville-Davidson County Behavioral Health and Wellness Advisory Council and as a member of Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s Long Term Care Task Force (COVID-19). Honors received include three National Alliance on Mental Illness Professional of the Year awards, the Nashville Business Journal’s Health Care Hero Award, and TAMHO’s President’s Award.
Vero graduated from Creighton University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in counseling. He graduated from Vanderbilt University’s George Peabody College with his doctorate degree in human development counseling.