Linda De Piano, Ph.D.

CEO of the Jerome Golden Center for Behavioral Health

Linda De Piano, Ph.D., is the CEO of the Jerome Golden Center for Behavioral Health in Palm Beach County, Florida. Prior to becoming CEO in 2001, Dr. De Piano served as the agency’s COO for twenty years. The Golden Center employs 385 professionals providing a full range of services, including a 44-bed psychiatric hospital, mobile crisis team, outpatient services, housing, and addiction and co-occurring programs. The Golden Center is a Joint Commission Accredited Community Behavioral Health Care Organization and Hospital. Under Dr. De Piano’s leadership, Nonprofits First of Palm Beach County certified the agency for excellence in nonprofit management.

Dr. De Piano’s professional and volunteer leadership is a testament to her commitment to improving mental health, substance abuse and integrated healthcare services at county, state, and national levels. In addition to her Board position at MHRRG, she is the Immediate Past Chair of the Florida Council for Behavioral Health, and she serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of Florida Council for Community Mental Health and as a Board Member of the Mental Health Corporation of America (MHCA). She previously served as the MHCA Representative to the Joint Commission’s Behavioral Health Care Professional and Technical Advisory Committee and served as the Chairwoman of that group. Additionally, Dr. De Piano is Chairwoman of the Human Services Coalition of Palm Beach County and is an active Board member of the Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network, the managing entity for the region which includes Palm Beach County.

She has a Bachelors in Psychology from Montclair State University, and Dr. De Piano earned a Ph.D. in Clinical/Community Psychology from the University of South Carolina. She is a Licensed Psychologist and certified Healthcare Risk Manager in the State of Florida.

Owen T. Nichols, Psy.D., MBA

President/CEO, Northern Kentucky Mental Health/Mental Retardation Regional Board, Inc.

Dr. Owen Nichols is a Fellow in the American Academy of Clinical Psychology, Fellow in the Academy of Medical Psychology, and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Division of Independent Practice. He served as the 2010 President of the Board of Directors of the American Society for the Advancement of Pharmacotherapy. He holds the distinguished honor of serving on the Advisory Board of the Neuroscience Education Institute. He is Past-Chair for the Kentucky Board of Examiners in Psychology.

He is the President and CEO of the Northern Kentucky Mental Health--Mental Retardation Regional Board (dba NorthKey Community Care). He also serves as an intermittent surveyor in the Behavioral Health Care Accreditation Program with the Joint Commission providing accreditation reviews and consultation nationally. He has previously served as the Associate Executive Director and Clinical Director of Western State Hospital in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

Dr. Nichols is also currently serving as the President and Board Chair of the Kentucky Association of Regional Mental Health and Mental Retardation Programs, Inc. (KARP), which represents the Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Anthony M. Zipple, ScD., MBA

President and CEO, Centerstone Kentucky

Dr. Zipple is President and CEO of Centerstone Kentucky (formerly Seven Counties Services), based in Louisville, Kentucky. The 1450 dedicated Kentucky staff serve over 35,000 clients each year and partner with many collaborating organizations. Centerstone Kentucky is the state leader in the delivery of welcoming, evidence based services for mental illness, addictions, and developmental and intellectual disabilities. Dr. Zipple is also a Professor at Eastern Kentucky University and co-teaches courses in Psychiatric Rehabilitation ever offered at a Kentucky university.

He has almost 40 years of experience as a clinical manager, public administrator, consultant, teacher, researcher, and executive in the field of behavioral health. Prior to joining Centerstone in 2011, Dr. Zipple served as CEO of Thresholds in Chicago, COO of Vinfen in Boston, and Professor and Senior Research Associate at Boston University and its Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation. He is a licensed psychologist, a Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association Dincin Fellow, and a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner. Dr. Zipple has published more than 65 articles, monographs, and book chapters and has trained and consulted with organizations across the US and in Asia. He is the recipient of the John Beard and Irvin Rutman Awards of the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association and the Hall-Render Leadership in Healthcare Award.

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.

Susan D. Buchwalter

Susan D. Buchwalter, Ph.D., has been the President/Chief Executive Officer of The Counseling Center of Wayne and Holmes Counties since 1981. The Counseling Center, which is located in Wooster, Ohio, provides prevention, rehabilitation and treatment services to children and adults with behavioral health disorders.

Dr. Buchwalter has served on the Board of Trustees of the Mental Health Corporations of America for 20 years, previously serving as the Chair. She has also served several terms on the Board of the Ohio Council of Behavioral Healthcare Providers and is a member of the Ohio Psychological Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology. In the past, she served as a regional representative to the board of the National Council of Community Behavioral Healthcare. Dr. Buchwalter is also the President/CEO of the The SourceOne Group, Inc., a private behavioral health company located in Wooster, Ohio.

Dr. Buchwalter has a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Kent State University; and prior to being named as CEO at The Counseling Center was employed as a staff psychologist and supervisor at the same organization. She has also worked in private practice, served as a consulting psychologist at a psychiatric hospital, and acted as court evaluator for the juvenile court.

Dr. Harriet Hall

Dr. Harriet Hall is respected nationally as an innovative leader in the field of behavioral health care. As President and Chief Executive Officer of Jefferson Center for Mental Health, one of Colorado's largest community mental health centers, she has played a strategic role in the state's transition to managed care. Through her membership on numerous state committees, Dr. Hall has been instrumental in improving the service delivery of mental health care in Colorado. She is a past-president of the Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council (formerly Centers and Clinics Association) and has served on and chaired many of the Councils committees. She has served on a variety of statewide task forces and committees, among them the Colorado Commission on the Management of Children's Services; Colorado Care Benefits Committee; the Colorado Children's Task Force; the Governor’s Task Force on victims support for the Columbine High School Tragedy; and Governor Ritter’s Human Services transition team. She currently serves as Chair of the legislatively-appointed Task Force for the Examination of the Treatment of Individuals with Mental Illness in the Criminal Justice System; and serves on the State Mental Health Planning and Advisory Council, serving as co-chair of it’s Committee on Legislation and Budget. Dr. Hall was appointed by Governor Ritter to and currently serves on the Governor’s Community Corrections Advisory Council.

Well known for her future oriented vision and planning, Dr. Hall has served on the Mental Health Corporations of America's (MHCA) board of directors since 1991 and was the first chair of the organization's Futures Committee. Dr. Hall is a past Chairman of MHCA and also serves as vice-chair of the board of the Mental Health Risk Retention Group (MHRRG), a liability insurance company for community behavioral healthcare providers.

Active in the local community's collaborative planning efforts, Dr. Hall is a member of the Jefferson County Community Corrections Board; was the first chair of the Jefferson County Master Planning Leadership Group; and serves as a member of the Jefferson County Criminal Justice Strategic Planning Committee and chair of its Mental Health and Substance Abuse subcommittee; the Jefferson County Child and Youth Leadership Commission; and the Juvenile Services Planning Committee, serving as its treasurer.

Under Dr. Hall's leadership, Jefferson Center has created a variety of subsidiaries, and participates in a variety of strategic partnerships and alliances, including: Jefferson Hills, a youth psychiatric residential hospital; InNET, a management services and data warehouse company; Foothills Behavioral Health; a Behavioral Health Organization (BHO) responsible for implementing the Medicaid Mental Health Capitation Program within Jefferson, Boulder, Broomfield, Gilpin, and Clear Creek Counties; and the Jefferson Mental Health Foundation.

Dr. Hall co-authored a chapter “Columbine High School Shootings Community Response” with Philippe Weintraub, M.D. and Robert S. Pynoos, M.D., M.P.H. in School Violence Assessment, Management, Prevention (Edited by Mohammad Shafii, M.D. and Sharon Lee Shafii, R.N., B.S.N., American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.),and has lectured nationally on the mental health response to trauma. Hall provided leadership for Jefferson Center for Mental Health as it coordinated the mental health crisis response to the Columbine High School tragedy.

Dr. Hall received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and is a licensed psychologist in the State of Colorado.

Dale Shreve

Dale E. Shreve is the President and CEO of Mental Health Corporations of America (MHCA). MHCA, headquartered in Tallahassee Florida, is a business association of select providers of behavioral healthcare services from over 30 states. MHCA’s mission is to strengthen members' competitive position, enhance their leadership capabilities and facilitate their strategic networking opportunities. Prior to joining MHCA Shreve served 14 years as the CEO of Harbor, an outpatient health care provider in the Toledo Ohio area employing over 400 professionals and providing a continuum of services integrated with its core behavioral healthcare expertise with both youth and adults. Dale received his Master’s degree from The University of Michigan and his Bachelor’s from Michigan State University. Dale and his wife Wendy have 2 children and 4 (adorable) grandkids.

John L. McKeever, III, CLU, ChFC, RFG

John L. McKeever, III graduated from Villanova University in 1967 with a B.S. in Economics and a Major in Insurance.

Mr. McKeever is with the Financial Advisors of the Delaware Valley, where he specializes in helping individuals and businesses meet their unique financial objectives through investment strategies, insurance needs, and financial planning. He has been in this business for 44 years.

In 1973, he completed the Chartered Life Underwriter Program and received his professional designation from the Society of Financial Service Professionals in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania formerly known as The American College of Life Underwriters.
In 1985, he received the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) designation from the Society of Financial Service Professionals in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania formerly known as The American College of Life Underwriters.

John is a member of the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals and is their past Chairman for Continuing Education. He is also a member and past President of the Montgomery County Estate Planning Council. Additionally, he is a Board member and Treasurer of the Mental Health Risk Retention Group which is a captive insurance company domiciled in Vermont, and a past member of the Board of Trustees of the Allegheny Integrated Health Group/Allegheny University Hospitals.

John McKeever has spoken before numerous groups on the topics of Personal Financial Planning and Deferred Compensation. In January, 1993, he did a short series entitled “The Financial Planner” for Public Broadcasting (PBS) that aired nationally throughout the country. John has also participated in a panel discussion and article published in the Wall Street Journal Magazine in the summer of 2002.

John is very active in community affairs. He is a founder and the past Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Committee to Benefit the Children benefiting St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, PA.

Mr. McKeever is a Princor Registered Representative and Princor Financial Advisor with Princor Financial Services Corporation, and a Financial Representative for Principal National Life Insurance and Principal Life Insurance Companies.

Insurance products from the Principal Financial Group® are issued by Principal National Life Insurance Company (except in New York), Principal Life Insurance Company, and the companies available through the Preferred Product Network, IncSM. Securities and advisory products offered through Princor Financial Services Corporation, (800) 247-1737, member SIPC. Principal National, Principal Life, the Preferred Product Network and Princor® are members of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392. Financial Advisors of Delaware Valley is not an affiliate of any company of the Principal Financial Group. t120509019r

Gary L. Bembry, CPA

Senior Vice President Baptist Health Care, Inc.
Pensacola, Florida

In his role as Senior VP for Baptist Health Care, Gary has served as President/CEO for Lakeview Center, Inc. since February 2003. Prior to this, he served a combined seventeen years as Chief Financial Officer for two comprehensive community mental health centers in Florida.

In pursuing its mission of “helping people overcome life’s challenges”, Lakeview Center has evolved into a diverse organization serving over 30,000 individuals annually. With revenues exceeding $128 million and over 2,200 staff employed in nine states and the District of Columbia, Lakeview Center offers a broad array of services; including behavioral health, foster care and child protection, managed care, and vocational services.

Having obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Florida State University, Gary has been licensed as a CPA in the State of Florida since 1980 and spent the first nine years of his career in the practice of public accounting.

Gary is a member of Rotary, the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He is active on the Boards of the Florida Council for Community Mental Health and the Florida Coalition for Children, and is a member of the American Hospital Association’s Behavioral Health Task Force.

Bennett J. Cooper, Jr.

Born in New Orleans La. on Oct. 31, 1943. Reared in Ohio (Cleveland and Mansfield). College: Xavier University (BS Biology) and University of Cincinnati (MA Clinical/ Community Psychology); Currently serving as CEO (since Aug.16,1979) of The Central Community Health Board of Hamilton County Inc. (CCHB) Cincinnati OH; Elected to the Board of MHRRG in February 2003.

Dr. Margarita Labarta, CEO

Meridian Behavioral Healthcare, Inc.
4300 SW 13th Stareet, Gainesville, FL

Margarita Labarta, Ph.D. is currently President and Chief Executive Officer for Meridian Behavioral Healthcare, which provides comprehensive mental health and substance abuse treatment, supportive vocational and housing services, and child welfare services in 11 rural, North Florida counties. Labarta has been at Meridian since 1983, directing, in turn, its rural clinics, Children’s Department, and Acute Care Services prior to becoming CEO. In addition to her administrative responsibilities, Labarta has provided many hours of clinical and evaluation services within the family law arena. She has also provided clinical and management training to staff and other professionals.

Labarta has considerable involvement in professional organizations and community partnerships. She is currently Chair for the Florida Council for Community Mental Health, and ac active member of Mental Health Corporations of America and the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. She has served as Chairperson of the Steering Committee for the Child Advocacy Center and served on its Board, served on the advisory board for the Juvenile Assessment Center, and is a current board member for the Guardian ad Litem Foundation. She has been involved in local efforts related to end homelessness and diverting those with a mental illness from the criminal justice system. She is also active in Rotary.

She has a Bachelors in Psychology and Mathematics from Barry University and a Masters and Ph.D. in Clinical and Community Psychology from the University of Maryland awarded. She has courtesy appointments at the University of Florida in both the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology.

Catherine Ryder

Catherine Ryder serves as the Executive Director for Tri-County Mental Health Services (TCMHS) where she has been employed for 20 years. She previously served as Director of Clinical Services and during that time focused on developing models of care that align well with the principles of healthcare reform. She is passionate about ensuring access to appropriate levels of care, bending the cost curve and reducing the stigma associated with behavioral health services.

Catherine is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with a MS in Counselor Education, a Nationally Certified Counselor, and an Approved Clinical Supervisor. She has completed the certificate program in Primary Care Behavioral Health out of UMass and has recently graduated from the Hanley Leadership Development program for healthcare leaders in Maine.

Ronald K. Zimmet, J.D.

Ronald K. Zimmet has been a trial lawyer since 1975. He maintains an active litigation practice and provides risk management consulting services to community mental health centers nationwide.

Mr. Zimmet helped organize and for over 20 years has served as general counsel to the Mental Health Risk Retention Group, Inc. an insurance company providing professional and general liability and directors and officers insurance to community mental health centers. He is the featured speaker in risk management audio and video presentations presented by the Risk Retention Group for many years. These presentations address, among other things, risk management for sexual misconduct, suicide malpractice, violent patients, medication errors and employment related claims. Mr. Zimmet has lectured on risk management at many National Council and Mental Health Corporations of America meetings.

Mr. Zimmet has been published in Behavioral Healthcare Magazine and has also been published by the Florida Bar Journal. He was president of the board of directors of a community mental health center in Daytona Beach and has served on the board of a substance abuse facility in Daytona.

You may contact Mr. Zimmet at his office in Daytona Beach at 386-255-4020 or by e-mail at rzimmet@att.net.

Donald J. Hevey

February 1985 to present: Serves as President/CEO of Mental Health Corporations of America, (MHCA) 1876-A Eider Court, Tallahassee, FL 32308 850-942-4900.

MHCA is a national association of community behavioral healthcare providers, formerly know as Community Mental Health Centers. MHCA was developed to strengthen the competitive position of its members within the health care field and to enhance their business performance. MHCA provides its members with information and resources in business development, marketing, finance, customer satisfaction services, managed care, outcomes research and mergers, acquisitions and affiliations. There are currently 133 behavioral healthcare organization in 33 states as members.

1982-85: Served as the Director of the Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Program Office for the State of Florida. In this position, I was responsible for directing, regulating and contracting for the statewide administration of all community alcohol, drug abuse and mental health programs and institutional mental health, substance abuse and forensic programs. I served as the Assistant Director of this office in 1981-82.

1975-1981: Served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Manatee County Community Mental Health Center in Bradenton, FL. I was responsible to a community board of directors for the management and administration of a comprehensive mental health and substance abuse center.

Greg Disy

Gregory P. Disy serves as Aroostook Mental Health Services, Inc.’s Chief Executive Officer where he ensures the achievement of the organization’s service mission in conformance with AMHC’s vision, values, and policies established by the Board of Directors and Senior Leadership Team. Mr. Disy is an independently licensed clinical social worker in the State of Maine and received his Masters in Social Work from the University of Maine at Orono (UMO). He is an active member of the Maine Association of Mental Health Services (MAMHS) and is serving as its current Treasurer. Mr. Disy is an active member and current Treasurer of Integrated Service Solutions of Maine and serves as the organization’s lead to their Information Technology Collaborative. Additionally, Mr. Disy is the organization’s representative to the Mental Health Corporation of America (MHCA). He is also a member of a Peer Collaboration Team comprised of him and three other CEO colleagues from across the country. He serves as a member of the State of Maine’s Juvenile Justice Implementation Council. Mr. Disy has been employed by Aroostook Mental Health Services, Inc. since 1980 and prior to assuming his position as CEO in 2009, he was the organization’s Chief Operations Officer.

Roger Teese

Teese Consulting LLC
488 Guinea Rd.
Charlotte, VT 05445

Phone: 802-425-4659
Fax: 802-425-7747
Cell: 802-310-0145
E-mail: teese@gmavt.net

Profile:
46 years experience property/casualty experience
35 years agency experience
30 years Managing General Underwriting/Program Management experience
27 years captive insurance company management experience
27 years Authorized Captive Manager in VT until 2009
6 years claims adjusting BI PD, Trial Management 3 years
Licensed in 50 states until 2009, now licensed in VT
Licensed Surplus Lines Broker in 26 states until 2009

Senior Positions:
President, CEO, Principal, Smith Bell & Thompson Insurance. Burlington, VT
President, CEO, Principal, SBT Captive Management Co., Burlington, VT
Founding President and Chairman of the Vermont Captive Insurance Association (VCIA)
President Managing Agency Group, Hartford, CT, Syracuse, NY
Trial Adjuster with authority, New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Co

Professional Experience:
Smith Bell and Thompson (1973-2008)
SBT Captive Management Company (1982-2008)
Managing Agency Group (2005- 2008)
Presently (HRH acquired by Willis in 2008 – severed)

Professional Memberships:
Current: CIC, VCIA honorary member
Former: RIMS, PLUS, VIAA

John Mans

President and CEO of CPC Behavioral Healthcare

John Mans is the President and Chief Executive Officer of CPC Behavioral Healthcare. Located in Monmouth County, NJ, CPC provides behavioral health and special education services to more than 8,000 people each year. The agency is one of the largest providers of behavioral care in Central New Jersey and in 2015 will celebrate its 55th anniversary.

Mans has been with CPC since 1999, when he was hired as the agency’s Chief Financial Officer. He was named to his current position in 2005. During his tenure, John has presided over significant growth both in terms of services and infrastructure, all while continuing the agency’s legacy of successful, compassionate treatment in a community environment.

Prior to joining CPC, Mans served in various financial positions over 14 years with Meridian Health Systems, currently the largest employer in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

John Mans is a graduate of Seton Hall University and a resident of Brick, NJ, where he lives with his wife Dawn.