Speakers & Faculty

Raj is a tech entrepreneur with extensive experience building new products and companies that scale with positive impact. He has co-founded 3 venture-backed companies, and led product innovation initiatives for global Fortune 100 companies in healthcare, online media, entertainment, and transportation. He has designed or launched products at companies including Ericsson, Avis Budget Group, Roche, Hospital for Special Surgery, Sony Music, the City of Los Angeles, and a number of startups.

Isaac is the Chief Innovation Officer of Brett DiNovi & Associates (BDA). Isaac has been providing services in applied behavior analysis (ABA) since 1998. He has worked in executive leadership positions in the behavioral health industry since 2007 and uses the principles of organizational behavior management (OBM) to guide the support and growth of organizations. Over the last 18 years, Isaac has led ABA departments, started companies, and has grown organizations over 500% while earning awards for quality of service and employee satisfaction. In addition to Isaac’s primary role at BDA, he is a keynote speaker for state and national conferences as well as has co-authored articles and chapters, most recently in the textbook on Multiculturalism in Applied Behavior Analysis. Isaac is the co-founder of the Latino Association for Behavior Analysis (LABA) as well as a mentorship program called Mentorologist, which has a dedicated Youtube channel that bears the same name. Finally, Isaac is currently a doctoral student in Human Performance Improvement at Capella University.

Marjorie Bessel, M.D. is the chief clinical officer at Banner Health. Dr. Bessel began her journey with Banner 12 years ago, and has served in progressive physician leadership positions. She initially served as chief medical officer for several hospitals, then moved into the Arizona Division chief medical officer role, before accepting vice president roles for Continuum Management and Clinical Integration. She most recently served as vice president/chief medical officer for Community Delivery.

Her clinical background is as a hospitalist and she maintains board certification and active staff privileges. She is also passionate around empowerment of patients through transparency of individual’s clinical information. Dr. Bessel earned a B.S. in biology, magna cum laude, from Syracuse University and she attended Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois, where she was presented with the James B. Herrick award for most outstanding performance in internal medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Rush- Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center, Chicago and was honored by continuing for an additional year in the capacity as Chief Resident.

Dr. Kristen Brooks completed medical school and residency training before continuing at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) as an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, where she served as Assistant Director of the Psychiatry Consult Service.

In 2012, she joined Kaiser Permanente’s Department of Psychiatry as an adult outpatient and Consultation-Liaison (CL) Psychiatrist. She continues her clinical work in CL Psychiatry today and co-leads KP Northern California’s Regional Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry group.  In her clinical work she sees medically hospitalized patients needing expert consultation from a Psychiatrist in addition to providing consultation to a wide variety of specialists across the medical center.  She co-led the development and regional spread of KPs Delirium Management and Prevention Program across all KP Northern California hospitals and served a clinical co-lead for this work for nearly a decade.  She has published and presented nationally on delirium care and served on the Conference Planning Committee for the American Delirium Society.

Dr. Brooks currently serves as Associate Physician in Chief (APIC) for Risk Management and Patient Safety, Mental Health, Skilled Nursing, and Outpatient Quality at KP San Rafael, where she also co-leads the Ethics Committee and serves as Assistant Chief for Medical-Legal Affairs. She also serves as Chair of the APIC’s of Risk Management and Patient Safety across Northern California.

Steven Collins is the Chief Financial Officer of South Coast Community Services, where he partners with executive leadership to strengthen financial performance, support strategic growth, and advance the organization’s mission of serving children, adults, and families across Southern California.

Steven has more than 25 years of finance experience, with leadership roles spanning nonprofit health systems, private equity-backed healthcare organizations, behavioral health, hospitals, and multi-site provider organizations. Over the course of his career, he has led enterprise finance organizations through growth, acquisitions, finance transformation, operational performance improvement, and organizational change, partnering closely with executive and operational leaders to help organizations execute strategy.

Prior to joining South Coast Community Services, Steven held senior finance leadership roles with Sonrava Health, a national multi-site dental services organization; Beth Israel Lahey Health, one of the largest nonprofit health systems in New England; Prospect Medical Holdings and Prime Healthcare, national multi-hospital health systems; and Elements Behavioral Health.

Steven earned a degree in Economics from the University of York in the UK and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the United States.

Paula Digerness is an experienced healthcare executive with more than 25 years of leadership in senior living, long-term care, and healthcare operations. She currently serves as Executive Director and Nursing Home Administrator at Carlsbad by the Sea, a continuing care retirement community recognized for its 5-star Medicare rating and top-quartile satisfaction results. Paula has led multiple communities through record operational performance, innovative dementia care program design, and flawless regulatory surveys. She holds a Master’s in Long-Term Care Administration from the University of Southern California and is pursuing her Doctorate in Social Work. Known for her strategic vision, operational excellence, and commitment to staff development, Paula brings deep expertise in addressing today’s staffing and workforce challenges in healthcare.

Shailja Dixit, MD, MS, MPH is CEO and Founder of Curio Digital Therapeutics and a physician executive with more than two decades of experience across healthcare, life sciences, and digital health. She holds graduate degrees in informatics and public health from Columbia University and has held senior leadership roles at organizations including Sanofi, Allergan, and GE. Shailja is a recognized thought leader in real-world evidence and psychosocial research, including the Mamalift Study, ongoing fertility research, and collaborative menopause research with Mayo Clinic. Her work focuses on translating rigorous research into evidence-based, practical interventions that support women’s behavioral health and workplace wellbeing across the lifespan.

Kari Evans is a results-oriented monitoring, evaluation, and research expert with over 15 years of experience generating data-driven insights to enhance domestic and international community development programs. She specializes in approaches that center local voices and shared ownership, ensuring that evidence generation is grounded in community priorities and leads to meaningful, actionable change.

Kari is skilled in designing and implementing participatory monitoring and evaluation frameworks that combine qualitative and quantitative approaches to capture the depth of lived experience. She brings a human perspective to data and insights, using interviews, focus groups, participatory mapping, and other qualitative methods to center the stories behind the numbers. Her work emphasizes co-creation with stakeholders, integrating community knowledge with rigorous research design to enhance program effectiveness, equity, and sustainability.

Her technical expertise spans public health, governance and human rights, water and sanitation, and gender and social inclusion. She holds a master’s degree from The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, where she focused on gender and development in the Middle East, and a bachelor’s degree with distinction in Foreign Affairs and a minor in Middle East Studies from the University of Virginia.

Don Fowls is a nationally known psychiatrist and health care consultant who previously served past President of the Arizona Psychiatric Society and a Fellow in the American Psychiatric Association.

Prior to joining Harvard MedTech, Don served as Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of Business Development for Value Options and its parent company, FHC Health Systems for eleven years. Don also served as EVP Business Development of Schaller Anderson and was CEO of its behavioral health subsidiary. Don has helped develop FasPsych, a telepsychiatry company, and is a board member and advisor for community based behavioral health organizations.

He earned his medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.

Terri Gowey is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Licensed Behavior Analyst, and Chief Operating Officer at Chileda Institute, Inc. in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Terri obtained her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse and Master of Science in Psychology degree from Kaplan University. Terri has been with Chileda for 25 years and in her role as COO has been influential in expanding services to meet the needs of more families and children in Wisconsin communities.  She has many years of experience supporting individuals with Autism, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and challenging behaviors using Trauma-Informed Behavioral Interventions.   

Dr. Haskell is the Executive Director of Joseph J. Peters Institute (JJPI), a Philadelphia-based non-profit organization. He holds a Ph.D. in Clinical-Community Psychology from the University of South Carolina and is a licensed psychologist in Pennsylvania. Dr. Haskell has served as the clinical and administrative leader of mental health programs in traditional clinics, schools, and community-based settings. In 2010, he assumed the role of Director of Social and Psychological Services for a nationally recognized network of charter schools, where he was instrumental in creating its social work and counseling/therapy programs. Prior to assuming the role of Executive Director at JJPI in January 2017, Dr. Haskell served as the Chief Program and Clinical Officer at a Philadelphia-based behavioral health and child welfare organization. Dr. Haskell has interests in mental health parity and workforce issues, the application of psychology in community settings, evidence-based practices, trauma-informed care, prevention programming, and the use of performance-based data to aid in program improvement.

Healthcare innovation is Neil’s driving passion. Drawing on his training as a physician and scientist, Neil has spent his career leading, advising, and investing in the medical and biotech industries. His experience spans established, market-leading corporations to groundbreaking, early-stage start-ups. Neil holds degrees from Duke University, Harvard Medical School, and Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar.

Rob oversees LEARN’s partnership department and clinical support teams, which manage administrative operations functions, including payor contracting, credentialing, intake, scheduling, authorizations, clinical compliance, and operational systems. He brings to the position 20-plus years of experience working with individuals with disabilities, having led the expansion of Autism Spectrum Therapies (AST) from southern California to northern California and eight additional states. With an M.S. in counseling, Rob is a board certified behavior analyst and has served on several boards and taught at California State University, Los Angeles.

Rene Hurtado was born and raised in El Paso and has over 25 years of experience in healthcare operations and public policy.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at El Paso.

Mr. Hurtado has extensive experience in both the public and private sectors of healthcare delivery systems along the U.S.-Mexico border.  He has designed communication initiatives in different areas of public health to include trauma & crisis communications, children’s outreach and poison control centers.  He has also led marketing and public affairs initiatives for one of the largest hospital systems in El Paso, where he designed multi-media communications initiatives for various healthcare product lines including pediatrics, kidney transplant and oncology.  In the area of public policy and government relations, he served as Director of Public Affairs for Spectrum Communications where he advocated for effective telecommunications legislation.

He currently serves as Chief of Staff for Emergence Health Network, the designated mental health authority for El Paso County responsible for designing and maintaining the public mental health/developmental disability service delivery system for the region to include crisis services and suicide prevention.   He oversees community affairs, human resources, training & education, and government relations.

Mr. Hurtado also works and has held leadership positions with various community agencies.  He has served as chair of the public relations committee for the Paso Del Norte Health Foundation and chair of the government relations division for the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce.  He also volunteered with Leadership El Paso, Creative Kids and various community agencies.  Mr. Hurtado is a graduate of the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund Leadership Program, Leadership El Paso and the El Paso Creative Cities Leadership Group.    

Recently Mr. Hurtado was appointed to One Fund El Paso, which provided guidance and resources for victims of the El Paso August 3^rd 2019 Walmart Shooting and has advocated for increased access to mental health services as a result of this tragic mass shooting. 

Scott A. Kaiser, MD, is the CEO of Determined Health, a company he co-founded with a vision for a new approach to community care—one that starts with human connection, first. Kaiser is a board-certified family physician and geriatrician with executive leadership experience focused on the improvement of aging services, geriatric care, and population health. Engaged in clinical care, teaching, community outreach, advocacy, and research, Kaiser is the Director of Geriatric Cognitive Health at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, an adjunct faculty member of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, and serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations. He is determined to solve healthcare’s greatest challenges and create healthy communities that support us all in living well and aging well.

Kaiser completed his undergraduate studies at Vassar College with a degree in Science, Technology, and Society, and received his medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine of USC. He went on to train within the Lawrence Family Medicine Residency, the Harvard Geriatric Medicine Fellowship, and the UCLA Health Services Research Fellowship.

The founding CEO of Darmiyan, Padideh is a 2020 Fortune 40 under 40 global healthcare leader/ influencer, a 2018 TEDMED Hive Innovator who is listed by Healthcare Tech Report in Top 25 Women Leaders in Biotech for 2021, and the 2023 innovation award recipient of KTH, the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology. Under her leadership, Darmiyan received funding support by Eisai, IT-Farm and Y-Combinator and secured US and Japanese patents for BrainSee, the first medical AI-powered SaaS for Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis. BrainSee received FDA breakthrough device designation in May 2021.

Padideh has been leading the company since founding it in 2014, taking the technology through multiple stages of development, from conception to a functioning product (BrainSee), which helped the company achieve widespread recognition in the biomedical and life science communities, including being a 2021 UCSF Health Awards finalist. In Persian Darmiyan means “in-between,” reflecting how the company’s technology decodes the space between our cells to illuminate the status of brain health long before any signs of memory loss.

Padideh is well-regarded globally for her expertise in geometrical modeling of brain tissue microstructure, her cross-cultural understanding of brain health and her visionary approach to complex problems. Prior to founding Darmiyan, she was an Adjunct Assistant Professor at New York University School of Medicine, where she collaborated with Professor Charles Nicholson, the pioneer of brain microstructure modeling. Padideh got her PhD in biological physics from Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden in 2010. Her PhD thesis entitled “Biophysical mechanisms underlying cellular homeostasis” laid a foundation for the company’s novel work creating a virtual microscope of the brain. In her free time Padideh enjoys teaching Persian classical music.

Kate Lopas is the Vice President of Residential Services at Chileda, a nationally recognized organization based in La Crosse, Wisconsin. A Board Certified and Licensed Behavior Analyst, Kate brings over a decade of experience in the assessment and treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and co-occurring behavioral and developmental needs.

She holds a Master of Science in Forensic Psychology from Argosy University and a Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from Purdue Global University. In addition to her clinical expertise, Kate has extensive experience in organizational leadership, systems development, and staff training.

Her professional focus centers on the advancement of trauma-informed, person-centered practices within residential and educational settings. She is a passionate advocate for systemic change to better support individuals with ASD and their families through evidence-based, compassionate care.

Iris Lopez, a devoted member of the Hillsides family for over 10 years, brings more than 25 years of invaluable experience to her role as Division Chief, Community-based Services. In this capacity, she oversees Hillsides’ community-based mental health services provided through Bienvenidos and Hillsides’ Family Resource Centers.

Iris initially joined Hillsides in 2008 as an outpatient therapist. In 2011, she transitioned into a managerial role and oversaw outpatient and school-based services within Hillsides’ Family Resource Centers. In 2012, as the CalWORKS Program Manager, she spearheaded the implementation of adult support services in the LA and East San Gabriel Valley regions.

Throughout her impactful tenure at Hillsides, Iris has assumed various roles focusing on family support and wraparound services. Before joining Hillsides, she served as a therapist for a community-based agency.

Iris’s commitment to helping others was ignited during her undergraduate internship, where she worked with women in domestic violence relationships. The profound experience of assisting these women and their children became the defining moment that set her on the path to a career dedicated to helping others.

She holds a Masters in Marriage Family Children Counseling from Pacific Oaks College and a bachelor’s in criminology with an option in Law Enforcement from California State University, Fresno.

Shan is the founder and CEO of Harvard MedTech.

Shan is a serial entrepreneur who has founded, scaled and sold three healthcare companies prior to Harvard MedTech. Two of them were medical device companies and the third a technology enabled services company. One of his medical device companies did a successful IPO on Nasdaq prior to eventually being sold to a strategic acquirer
Shan was named to the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame and was chosen as the KPMG High Tech Entrepreneur of the year for Illinois in 1998. He is a former member of the World Economic Forum and a current member of YPO.

Shan earned a Bachelor’s degree from Harvard University with a major in Biology.

Correnda Perkins joined the Hillsides family in 2017 and served as the Division Chief of Transition-Aged Youth Services and later as Division Chief of Community-based Services. She has since expanded her role to become the Chief Program Officer.

Correnda directs the development and implementation of Hillsides’ clinical programming across all divisions of Hillsides including community-based services, residential programs, young adult support, and foster care and adoption.

In her previous role as the Vice President of Community-Based Programs at St. Anne’s, she managed programs in the Family-Based and Mental Health Services departments. Prior to that, Correnda successfully led the Los Angeles TAY Collaborative, where she handled budgeting, reporting, presentations, and strategic planning.

Correnda is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, certified in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and Managing and Adapting Practices. She holds a master’s in social work from San Jose State University and a bachelor’s in sociology with a minor in Spanish from the University of Redlands.

Leigh Ann Pray brings over 25 years of experience in the behavioral health field, with a career that encompasses direct care, administrative leadership, partial hospitalization, outpatient therapy, and specialized services for children and youth in foster care. Leigh Ann is a highly skilled clinician with extensive expertise in trauma-informed care and family systems.

Throughout her career, she has made significant contributions to the field, including training mental health professionals and community partners in the Building Strong Brains framework, leading a National Council cohort focused on cultivating trauma-informed communities, presenting nationally on trauma and trauma-informed care, and developing an innovative trauma-informed clinical model.

Leigh Ann’s skill set has benefited both consumers and professionals alike, as she has mentored and developed numerous clinicians and strengthened clinical programs across diverse settings. She is deeply committed to advocating for individuals and communities that are often marginalized or underserved.

In her current role with the Omni Family of Services, Leigh Ann applies her expertise across a wide range of programs. She remains dedicated to building a strong, compassionate workforce focused on healing, resilience, and meaningful change within communities.

Amy Ramirez is Executive Director of Healthcare Foundation Northern Sonoma County, where she is reshaping regional philanthropy to shift power, align capital, and build community-rooted health infrastructure. A former medical social worker, she leads cross-sector efforts that integrate public financing, workforce development, and community leadership to advance long-term health equity. Her work focuses on designing scalable models that strengthen safety-net systems and center lived expertise in funding strategy.

Dr. Regueiro is a bilingual health psychologist with specialties in pediatrics, behavioral health consultation, and comprehensive psychodiagnostic testing. She holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from Biola University and completed an APA-accredited internship in child and adolescent psychology at Philhaven Hospital. Dr. Regueiro also completed a formal post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric psychology at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. Dr. Regueiro is licensed in the state of California and is credentialed by the National Register of Health Service Psychologists. Dr. Regueiro serves as the clinical director at CBEM, LLC.  She also serves as a core faculty member in an APA-accredited doctoral program in clinical psychology and is a published researcher and author.

José C. Salazar, Dr.PH, holds a Master’s and Doctoral degree in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley. Since 1988, he has worked in the substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and mental health fields as a counselor, health educator, community organizer, researcher, and administrator. He has been the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) for several Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and other federal entity funded programs that focus on providing substance use disorder (SUD) and/or mental health services to both adults and youth who are homeless, formerly incarcerated, uninsured, and/or identify as LGBTQ. Dr. Salazar also oversees the academic and administrative operation of TTC’s College which graduates individuals as certified addiction specialists. He is a member of the American Public Health Association (APHA) and routinely conducts presentations on various health topics at local and national conferences.

Stephen Samuels is Vice President of Innovation & Impact Investing at the national office of Volunteers of America (VOA), one of the nation’s largest and most experienced nonprofit providers of housing, health, and human services. In this role, he leads market-driven growth and multi-sector partnerships to expand VOA’s housing and value-based health initiatives.

Stephen also directs VOA’s Futures Fund, an impact investing subsidiary, which has deployed more than $3 million in catalytic capital to advance innovation and entrepreneurship both within the organization and among early-stage founders across the country. Under his leadership, VOA tests and pilots emerging technology solutions that improve the quality of life for clients nationwide. Some of the most successful have been in the areas of financial security, agetech, workforce development and maternal health.

Most recently, Stephen oversaw the research and publication of Residents First: Technology for Connection and Healthy Living in Affordable Senior Housing—a study which provides a people-centered roadmap for effective technology and health integration in older adult resident communities.

Before joining VOA, Stephen served as Executive Director of Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) in Greater Kansas City, one of the country’s leading community development financial institutions. He recently served on the national Advisory Research Council for Catalyzing Community Investment for Health Equity, a collaboration of the Build Healthy Places Network and the Association for Community Affiliated Plans; and is an Advisory Board member for CareAxis, a new service coordination platform for housing operators.

Stephen holds degrees in Urban Planning and Business Real Estate from the University of Cincinnati. Although his office is in Alexandria, VA, he works remotely from his home in Sacramento, CA.

Sarah Steenhausen serves as Deputy Director of the Division of Policy, Research and Engagement at the California Department of Aging. In this role, she collaborates with state departments and stakeholders in developing policy and research impacting older adults, people with disabilities and family caregivers to advance system change and realize the goals of California’s Master Plan for Aging.  Previously, Sarah served as Director of Policy and Advocacy at The SCAN Foundation. She began her policy career in 2001 as a Consultant to the California State Senate Subcommittee on Aging and Long-Term Care.

Sarah holds a Master of Science in Gerontology from the University of Southern California, Davis School of Gerontology and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut.

Marsha is a first-generation American, born to Soviet immigrant parents and raised in the Washington, DC area. She holds a Master of Science in Special Education with a concentration on Severe to Profound Disabilities and a Post-Master’s Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from Johns Hopkins University.

With over 15 years of experience in educational, clinical, and community settings, Marsha specializes in working with adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her expertise includes launching a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic in Washington, DC, establishing sexual health workshops for parents, professionals, and adults with IDD, and collaborating with international organizations to coach parents and professionals in autism and sexual health.

As a content producer at Floreo, Marsha leverages her passions to develop virtual reality experiences that educate, empower, and enable people to reach their fullest potential. When she’s not working on VR projects, Marsha enjoys exploring new places and cuisines with her husband, creating stained glass windows, and spending quality time with her furry friends – her doggy, Zuma, and two kitties, Minka and Yanna.

Kirk Thelander is a healthcare commercial executive with more than two decades of experience leading commercialization, sales, market development, and go-to-market strategy for innovative medical technology companies, with a particular focus on psychiatry, neuromodulation, and behavioral health. He currently serves as Chief Commercial Officer at GrayMatters Health, where he leads the U.S. commercial strategy for the company’s Prism™ platform.

Throughout his career, Thelander has specialized in bringing novel technologies into clinical practice, helping physicians adopt evidence-based innovations that improve patient care while supporting sustainable practice growth. His experience spans medical devices, digital therapeutics, and behavioral health technologies, with an emphasis on translating clinical innovation into successful commercial adoption.

James Tong, M.D. is a board-certified pediatric nephrologist and physician leader with Southern California Permanente Medical Group, where he serves as the Care of Children Service Line Leader. He provides regional leadership for pediatric care across Southern California, including oversight of pediatric specialty services and the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Program, partnering with physicians, clinical teams, and healthcare leaders to advance quality, improve access, and strengthen the delivery of care for children and families.

Since joining SCPMG in 2009, Dr. Tong has combined his passion for caring for children with a commitment to building stronger healthcare systems. His leadership has focused on fostering collaboration across disciplines, developing physician leaders, and driving initiatives that improve care for children and families while supporting the teams who care for them.

Dr. Tong earned his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and completed his pediatric residency and fellowship in Pediatric Nephrology at the University of California, San Francisco. Throughout his career, he has remained dedicated to mentoring future leaders, advancing innovation in pediatric healthcare, and creating meaningful improvements that extend beyond the bedside.

Known for his thoughtful and collaborative leadership style, Dr. Tong believes that the greatest impact is achieved when people unite around a shared purpose. Whether caring for patients or leading regional transformation, he is driven by the opportunity to improve the health and well-being of children, families, and the communities they serve.

Marc is a senior Marketing and Business Development leader at Otsuka Precision Health where he currently spearheads the adoption of an innovative, FDA cleared Prescription Digital Therapeutic for Adults with Depression in Health Systems and large practice organizations. His journey in Digital Mental Health began with advancing patient and provider user base for the first FDA approved Digital Medicine, a drug/app/device combination for patients with serious mental illness. 

With a career spanning 25 years, Marc has consistently remained at the intersection of healthcare and innovation, holding pivotal roles at Bristol Myers Squibb and Klick Health. Notably, he led digital marketing strategy and execution for the launch of several groundbreaking Oncology treatments. Earlier in his career Marc drove expansion of the provider network for a Medicaid Managed Care organization and supported Payor Contract negotiations for a large university health system. 

Throughout his career, Marc has navigated complex landscapes in marketing, advertising and healthcare strategy across diverse therapeutic areas. An award-winning marketer and thought leader, he has moderated discussions for PM360 and presented at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy and Eye 4 Pharma. Marc earned his MBA in Healthcare Administration from the Fox School of Business at Temple University. He currently resides in Newtown, Pennsylvania.  

Valerie Wilmink is the Clinical Supervisor of Chileda Shine, part of the nationally recognized Chileda Institute in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She is a Board Certified and Licensed Behavior Analyst with extensive experience supporting individuals with complex behavioral and developmental needs.

Valerie holds a Master of Science in Psychology with a specialization in Applied Behavior Analysis from Purdue University Global. Her work focuses on functional behavior assessment, individualized intervention planning, and staff and caregiver training. She has experience supporting individuals with autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, and severe behavioral challenges, and has training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Valerie is passionate about creating practical, data-driven supports and collaborating with teams and families to promote meaningful, client-centered outcomes.

Dr. Yeh is a passionate advocate for healthcare transformation and healthy aging.  Her career has spanned the industry: providers, payers, tech companies, nonprofits, and the government. Roles have included Chief Medical Officer, AARP Services Inc.; Regional Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and emergency department chief.

Dr. Yeh received an MD from Northwestern University Medical School. She has extensive board experience and has garnered many honors for her work.

Angela Yen is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Registered Psychological Associate with over 18 years of experience supporting individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities and co-occurring mental health conditions across the lifespan. She holds a master’s degree in special education with a specialization in autism spectrum disorders and is currently completing her doctorate in psychology.

Angela’s career spans a rich continuum, from classroom teacher and wraparound counselor servicing inner-city youth, to building and leading ABA teams, to directly consultation and crisis services. Her practice integrates positive psychology and the biopsychosocial model, with a focus on strengths-based, whole-person care across complex service systems. 

At Easterseals Southern California, Angela leads the Consultation Services Department, overseeing Enhanced Care Management and START Crisis Support Services. She has cultivated partnerships with the Autism Society, NAMI, local law enforcement, and the Department of Mental Health. Her research interests center on system-informed positive psychology, the integration of PERMA+ frameworks into clinical and organizational practices, and organization behavior management. Angela is passionate about advancing innovative, people-centered models of service delivery that embed well-being science into the future of care. 

Dr. Michael Zelman is a licensed psychologist and Executive Vice President at Enki Health Services, Inc., a Los Angeles Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) contract provider serving children, youth, and adults across a range of clinic and community-based programs. With over 25 years of community mental health experience, he spearheaded an AI-informed documentation process, partnered with LACDMH to build a countywide adult level-of-care system and led the implementation of evidence-based practices. He also directed organization-wide telehealth adoption during the pandemic and worked with his EHR vendor and county partners to launch the LOCUS, LACDMH’s adult level-of-care measure. To address the shortage of clinicians, Dr. Zelman has partnered with a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at UCLA to support a Public Health minor that is launching Fall 2026 with the goal of increasing the mental health workforce by reducing educational debt in exchange for clinical service. Before joining Enki in 2005, Dr. Zelman was an Assistant Director and staff psychologist at a county contracted Day Treatment program for four years. His interests include access to care, responsible clinical uses of AI, workforce development, and behavioral-health policy.

Dr. Zelman is active in professional leadership: past Chair of the California Psychological Association’s Division IV (Psychologists in Public Service) and Chair-Elect of Division VI (Technology, Media, and Artificial Intelligence); Adult Mental Health Policy Chair on the ACHSA Board of Directors; and a member of APA and the San Gabriel Valley Psychological Association. He also serves as Vice President of the Pasadena Police Foundation and advises the Board of Directors of LooperRoom, an Orange County-based mental health tech startup.

Michael Zhe is the CEO of Alora Behavioral Health and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with 18 years of experience in the ABA industry. He began his career as a Behavior Technician and has held senior clinical and operational leadership roles, including Chief Clinical Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Michael brings a unique perspective shaped by experience as a clinician, healthcare operator, and parent of a child who has received services.

Murray Beachtel brings over ten years of program evaluation and data analysis experience to the OPEN MINDS team. His areas of expertise include quality assurance management, data analytics, human service program evaluation, and psychological studies.

Before joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Beachtel served as a Data Analyst of Quality for the Summit Container Corporation, a start-up design and manufacturing company that specializes in protective packaging for circuit boards. As the key operator for the organization’s production system, Mr. Beachtel oversaw the operations of special projects that utilized lean strategies and financial analyses that helped increase overall production. In addition, he created and maintained the data flow between all departments of additional location sites and lead company compliance efforts with respect to data security and transfer. Throughout his tenure with Summit, Mr. Beachtel improved process completion time over 10% in 3 months, reduced downtime of temporary labor, and developed several quality improvement programs.

Previously, Mr. Beachtel served as the Program Evaluation Consultant with the Dauphin County Department of Human Services, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In this role, he was responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of over 80 different county programs, developing information databases, and implementing data quality improvement strategies. He also modified and implemented a funding algorithm that is now responsible for the distribution of over $22 million in funding to county nonprofits.

In addition to his professional experience, Mr. Beachtel has been involved in a number of research projects throughout his academic and professional careers. His most notable research project, titled Resilience and Locus of Control on Mentorship, evaluated the impact of mentorship intervention on two children/youth programs. As a result, he developed a data collection and reporting systems to track interventions and the effects on quality over time.

Mr. Beachtel earned his master’s degree in Psychological Science from the University of Shippensburg, in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania and his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology from Messiah College, in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

Stuart Buttlaire brings over 35 years of executive, clinical, and policy experience to OPEN MINDS. Dr. Buttlaire has experience in both the public and private sectors of healthcare providing leadership and direction in healthcare delivery. His career has focused on advancing integrated behavioral health and addiction medicine through strategic innovation, system redesign, quality improvement, and sustainable policy reform.

Previously, Dr. Buttlaire was the Regional Director of Behavioral Health and Addiction Medicine for Kaiser Permanente. In this role, Dr. oversaw a $200 million portfolio serving 4.6 million members across 23 emergency departments and 33 medical centers. He led development and operations across inpatient, ambulatory, emergency, call center, and contracted community services, supporting more than 2,500 mental health and substance use disorder providers. His leadership resulted in significant system transformation grounded in person-centered, measurement-based, and integrated care models. Dr. Buttlaire was also the lead Mental Health Representative for State Program Initiatives, including Medicaid (Medi-Cal) and Medicare. He pioneered the design and implementation of two psychiatric inpatient units, including a nationally recognized medical/psychiatric unit for individuals with complex co-morbidities. Additional innovations include integrated urgent services for youth and adults, intensive outpatient programs, multi-family group treatments for severe psychiatric conditions, and a mobile app for eating disorders that earned Kaiser’s Innovation Award.

Dr. Buttlaire is a widely respected advisor on behavioral health policy, legislation, and regulatory strategy. He has worked closely with state and federal agencies on issues of parity enforcement, financing reform, Medicaid redesign, and systems integration. He currently serves as Board President of the Institute for Behavioral Health Improvement, is a Board Member of NAMI California, and sits on the California Hospital Association Behavioral Health Advisory Board. He previously chaired the Behavioral Health Section of the American Hospital Association and was appointed to the AHA Regional Policy Board for the Western U.S.

As a frequent speaker and author, Dr. Buttlaire has published articles and research papers on behavioral health integration, suicide prevention, financing, and policy reform. His work continues to shape strategic direction for public and private behavioral health systems across the country.

Dr. Buttlaire holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies, an MBA with a concentration in Health Care Management and Finance from UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business, a Master’s in Counseling Psychology from Humboldt State, and a B.A. in Psychology and Political Science from the University of Colorado.

Rick Gutierrez, Ph.D. brings over 20 years of clinical and operational experience to the OPEN MINDS team. His unique blend of experience has allowed him to drive impactful outcomes in the developmental disability and behavioral health fields.

Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Dr. Gutierrez served as Vice President, Clinical Strategy & Operations at Easterseals Southern California. In this role he oversaw the outpatient Applied Behavior Analysis provider network and Enhanced Care Management in partnership with Kaiser Permanente. Dr. Gutierrez also oversaw START Crisis services, behavioral services for all residential services, negotiation and management of contracts with network providers and payers, and intake and customer service functions including revenue cycle management, benefits and eligibility, and authorization teams. In addition, he developed and monitored the implementation of a strategic plan in collaboration with the Chief Clinical Officer.

Prior to this, Dr. Gutierrez served as Regional Vice President and Director of Subcontracting also at Easterseals Southern California.

Previously, Dr. Gutierrez served as Clinical Administrator at Applied Behavioral Consultants, Inc. where he oversaw all clinical aspects of community-based behavioral health treatment for consumers in Southern California. He also monitored compliance across multiple areas of the organization, negotiated contracts with most major health plans, and led new program development. Before this role, Dr. Gutierrez served as Regional Director and Program Manager at Applied Behavioral Consultants, Inc.

Dr. Gutierrez is a certified Emotional Intelligence (EQ) trainer, licensed psychologist in California, and Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). He has overseen a variety of service settings, including adult day programs, residential programs, and intensive therapy programs like Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), and has worked with individuals across the lifespan who have developmental disabilities and co-occurring mental health conditions. He has experience managing projects aimed at enhancing service delivery, ensuring that strategic initiatives align with budgeted funding and contribute to sustainable growth. He has worked across diverse funding models, including those from the Department of Developmental Services, insurance companies, and school districts, while ensuring programs meet accreditation standards. Additionally, he has shared his expertise globally, giving numerous talks on program development, leadership, and employee retention. These combined clinical and operational skills make him a versatile leader capable of improving both care delivery and organizational performance.

He has also served as Program Director, Behavior Consultant, and Case Manager at various organizations. Dr. Gutierrez is an active member of multiple professional organizations.

Dr. Gutierrez earned his Doctorate of Philosophy from Capella University, his Masters of Science from California State University, and his Bachelors of Art from University of California.  

Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, EdM, Senior Associate, has more than 30 years of experience in the health and human service field. In this tenure as senior associate with OPEN MINDS since 1998, he has served as lead of dozens of client initiatives, served as editor of OPEN MINDS publications, and is the author of many groundbreaking articles and presentations.

Mr. Naughton-Travers brings to OPEN MINDS a broad range of experiences in private and public sector delivery of behavioral health and social services. He started his career as a behavioral health clinician, working in both child welfare and community mental health clinic settings. Subsequently, Mr. Naughton-Travers held a senior business operations management position for a psychiatric hospital system and its community mental health clinics.  Later, he was vice president of a firm specializing in information systems and billing and receivables management for community-based mental health programs.

Since joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Naughton-Travers has developed business solutions for provider and professional organizations, state and county government, technology companies, and venture capital firms. His primary areas of expertise include strategic planning and metrics-based management, electronic health record (EHR) and technology selection and implementation, operations improvement, and corporate compliance. For the past decade, over half his consulting practice has focused on aiding organizations in technology selection and implementation, including all aspects of strategic technology planning, functional specifications development, request for proposal development, vendor selection, and contracting.

He has written numerous articles, including “Winning the Human Resource Wars: Tried, True and New Strategies for Behavioral Health and Social Service Organizations,” “Five Pillars of Management Competency,” “Data Driven Decision Making: Moving to an Organizational Measurement Culture,” “Survival of the Smartest: What is Your Organization’s Information Literacy IQ?,” and “Strategic Human Resource Management: Aligning Compensation with Employee Performance and Organizational Strategy.” Mr. Naughton-Travers is also a nationally recognized speaker, having conducted hundreds of executive and professional executive training events around the nation.

Mr. Naughton-Travers received his Bachelor’s degree from Miami University of Ohio and his Masters’ of Education in Counseling Psychology from Boston University.

Monica E. Oss, M.S. is the founder of OPEN MINDS and serves as its chief executive officer, executive editor of its publications and websites, and executive lead of its consulting engagements. For the past three decades, Ms. Oss has led the OPEN MINDS team and its research on health and human service market trends and its national consulting practice. She is well known for her numerous books and articles focused on the strategic and marketing implications of the evolving health and human service field – and its focus on the verticals of the field serving consumers with chronic conditions and complex support needs.

Ms. Oss has extensive experience in developing and implementing growth strategies for a wide array of organizations in the field. She has expertise in industry trend analysis, reimbursement, rate setting, and creating actionable plans for market success. In her role, she has led numerous engagements with state Medicaid plans, county governments, private insurers, and health plans, service provider organizations, technology vendors, neurotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations, and investment banking firms – with a focus on the implications of financing changes on delivery system design.

Prior to founding OPEN MINDS, Ms. Oss served as an executive with a nationally managed behavioral health organization, responsible for market development, actuarial analysis, and capitation-based rate setting. She also held a position as vice president of the U.S. risk management and underwriting division of an international insurance company.

Ms. Oss has been the keynote speaker at the conferences of dozens of national associations and has been published in a wide range of professional journals and trade publications. She has provided Congressional and state legislative testimony on issues as diverse as the financial impact of parity and payer medication access policies.

Ms. Oss has led a range of industry research and consultation initiatives, serving as principal investigator on research projects that include the examination of national managed care enrollment and service patterns, development of provider rate structures for government entities, creation of return-on-investment models for technology investments; design of performance-based compensation models within public and private health plans; and analysis of the economic impact of changes in benefit design, adoption of evidence-based practices, and new technologies.