Board leadership
Dr. Monica Furey
Monica is a clinical assistant professor of social work at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, a school board member, and past president of the Colorado Association of School Boards. Prior to joining academia, she worked in Washington, D.C., with abused children, was a social work fellow at the Yale Child Study Center, and served on the faculty of the Center’s HIV-Affected Children and Families Program. She also worked in private practice.
Ty Meredith
Ty's bio
Ty is the chief executive officer for Peak View Behavioral Health. She has two decades of experience in hospital operations, business development, social services and mental health, and holds an MBA. Ty has previously served as vice chair on the board of directors at Pikes Peak Suicide Prevention Partnership and currently volunteers as a leader for Scouting America. She believes strongly in providing needed quality mental health programs for Colorado residents and advocating for community access to care.
Rob Levis
Rob's bio
Rob is president of Levis Grosdidier & Associates, LLC, a Colorado Springs-based forensic accounting practice. He is a CPA and has a B.S. and Master of Accounting degrees from the University of Florida. Rob specializes in business appraisals and economic loss quantification in litigated disputes. He is a graduate of NAMI’s Family-to-Family program.
Damian McCabe
Damian's bio
Damian is a retired Army officer and behavioral health clinician. After 24 years spent taking care of service members and their families, he is now serving as UCHealth’s director of military affairs and also as its director of behavioral health (southern region). He has been using and supporting the resources of NAMI since the early 1990s, when he was a newly minted LCSW in rural Maine. Damian attended the University of Maine and Boston College and was previously an assistant professor at the United States Air Force Academy.
David Amess
David's bio
David is the senior vice president overseeing the Resource Development Department at Pikes Peak United Way. His expertise is in building relationships and raising money for the betterment of the community and the cause. David has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a passion for mental health advocacy. He is also a strong supporter of the LGBTQIA2+ community and has lived in Colorado Springs for more than 30 years.
Ray Cameron
Ray's bio
Ray is founder and president of Greatwork Consulting. Previously he served as COO at Magneti, a Denver-based marketing agency that started in Colorado Springs. Having dealt with mental health challenges for most of his life, Ray led Magneti in building a company culture where people facing similar challenges can find support and thrive. He is a presenter for NAMI’s In Our Own Voice program and a facilitator of Connection Support Group.
Alison King
Allison's bio
Alison works in public relations and marketing with the SPARC Project, a program of KBR Inc., that promotes brain donation awareness for military service members, veterans and their families. Previously, she served as the director of events at the Colorado Springs Chamber and Economic Development Corporation. Alison brings over 15 years of experience in event production and philanthropic campaigns and giving. She has a deep passion for her community and gathering people in an intentional way.
Yolanda Lewis-Harris
Yolanda's bio
Yolanda is a licensed and National Board Certified-professional counselor and a certified addiction counselor. She has directed the Pikes Peak State College Counseling Center for 14 years and chairs PPSC’s Behavioral Intervention Team. Yolanda also works in private practice and is CEO and owner of Empowering Minds Nurturing Souls, Inc., a mental health nonprofit. Her past board experience includes service to the Southeast Armed Services YMCA and Mission Medical Clinic.
Dr. Emily Ptaszek
Dr. Emily's bio
Emily serves as president & CEO for Peak Vista Community Health Centers. She previously worked for Healthcare Network in Naples, Florida, as a clinical psychologist, chief of behavioral health services, chief operating officer, and as president and CEO. She is a board-certified clinical psychologist and Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and has practiced at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where she specialized in trauma and PTSD. Emily earned her Doctor of Psychology from Loyola University Maryland.
Bill Mahaffey
Bill's bio
Bill is a partner at the Lewis Roca law firm in Colorado Springs, with a practice emphasis in the taxation, finance, corporate and transactional areas. He has been with the firm since 1995, during which time he has earned multiple “Best Lawyers in America” distinctions in the area of tax law. Bill has a Master of Laws degree from New York University School of Law and a Juris Doctor degree from Brigham Young University.
Juan Recinos
Juan's bio
Juan is chief operations officer of Bright Futures Psychiatry, a private mental health practice serving children and adults in Colorado Springs. He has also served as chief strategy officer at AspenPointe (now Diversus Health) and as director of operations for Valley Wide Health System in Alamosa. Juan has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Chapman University.
Laura Ridenour
Laura's bio
Laura is the detention behavioral health manager at the El Paso County jail, where she has served in various clinical roles since 2013. She was integral in the development of the jail’s nationally recognized Reintegration and Recovery Program and directed the expansion of behavioral health and substance abuse treatment options. Most recently she started a crisis response program to promote safety and improve outcomes for adults with mental health challenges. Laura has a B.A. in psychology and criminal justice, and an M.A. in clinical mental health counseling. She is an LPC and licensed addictions counselor.
Sam Stephenson
Sam's bio
Sam is the executive director of Converge, a Colorado Springs arts and literature nonprofit, and managing case coordinator for the El Paso County Guardian ad Litem. He has a master’s degree in social work from Metropolitan State University of Denver. Sam has a passion for the Colorado Springs community, mental health work, and creating social systems that make people feel better.
Michelle Talarico
Michelle's bio
Michelle serves as city councilor for Colorado Springs District 3 and is co-owner and director of sales for Picnic Basket Catering, Cravings Five Star Events and Buffalo Gals Grilling Company. An alumnus of Colorado College, she has given back to the local community as a board member and volunteer for various organizations, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Children’s Literacy Center, and the Greenberg Center for Learning and Tolerance. Michelle is a 2002 graduate of the Colorado Springs Leadership Institute.
Dan Zarecky
Dan's bio
Dan brings over 34 years of experience in treatment and behavioral health, including his recent tenure as CEO of Cedar Springs Hospital, to NAMI Colorado Springs. This is his second time living in Colorado Springs and his second time serving on the NAMI board, for which he served as president in the 2010s. Dan has held several positions on community boards and organizations during his career and believes that community education and advocacy can positively influence behavioral health treatment.