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Keynote Speakers | Cannabis Panelists | Workforce Panelists
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Director of the Division of the National Health Service Corps (DNHSC), Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW)
Israil Ali, MPA, is the Director of the Division of National Health Service Corps (DNHSC) in the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW). For more than 15 years, Ali has served in various roles in the federal government including Deputy Director of BHW’s Division of Health Careers and Financial Support. He has dedicated his career to improving health outcomes in underserved communities by optimizing access to a quality health workforce. Through the DNHSC, Ali administers scholarship and student loan repayment programs that incentivize health professionals to care for underserved communities. Currently, there are nearly 20,000 NHSC primary medical, dental and behavioral health providers caring for almost 21 million patients across the nation.
First Lady of North Dakota
Kathryn Burgum became First Lady on December 15, 2016, when her husband Governor Doug Burgum was sworn in as the 33rd Governor of North Dakota. As First Lady, Kathryn's priority is supporting and developing initiatives to eliminate the shame and stigma of the chronic disease of addiction in North Dakota's communities. In long-term recovery for 20 years, she shares her personal experience and encourages others to do the same to normalize the conversation around the disease of addiction. She is spreading the word that addiction is a chronic disease and not a character flaw. Kathryn plays an active role in supporting the Office of Recovery Reinvented as the chair of the Advisory Council. Her advocacy work has enabled her to partner with advocates, experts in the field, and stakeholders nation-wide including the White House, Faces and Voices of Recovery, the Addiction Policy Forum, and Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation where she serves on the board of trustees.
U.S. House of Representatives, (D-MA)
Congresswoman Katherine Clark proudly serves the Fifth District of Massachusetts. She was first elected in a special election in December of 2013. Congresswoman Clark's career in public service is driven by her commitment to helping children and families succeed. She is a vocal advocate for ending wage discrimination, protecting women’s health care, access to affordable, high-quality child care, paid family leave, safer schools, and other reforms to address the challenges women and families face. She believes that Congress must work to end the glaring disconnect between the needs of families at home and priorities in Washington. In Congress, she brings her experience as a state senator, state representative, general counsel for the Massachusetts Office of Child Care Services, and policy chief for the state attorney general. Congresswoman Clark represents a diverse district comprised of 24 cities and towns that stretch from the coastal communities of Revere and Winthrop through the economic engine of MetroWest.
NAADAC Executive Director
Cynthia Moreno Tuohy, BSW, NCAC II, CDC III, SAP, is the Executive Director of NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, and has worked as an addiction professional for 46 years. She has been a trainer in Domestic Violence/Anger Management and Conflict Resolution for over 30 years as well as an international, national and state trainer. Moreno Tuohy is also a curriculum writer in addiction screening and evaluation, counseling methods, conflict resolution, co-occurring disorders, ethics, documentation, and medicated assisted treatment and recovery, and has written articles published in national and other trade magazines. Her book, Rein in Your Brain; from Impulsivity to Thoughtful Living in Recovery, was released May 2014 through Hazelden Publishers. She has served as President of NAADAC, Certification Board Commissioner, International Chair, Treasurer and Legislative Chair for NAADAC.
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, PhD, is currently Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Throughout her 20-year career in the behavioral health field, Delphin-Rittmon gained extensive experience in the design, evaluation, and administration of mental health, substance use and prevention services and systems, and has received several awards for advancing policy in these areas. Most recently, she received the 2019 State Service Award from the National Association of State Drug and Alcohol Directors and the 2016 Mental Health Award for Excellence from the United Nations Committee on Mental Health. She received her Bachelor's degree in Social Science from Hofstra University in 1989, her Master's degree and Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Purdue University 1992 and 2001, respectively, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical community psychology at Yale University in 2002.
Vice President of Wheat Shroyer Government Relations, LLC
James Fleischmann, JD, is Vice President of Wheat Shroyer Government Relations and works with a wide array of clients to help them successfully achieve their government relations goals. A Tennessee native, Fleischmann studied Political Science at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga where he graduated with honors and participated in the Presidential Fellowship Program at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress in Washington, D.C. Fleischmann went on to attend the University of Alabama School of Law where he graduated with honors and subsequently gained his Tennessee and Washington, D.C. bar licensure. Fleischmann spent 5+ years working with an Am Law 100 law firm prior to joining Wheat Shroyer Government Relations as a Vice President.
Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
Rahul Gupta, MD, MPH, MBA, FACP, is the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Additionally, Gupta serves as the interim Chief Science Officer overseeing the research and global health portfolio. He currently also serves as Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine as well as visiting faculty at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In his previous position, Gupta served under two governors as the Health Commissioner of West Virginia. As the state’s Chief Health Officer, he led the opioid crisis response efforts and launched a number of pioneering public health initiatives that have since been held as national models.
Director of Clinical and Behavioral Health Service, Addictions Recovery Center and Director of Research and Education, CNS Productions, Inc.
Darryl S. Inaba, PharmD, CATC-V, CADC III, is the Director of Clinical and Behavioral Health Services for the Addictions Recovery Center and Director of Research and Education of CNS Productions in Medford, Oregon. He is an associate Clinical Professor at the University of California in San Francisco, CA, and a Lifetime Fellow at Haight Ashbury Free Clinics, Inc., in San Francisco, CA. Inaba has authored several papers, award winning educational films, and is co-author of Uppers, Downers, All Arounders a text on substance-related and addictive disorders that is used in more than 400 colleges and universities. He has been honored with over 90 individual awards for his work in the areas of prevention and treatment of substance use disorder.
President and CEO of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Chuck Ingoglia, MSW, is the President and CEO of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. In that role, Ingoglia leads the national charge to ensure people living with mental illness and substance use challenges have access to comprehensive, high-quality care that affords every opportunity for recovery. To accomplish this, he harnesses the voices and support of the more than 3,000 National Council members who serve over 10 million individuals nationwide. Ingoglia draws from personal experience and a deep knowledge of the field acquired from more than 28 years’ professional experience in providing technical assistance and support to members. He effects change at both the national and state level by playing a major role in policy advocacy and analyses on issues relevant to the field. His efforts center on key issues such as parity, and improving access to behavioral health treatment in communities, and supporting. Ingoglia holds a Master of Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work, both from The Catholic University of America.
NAADAC Critical Issues in the Black Community Committee Member
Rommel Johnson, PhD, LPC, CRC, CAADC, NCC, is an assistant professor in the School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley. Johnson holds a Doctoral degree in Counselor Education and Supervision from Western Michigan University and Master of Arts degrees in Community Counseling and Youth Ministry from Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan. Johnson is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in the states of Michigan and Texas and is board certified in general counseling (NCC), rehabilitation counseling (CRC), and addiction counseling (CAADC). Johnson has over 14 years of clinical mental health and addiction counseling experience. His research interests include exploring brain neuroplasticity in addiction and recovery, and understanding issues of race, social justice, disability, addiction, and mental health within Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latinx communities.
NAADAC Public Policy Committee Co-Chair
Michael Kemp, NCAC I, ICS, CSAC, CSW, has worked in the addiction treatment profession for 35 years, working in various roles in both Wisconsin & Oregon. Kemp currently teaches in an Addiction Studies program in Wisconsin, where he has instructed for 18 years, and also provides services at several clinics in southeast Wisconsin. Kemp has been a NAADAC member since 1995, serving on the Public Policy Committee for over 15 years.
NAADAC Public Policy Committee Co-Chair
Sherri Layton, LCDC, CCS, NAADAC Public Policy Committee Co-Chair, began working in addiction treatment in 1977 and has worked for La Hacienda Treatment Center since 1992. As Director of Public Policy, Layton coordinates La Hacienda's legislative involvement on the state and national level. She frequently speaks on topics related to clinical supervision, advocacy, and leadership development. Layton was the NAADAC Mid-South RVP from 2012 – 2016 and has served on NAADAC’s Public Policy Committee since 2008. She is the Immediate Past President of TAAP, NAADAC’s Texas affiliate. She also serves on the Legislative Committee for the Association of Substance Abuse Programs – Texas. Layton has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and completed a Master of Business Administration degree with an emphasis on leadership in 2009 at the University of Texas in San Antonio.
Shaker Heights Youth Center Executive Director
John Lisy, LICDC-CS, OCPS II, LISW-S, LPCC-S, is the Executive Director of the Shaker Heights Youth Center. He also currently serves on the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board and is the Chair of the Treatment Committee. He was awarded the NAADAC Advocate of the Year for 2005 and has served as NAADAC's Secretary, Treasurer, and Mid-Central Regional Vice President. Lisy has served as the President and State Legislator Chair of the Ohio Association of Alcoholism and Drug Addictions Counselors and is the recipient of its August Martin Meuli Humanitarian Award. He was a founding member of the Coalition for Chemical Dependency Licensure and chaired the Ohio Alcohol and Drug Policy Alliance. He has been a participant in Leadership Ohio and was the Chair of the Social Welfare in Jamaica Conference, a collaboration between Case Western Reserve University and the University of the West Indies. He coordinated the Alcohol and Other Drug Workforce Development Project in Ohio for the Ohio Association of Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Counselors (OAADAC).
Member of NAADAC's Public Policy Committee
Kenneth J. Martz, Psy.D., CAS, is a licensed psychologist working in private practice. He has worked in the treatment and management of special populations for the past 20 years. Dr. Martz has also worked in a variety of settings including outpatient, residential, and therapeutic communities providing treatment of addictions and mental health conditions. He was formerly the Special Assistant to the Secretary for the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Dr. Martz has a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Loyola College, a Master’s of Business Administration from Argosy University, and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the American School of Professional Psychology. He has more than a dozen publications including Manage My Emotions and Manage My Addiction. Additionally, Dr. Martz has offered over 100 local, national, and international presentations in the addictions treatment field.
Executive Director & Director of Legislative Affairs, National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD)
Robert I.L. Morrison is the Executive Director & Director of Legislative Affairs for the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD). Morrison first came to NASADAD in 1998 as Public Policy Associate. He then served as Associate Director of Government Relations at Smith, Bucklin and Associates from 1999 to 2001. Morrison returned to NASADAD in 2001 as Director of Public Policy and went on to become Executive Director in 2009. He first came to Washington in 1993 to work for the late U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (NJ). Morrison graduated from Drew University in New Jersey with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and completed graduate work in American government at the Johns Hopkins University.
President & CEO of Wheat Shroyer Government Relations, LLC
Julie Shroyer, MSW, has more than 32 years of federal health policy experience including service on Capitol Hill as committee staff and in senior positions in the non-profit and private sector. A respected advisor to congressional and presidential campaigns, she is sought after for her recognized expertise in health care and public policy. In late 2021, Shroyer helped launch Wheat Shroyer Government Relations as a public service oriented advocacy organization. Shroyer is proud to serve as a Washington policy consultant to NAADAC and is dedicated to advancing support for addiction professionals and those in need of addiction treatment and recovery. She has a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Western Michigan University and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan.
NAADAC Public Policy Committee Member
Andrew Swanson is currently a first year law student at Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. Prior to transitioning to law school, Swanson served as the Policy and Advocacy Director for Oregon Recovers -Oregon's only statewide addiction recovery advocacy organization - where he led efforts that pushed for state legislation to increase access to treatment and recovery services. Swanson is in long term recovery from addiction and continues to advocate for the recovery community by serving on the Oregon Recovers Political Action Committee Board and the Other Bar Oregon Student Engagement Committee.
CEO of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP)
Marvin Ventrell, JD, became the Director of NAATP in 2015, continuing his 30-year career as a lawyer, association director, teacher, and treatment executive. His career has been devoted to advocating for populations in need and building legal and health care system responses. He authored two textbooks, numerous book chapters, and dozens of professional articles. He has taught at medical schools, law schools, and agencies in the U.S. and abroad and served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He has received numerous distinctions including an ABA National Advocacy Award and the University of Colorado School of Medicine Kempe Award.
Former Member of Congress from Missouri, Public Policy Practice Chair
The Honorable Alan Wheat ran for and was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1982. At the age of 30, he made history by becoming the youngest African American ever to serve in Congress. Congressman Wheat voluntarily left the House in 1994 to run for a seat in the United States Senate. He won the primary to become the first minority candidate selected as a major party nominee for statewide office in Missouri. While he did not win the general election, he has continued his career in the public arena. He served as Vice President of government relations for CARE, the international aid organization, then as President Clinton’s Deputy Campaign Manager. He later founded Wheat Government Relations and is currently the Chairman of Wheat Shroyer Government Relations, which focuses on providing support to public service clients.
Deputy Executive Director for the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD)
Melanie Whitter is the Deputy Executive Director for the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD), Inc. In this role, she coordinates and facilitates timely information exchange to the states and territories concerning policies, programs, and practices related to substance misuse and use disorders; identifies state issues that merit study; and provides technical assistance. Prior to her role at NASADAD, she held the position of Principal Associate and led Abt Associate’s Behavioral Health Practice. She has also held the position of Single State Agency Director for alcohol and drug services for the State of Illinois and served on the NASADAD Board of Directors. Over her career, she has been recognized for her commitment to advancing system change by building workforce and infrastructure capacity, creating and sustaining partnerships, and emphasizing research and evaluation.