New Elwyn CEO announces members of senior executive team
MIDDLETOWN » One of the Philadelphia-area’s most recognized and historical nonprofits is getting a major leadership facelift, as the new president and CEO of Elwyn, Charles McLister, redesigns and rebuilds the organization’s executive team in his first six months.
The newly formed 14-member executive team has veteran leaders who come largely from the health and human services industry, including new hires from AstraZeneca, Universal Health Services, Acadia Health, Sheppard Pratt Health System, and others.
McLister has over 27 years in the health and human services industry, spending much of the last decade actively steering human services and behavioral health organizations through a rapidly changing sector filled with consolidation.
“I am very proud to have the opportunity to lead this outstanding organization at such a remarkable stage in the health and human services field. I am fortunate to guide Elwyn as it faces an industry filled with both change and uncertainty,” said McLister. “In America today, a child is 5-times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than just 15 years ago, and we are all four times more likely to be receiving some kind of therapy than 20 years ago. Behavioral health issues are better understood and more widely supported by our communities — at the same time, states and the federal government are struggling to decide how to meet these needs and many providers are at risk of failing. Elwyn must be positioned to take advantage of its size, its resources, and its substantial experience as these changes occur.”
McLister, who spent the summer traveling to every program within the organization to hold town hall meetings with staff and then revamping Elwyn’s core values and operating principles, said people can expect to hear much more about Elwyn in the near future.
“Elwyn has been a leader in this field since its founding in 1852, and our goal is to leverage the deep experience of our veteran workforce to build partnerships and expand our services,” said McLister. “I see Elwyn as an essential resource for the Delaware Valley as well as in other states, and I believe we must provide leadership for the non-profit, health and human services sector. After 165 years, we are one of the only organizations in the nation with the capacity and the expertise to meet the industry’s rapidly growing needs.”
The senior leadership team includes:
• Jeff Giovino, COO. Jeff has over 25 years of executive leadership experience and works closely with the CEO to develop, plan and implement the strategic direction of the organization.
• Cindy Bertrando, CFO. Cindy is a seasoned financial executive with an extensive background that is well-suited to health and human services.
• H. Scott Campbell, SVP Business Development. Scott joined the Elwyn management team in July 1992 and is responsible for business development including the expanding the operations of Elwyn California and New Jersey.
• Rex Carney, VP Government Affairs. Rex is responsible for the organization’s external relationships with the public sector, the media, and other key stakeholders.
• Kyu Hwang, VP Education and Early Childhood Services. After 35 years with Elwyn, Kyu was named Vice President of a division comprised of over 600 employees, which is responsible for the largest Approved Private School in Pennsylvania and serving as the exclusive provider of early childhood intervention services in the City of Philadelphia.
• Len Kirby, VP Adult I/ DD Services. Len is a seasoned behavioral health leader with over 20 years of experience in a variety of human service areas.
• Marguerite Kraftson, VP Development. Meg is Elwyn’s Vice President of Development and the Executive Director of the Elwyn Foundation. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Meg is a Certified Fund Raising Executive with almost 20 years of experience in the field.
• Shawn Lacy, VP Human Resources. Shawn previously served as Executive Director of Family Support Services, an Elwyn affiliate.
• Regina MacKenzie, General Counsel – Regina joined Elwyn in 2014 and oversees the legal and risk management areas of the organization. Prior to Elwyn, Regina represented human service agencies, schools, municipalities, and corporations over 20 years in private practice.
• Dominic Marfisi, VP Behavioral Health – Dominic is a highly successful and experienced healthcare leader, most recently serving as the Eastern Regional Director for Acadia Healthcare (formerly CRC Health Group), managing the business development and day-to-day operations of 144 inpatient rehab and detox beds in 6 facilities.
• Chris Reichart, SVP Innovation & Digital Marketing – Chris leads the technology team and digital marketing strategy. Chris has over 20 years of experience in the tech field and most recently was the Chief Business Officer at Zerion Software before joining the Elwyn team.
• Richard Smith, VP Information Technology – Rick is responsible for the integration of enterprise applications, growing core competencies through technology, assuring the effective delivery of IT support and services, and maximizing the dissemination of quality information.
• Jeremy Sunkett, VP of Corporate Real Estate – Jeremy leads and manages Elwyn’s strategy to grow a multi-state, multi-million dollar real estate asset portfolio.
Elwyn is also pleased to announce Richard Berry as the new Executive Director of Elwyn NJ. A graduate of Temple University, Rich has dedicated his passion in life to working to enhance the overall wellbeing for consumers across the Mental and Behavioral Health, Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice, and Educational platforms across several states including Arizona, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida and Maryland.