CCR - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Principal
Carson Stanley studied psychology and biology at East Carolina University, where she graduated with honors and as the Vice President of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society of Psychology. A proud Raleigh native, her career has taken her across the country and to international destinations. In 2016, she joined CCR Consulting as a Research Coordinator and is now the team's Executive Assistant. Carson helps drive completion of key company deliverables and builds processes to drive efficiency in planning, reporting, and communication within the team. Her strengths include fundraising, website management, non-profit client association management, and meeting, conference, and event planning and coordination.
Chris Thompson, MHA brings years of experience in health care accounting, reimbursement, financial analysis and management of a large organizations. He has served as Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President of Operations and Budget Officer for a major healthcare provider. Chris has also presented at national conferences, such as NatCon, which is the largest behavioral health conference in Health Care. His years working in operations and finance have equipped Chris to offer opportunities for success related to financial and organizational improvements, which include value-based payment initiatives, development of financial models, and strategically thinking of operational efficiencies.
Christina Dupuch has over 40 years of public service in designing and implementing state and local government systems. She served as the statewide Director of Implementation for the North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services ensuring Evidenced-Based Practices while forecasting North Carolina's Managed Care System. Christina also served as the liaison between DMHDDSAS and North Carolina Medicaid, assisting in operationalizing new Medicaid Policies. Her early work on a class action lawsuit to deinstitutionalize dually diagnosed individuals (IDD/BH) laid the groundwork for including Person-Centered Practices/Recovery for all individuals across all disabilities in NC. In the local government sector, Christina served as the Chief Operations Officer/ Chief Community Operations Officer for Vaya Health, a Local Management Entity/Managed Care Organization in western NC. At Vaya, she incorporated her extensive experience in organizational management & structures and assisted in the development of community collaboratives, coalitions, mergers, and acquisitions while assuring and implementing Person-Centered practices within the Managed Care framework. Christina enjoys weaving heart-centered leadership practices into all aspects of organizations.
Job Titles:
- Managing Principal
- Member of the Leadership Team
Dennis Williams has 43 years of experience with the North Carolina and Virginia Divisions of MHDDSAS, consisting of positions within a private Provider, positions within the NC Division of MHDDSAS and positions within a Local Management Entity/Managed Care Organizations. These experiences included system change, promoting and implementation of evidenced-based practices, budget management, person centered services, outcome-based contracts, community collaboration and integrated care. He has led and co-led projects for residential program development, mergers and acquisitions, national accreditation, service expansion and other projects as assigned. He most recently worked with and collaborated with county stakeholders throughout eastern NC. Throughout his career his passion has been developing and managing services that assist individuals with meeting their needs and achieving their personal dreams.
Dr. Brunilda Lugo is a seasoned public health professional with over 30 years of diverse experience in quality control, clinical research, and project management across various sectors, including leading corporations like Baxter Healthcare and Stryker Puerto Rico, academia, and non-profits such as MAHEC. As a Quality Assurance Supervisor and Microbiologist, Dr. Lugo successfully implemented cost reduction initiatives and innovative quality control techniques, saving companies substantial amounts and improving efficiency.
In the field of clinical research, Dr. Lugo led on-site operations for pharmaceutical trials, managed a $450,000 Duke Endowment grant, and ensured compliance with regulatory standards such as CRC, GCP, GLP, and GMP. Additionally, Dr. Lugo has processed and submitted IRB documents for numerous research projects and contributed scholarly work as a published author in reputable medical journals.
A bilingual professional (English and Spanish), Dr. Lugo brings added value through cultural competency, particularly in fostering relationships with Hispanic communities. Brunilda holds a PhD in Public Health with a specialization in Epidemiology and has extensive experience in grant management, research development, and collaboration with cross-functional teams in medical, public health, and scientific domains.
Dr. Steve Cline joins CCR from his position as the Vice President for Strategic Partnerships for Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC). Prior to joining CCNC, Dr. Cline was the Assistant Secretary for Health Information Technology in the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). He spent most of his career in public health, including Deputy State Health Director in NC DHHS where he created division policies and priorities as well as supervising all programmatic areas of the Division of Public Health which included Epidemiology, Women's and Children's Health, Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention, Oral Health, and Public Health Preparedness. Dr. Cline brings considerable knowledge and experience at the intersection of population health and health information technology.
From 1999 to 2006, Dr. Cline served as Chief of the Epidemiology Section in the North Carolina Division of Public Health where he led the state's public health response to bioterrorism, SARS, Hurricanes Fran and Katrina, and other public health emergencies. Prior to that, Dr. Cline spent 13 years in local public health with the Wake County Health Department where he held the positions of Dental Director, Deputy Health Director and finally Acting Wake County Health Director. In 1996 he moved to the state health department where he was the State Dental Director for three years before becoming the Chief of Epidemiology.
Dr. Cline received his B.S. degree from Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina and both his DDS degree and his MPH degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is married and living in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has four children.
Erica Burgess, BSW, brings over 20 years of experience of combined direct care and management experience in the child welfare system through the private sector. The majority of Erica's career was spent as the Director of Foster Care and Adoption for a North Carolina nonprofit. Her years working in the private sector have provided Erica with the experience and knowledge in child welfare including program development, staff development and training, fiscal oversight, program evaluation, consultation, and project management. Erica has a passion for improving the lives of the children and families served in the child welfare system. She has specific expertise in the areas of foster care, adoption, kinship care, licensure, programming for transition-age youth, and recruitment and retention of foster, adoptive and kinship caregivers.
Jamie Bazemore has worked in the field of child welfare for over 18 years. She is a social worker and received her BSW from Appalachian State University and her MSW from UNC-Chapel Hill. Jamie began her career in child welfare at Chatham County Department of Social Services, where she worked in adoptions, foster home licensing, and placement. Her roles ranged from direct practice with children and families to supervision of direct practice staff and county level programming. After many wonderful years serving the Chatham County community, Jamie moved to the NC Division of Social Services at the NC Department of Health and Human Services to focus on state level program development and administration. From 2013 to 2018, Jamie served as the Program Manager for Adoption Services at the NC Division of Social Services, at the NC Department of Health and Human Services. During that time, she also had the privilege of overseeing the Licensing and Regulatory Section for 14 months.
Jamie is a passionate trainer and presenter with a true love for facilitating training that engages and motivates participants. Jamie is also an experienced project manager and is working to earn her Project Management Professional certification. In addition to her role as a Senior Consultant at CCR Consulting, Jamies also serves as a contract adoption paralegal for two law firms in central NC. Through this role, she works with and maintains professional connections to attorneys, child placing agencies, and Clerks of Superior Court. Most importantly, she is able to continue her work with adoptive families to prepare adoption filings and ensure permanency through adoption for children and adults in North Carolina.
Jamie's areas of expertise include data driven diligent recruitment and retention of resource families, licensure of resource families, child specific recruitment, permanency planning, post permanency support services, adoption programs, and legal adoption requirements. Jamie's experience managing different levels of county and state programs provide her a unique insight into the policy, programmatic, and evaluation elements of child welfare programs, the populations served, and their interactions with associated systems ranging from physical and behavioral healthcare to mental health, juvenile justice, and education.
Janet Breeding joins CCR with 40 years of state government, public, private, and non-profit experience in management, social work, budgeting, and grant writing. She has extensive knowledge of state and federal standards related to mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse services. Janet recently retired from her position at NC DHHS, DMH/DD/SAS as the Human Services Program LME-MCO System Performance Liaison. Her unwavering commitment is to ensure all persons, regardless of ability, have positive control over the lives they have chosen for themselves.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Psychologist
- Senior Consultant
Jill Hinton, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist with over 30 years of experience working with people with intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, and mental illness. Her past experience with The Arc of NC, Autism Society of NC, EastersealsUCP, and the NC Council on Developmental Disabilities includes direct clinical work, organizational leadership, clinical consultation, and policy work. She has co-chaired the AUCD MHIDD SIG which seeks to enhance understanding of mental health in IDD and promote best practice. She also serves on the IDD Sub-Committee for American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
At the national level, Dr Hinton's work with The National Center for START Services has involved training, consultation, promotion of quality clinical supports, and researching emerging and best practices. Her professional interests include trauma informed care and trauma treatment, modification of MH therapies for people with IDD, suicidality in IDD. She received EMDR certification through EMDR Institute. She has extensive background in autism spectrum disorder and is also interested in loss and grief in people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As part of her volunteer work, she facilitates a LGBTQ+ Support Group and supports a non-profit that works with youth transitioning out of foster care.
Johanna Reese has 30 years of government relations, public affairs, policy and communications experience in state and local government in the areas of public health, environment, social services and transportation, among others. Johanna spent seven years with the NC Association of County Commissioners where she led its legislative efforts, was a liaison to many executive branch agencies, analyzed complex policy issues affecting counties, and coordinated extensively with staff and elected officials on substantive and political matters. She also managed the association's federal advocacy. Johanna began her career at the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources in legislative and communications positions, including working extensively with local health departments. Most recently, Johanna was Deputy Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs at the NC Department of Transportation. She oversaw the department's legislative efforts, lobbied the General Assembly, worked on federal advocacy and communication, and was the lead contact with the Governor's policy office. Previously, she was Deputy Commissioner at the Division of Motor Vehicles and NCDOT's legislative liaison. Johanna is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor's degree in journalism/public relations and political science. She has also completed the County and Municipal Administration course at UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Government.
Kara Froberg, MHA, joins CCR with over 25 years of private and non-profit experience in behavioral health services in North Carolina including management, implementation, staff development and training, project management, credentialing, compliance, and quality management. She has served in various positions such as Vice President of Operations, and Director of Organizational Development and Compliance for two major North Carolina Providers. Her years of experience have equipped Kara to offer opportunities for success related to program development, implementation, and monitoring.
Kerri Erb, MPA, comes to CCR with over 20 years of experience in the field of Autism and IDD. Kerri began her career in direct support and Case Management and has since served as a Chief Program Officer, Director of Quality Management and a variety of other administrative roles across her career in NC. She has a history of successful engagement and leadership with a variety of policy and stakeholder groups at both the regional and state level with DHHS, Universities, and MCOs. Through this work and more Kerri provides expertise around service line growth and development, compliance, policy and implementation around best practices in autism treatment, integrated care and other direct service delivery. Her extensive history and knowledge of NC's health systems and policies allows additional skills in data informed outcome design and measurement, trends among the ASD and IDD services and working with and improving systemic issues. She consulted with organizations in SE NC around various aspects of Nonprofit management from Board development, strategic planning, grants, budgeting and operational design for many years as an associate of UNCW's QENO program. A lifelong native of the triangle (with a few long-term vacations to the coast and mountains for career and educational exploration), she currently resides in Cary with her husband and two daughters. Aside from her family, she is driven by listening to the stories of people and their families and finding linkages and solutions to build opportunities for access and quality support for all people in their communities.
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant
- Executive Director of the Bob Barker Foundation
Kurtis Taylor is a person in long-term recovery. For him, this means that he has not used alcohol or any other substance since December 23rd, 2002. Mr. Taylor obtained his bachelor's degree in social work from Shaw University in May of 2019.
For many years, Kurtis has been a voice for citizens seeking long-term recovery from substance use disorders. He was an appointed member of Governor Pat McCrory's Task Force on Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder. He has served multiple terms as Chairperson for the NC Substance Use Disorder Federation and as a member of the NC Departmental Waiver Advisory Committee (DWAC). He is also a member of the board of directors for i2i Center for Integrative Health and a board member for the Emerald School of Excellence - the first Recovery High School in North Carolina.
Presently, Mr. Taylor serves as the executive director of the Bob Barker Foundation, where he is committed to helping reduce recidivism rates, nationwide. Under his leadership, the Foundation is committed to the elimination of stigma attached to the subject of reentry & justice-involvement. Mr. Taylor is an extremely vocal advocate for all citizens faced with the challenges that accompany reentering society after incarceration, and he is proud to serve in this capacity.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Lanier Cansler / Founder
Rebecca Troutman, with a Masters Degree in Public Administration, worked with the NC County Commissioners Association for over 20 years in analyzing policy issues, developing policy positions, and representing NC's 100 counties in communications with the NC Legislature. Rebecca offers a strong understanding of issues related to county governments as well as their relationship with State government.
Ryan Wilkins studied Computer Science and Business Administration at Lenoir Rhyne University and has a decade of experience in clinical informatics, quality improvement consulting, and database administration. In this time, Ryan has worked with organizations to assist in implementing new solutions, and specializes in solution migration, optimization, and workflow development. Ryan has successfully helped organizations transition legacy systems to newer, more modern platforms through strategic due diligence processes. Ryan has an extreme passion for healthcare technology and enhancing the user experience through system efficiencies and maximizing the effectiveness of the technology.
Sarah Pfau has 25 years of health policy work in national non-profit, academic, public interest law, and State government venues - including 6 years of regulatory work in the North Carolina Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs - that have prepared her to work with diverse clients in the dynamic landscape of Medicaid Transformation in North Carolina. Sarah has extensive legislative drafting and analysis, grant writing, and program planning and evaluation experience. Sarah enjoys synthesizing and distilling complex concepts for non-legal audiences and developing trainings for individuals with diverse professional backgrounds and roles within their agencies.
During her tenure in State government, Sarah fielded policy inquiries from consumers, providers, law firms, the General Assembly, the Governor's office, and U.S. Congressional offices. She continues to monitor and analyze federal and State legal authorities to inform clients' policy decisions and compliance efforts across numerous operational areas in the Medicaid program.
Job Titles:
- Managing Principal
- Member of the Leadership Team
Sherry Bradsher, with a Masters Degree in Public Administration, formerly served as Deputy Secretary of NC DHHS over the agency's human services divisions. Prior to that, Sherry served as Director of the NC Division of Social Services. With a start in county Department of Social Services administration, Sherry brings over 30 years of experience in the effective delivery of human services, program administration, and human services policy development.
Susan Robinson has over 40 years of experience working with children, youth, and adults living with behavioral health needs and disabilities, their families, and the public, non-profit, and private systems that serve them. Susan employs a rich blend of experience and expertise from her work with communities in North Carolina and nationally, in state, county and non-profit leadership; partnering with children, youth, and families; working with early childhood and education systems, homeless shelters, community MHDDSAS managers and providers; child welfare and justice; military/veterans' services; implementing trauma informed resilience and disaster behavioral health recovery supports; promoting mental wellness and suicide prevention; and in program design, workforce and policy development, and business management to effect change, advancing collaboration for return on investment. Susan is proficient in overseeing the planning and implementation of short and long term projects, developing new federal, state and community initiatives, and coalition building. Grounded by life experiences, Susan holds a passionate focus on prevention, intervening as early as possible, building and sustaining resilience through inclusive integrated systems of care.
Job Titles:
- Managing Principal
- Member of the Leadership Team
Tara Larson formerly served as Senior Deputy Director and Chief Clinical Operations Officer, as well as Interim Director at the NC Division of Medical Assistance (Medicaid and HealthChoice). Prior to her service in Medicaid administration, she served as Deputy Director of the NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services. Tara offers over 39 years of experience in the delivery of direct care, program administration, and health policy development.
Vickie L. Bradley, MPH, BSN, RN, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, is a registered nurse and public health executive that brings over 30 years of health care experience, specifically in the public health and human services sector. Her experience includes working collaboratively, and intersecting with tribal, local, state, and federal systems. During her career, Vickie has worked in various roles in the private sector, Indian Health Service, and as the Secretary of Public Health and Human Services for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. She has a strong background in strategy planning, community engagement, policy and program development, and personnel management. She also has extensive experience working with indigenous communities and historically marginalized populations.