Cheri L. Walter – is the CEO of the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA), representing the county ADAMHS Boards. Ms. Walter has provided more than 30 years of diversified, progressive leadership and management within non-profit organizations, associations and large state departments in Ohio. She holds a Master of Administration from Tiffin University and is a Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor.

MORNING PANEL PRESENTERS

Kathleen Kinney – has been the Executive Director of the Lake Area Recovery Center since July of 1974. The Lake Area Recovery Center provides a wide range of alcohol and other drug addiction treatment and prevention services to both adolescents and adults. Ms. Kinney has been instrumental in helping to create the interdisciplinary Ashtabula County Drug Court Team. This team continues to service a growing number of participants and has successfully graduated over 15 individuals in the past 18 months.

Kathy Regal – is the CEO of Community Counseling Center in Ashtabula and has over 20 years of experience working in the behavioral health field in various capacities. Her experience spans both mental health and substance abuse treatment, serving multiple populations in both inpatient and outpatient treatment settings in Northeast Ohio. Ms. Regal holds a bachelor’s degree in management, a master’s degree in business administration, and is a Certified Chemical Dependency Counseling .

Jonathan Lee – is the founder and CEO of the North Coast Center which is now Signature Health, Inc. This agency began with a focus on treating adolescents for substance abuse but has become a comprehensive treatment center for both adolescents and adults. It features outpatient and residential treatment facilities, offering psychiatric and counseling services for children, adolescents and adults who have been affected by mental health and /or substance abuse.

Judge Alfred W. Mackey – currently holds the position of Ashtabula County Court of Common Pleas judge and is a member of the Ashtabula County Drug Court Team. Judge Mackey is a graduate of Hiram College and Case Western Reserve University Law School. He is also an honorably discharged United States Marine. Judge Mackey is a member of the Ohio Bar Association and the Ashtabula County Bar Association along with serving on the Ohio Judicial Conference’s Specialized Docket Committee as well as the Court Technology Committee. He was very instrumental in forming our local drug court and continues to serve as the Judicial team member.

Pamela Lancaster, D.O. – has been a practicing physician in Ashtabula County since 1982 and served as the Deputy Coroner from 2001 until being elected to the position of Ashtabula County Coroner in November of 2010. She is a graduate of the University of Texas and Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Lancaster is an active staff member of UHHS Geneva Medical Center and the Ashtabula County Medical Center. She is certified by the American Osteopathic Board of General Practice. In the position of Coroner, Dr. Lancaster is concerned about the high rate of addiction and deaths due to growing epidemic of opiate use in Ashtabula County.

Margaret A. Draper – is the Assistant Ashtabula County Prosecutor. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Kent State University and the University of Akron Law School. Ms. Draper is a member of the Ohio Bar Association and the Ashtabula County Bar Association. Ms. Draper has been involved with the criminal justice system for the past 18 years as both a municipal court prosecutor and currently as an Assistant Prosecutor where she is responsible for prosecuting felony crimes, including rapes, murders and drug offenses.

Sheriff William R. Johnson – graduated from St. John’s High School and attended Kent State University. He served honorably in the National Guard holding the rank of Sergeant E5. Sheriff Johnson was elected to the position of Ashtabula County Sheriff in 1993 and currently serves in this position. Sheriff Johnson has first-hand knowledge and experience dealing with drug related crimes and works diligently to reduce the spread of drugs and crime in Ashtabula County.

AFTERNOON BREAK-OUT SESSIONS

SESSION 1: How Opiates Impact the Community

Ann Zirzow – is the Chief Operation Officer for Signature Heath, Inc. Ms. Zirzow has over 15 years of experience in the mental health and chemical dependency fields. Her work experience includes working with both adolescents in out-patient treatment and prevention services along with working with adults through mental health treatment services. As the Chief Operating Officer, she is responsible for the day to day operations at all Signature Health, Inc. sites.

SESSION 2: From Justice to Recovery: Recognizing, Responding, and Referring Persons with Addiction

Judge Albert Camplese – has served as the Judge of the Ashtabula Municipal Court for the past 18 years. He graduated cum laude from Ohio Northern University, and received his law degree from Cleveland-Marshall School of Law. He is a former Assistant City Solicitor and Prosecutor for the court. Judge Camplese is also a member of the American Judges Association and the Ashtabula Bar Association.

Marie Lane – is the Director of the Ashtabula County Public Defender’s Office. She is a graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College and the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Ms. Lane has served as Director since 1998 and oversees six full-time staff attorneys and together they have handled over 4,000 cases. Ms. Lane also serves as a member of the Supreme Court of Ohio Advisory Committee on Specialized Dockets which is responsible for drafting statewide rules and uniform standards concerning Drug Courts and other specialized dockets in Ohio courts.

Melinda S. Kapalin – is a Prevention Specialist at the Lake Area Recovery Center. She is a graduate of Hiram College with a Master of Interdisciplinary Studies and is also an Adjunct Faculty member there. Melinda has worked in the field of prevention since 2006 and has presented programs for over 3000 students, teachers and administrators throughout Ashtabula County. She currently writes a weekly column for the Ashtabula Star-Beacon on topics ranging from bullying to drug addiction.

Sheriff William R. Johnson – graduated from St. John’s High School and attended Kent State University. He served honorably in the National Guard holding the rank of Sergeant E5. Sheriff Johnson was elected to the position of Ashtabula County Sheriff in 1993 and currently serves in this position. Sheriff Johnson has first-hand knowledge and experience dealing with drug related crimes and works diligently to reduce the spread of drugs and crime in Ashtabula County.

SESSION 3: Treatment Options for Persons Addicted to Opiates

Nykolai Pidhorodeckyj, MD – received his medical degree from the University of Missouri and also holds a master's degree in pharmacology. Dr. “Nyk” has served as Chief Resident, Internal Medicine, at Akron General Medical Center, as Emergency Room Physician/Critical Care Physician at Lakeland Emergency Affiliates and Medical Director of Inpatient & Assistant Medical Director of Outpatient Addiction Medicine at Summa Health Systems. His most recent positions have been Director of Health Services for the Interval Brotherhood Home, Physician for Community Counseling Center and has recently been appointed Medical Director at Glenbeigh Hospital.

Vicki Ochoa – has over 25 years of senior clinical leadership experience in the mental health/residential treatment environments. She holds dual Bachelor Degrees in Sociology and Psychology from John Carroll University and a Master of Social Service Administration from Case Western Reserve University, Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. Vicki is also a Supervising Licensed Independent Social Worker.

FINAL PRESENTATION: The Importance of Saving the Youth in our Community

Judge Charles Hague – currently serves as the Ashtabula County Juvenile Court Judge and as Probate Judge. He is a graduate of Hiram College and received his Juris Doctorate from Case Western Reserve University College of Law. Judge Hague is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and the Ashtabula County Bar Association as well as other state and local organizations. He has been a Juvenile Court Judge since 1993 and active in working with children and their families to reduce recidivism among Ashtabula County's adolescents.