About Us
President and Founder
Gary De Carolis: a wealth of experience
Gary De Carolis, M.Ed., is president of the Center for Community Leadership and author of the book, A View from the Balcony: Leadership Challenges in Systems of Care
With over 20 years of hands-on leadership experience in federal, state, and
local government, Mr. De Carolis has an extensive background in designing, building
and administering community-based systems of services and supports for children
with disabilities and their families. He has received major awards in recognition
of his outstanding service and leadership in children's mental health, including
two Vice-Presidential Hammer Awards for government innovations and the first
National Wraparound Award. Innovation and sharing knowledge across a broad range
of stakeholders are hallmarks of Mr. De Carolis' work. He initiated, helped develop
and served as a core faculty member for eight five-day Leadership Academies
for professional and parent leaders in community-based mental health systems.
Mr. De Carolis was also the driving force for a series of national Policy Academies and publication and distribution of 20 Promising Practices monographs in Systems of Care. He created and chaired the influential 150-member Federal/National Partnership for children's mental health. Mr. De Carolis has written and delivered scores of keynote speeches at national conferences on topics including leadership, public policy and children's mental health, and systems of care.
Mr. De Carolis also lectures and teaches extensively on these issues at the undergraduate and graduate level.
Professional Background: Gary De Carolis, M.Ed.
Chief, Child, Adolescent and Family Branch, federal Center for Mental Health Services, Rockville, MD, 1993-2002
Deputy Commissioner, Vermont Department of Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health (DDMH), 1987-1993
Leadership positions of increasing scope managing child, adolescent and family services for Vermont DDMH, including Director, Child, Adolescent and Family Unit, 1985-1993
City Councilor (elected three terms), Burlington, Vermont, 1981-1987
Counselor, Counseling and Testing Center, University of Vermont, 1979-1985
Senior Partners
Anne Lezak, M.P.A. (Masters in Public Administration), Vermont
Anne Lezak, M.P.A., a nationally recognized consultant, specializes in policy, planning, and service issues in mental health, children's and family
services, and homelessness. Anne is a skilled writer, editor, and group
facilitator; over the past 20 years, her clients have included numerous
national, state, and local organizations as well as federal agencies. Anne
develops and writes substantive reports and monographs, technical assistance
materials, grant proposals, and other products for a variety of audiences. She
has also edited four books. Anne regularly teaches grant-writing
workshops and classes in Vermont and nationally. Additionally, she facilitates
organizational retreats, leadership development training, and board development
sessions for non-profits, communities, and federal agencies.
Anne is an experienced non-profit leader, and has served as executive director of a Boys & Girls Club. She is also deeply involved in her community and in local politics, and has chaired or served in substantive roles on a number of boards. Anne was campaign manager for her husband, who successfully ran for the Vermont House, becoming the first Asian American legislator in Vermont. Earlier, she coordinated the federal government's Program for Homeless Mentally Ill Persons. She also worked as a Mental Health Financing Specialist for the National Institute of Mental Health, and spent seven years working in community-based youth programs, both in direct services and management positions.
Pamela Marshall, J.D., M.S.W., has directed both not-for-profit and for-profit community agencies, as well as serving as Director, Arkansas Department of Mental Health. Pam provides extensive technical assistance and training for communities and other audiences engaged in building community-based systems of care for children and their families. Pam effectively draws on her legal training and background as well as her personal experience as a parent advocating for her own child with special needs in her system reform work.
Kenley Wade, M.M. (Masters in Management), Illinois
Kenley Wade, M.M., brings over 35 years of leadership and management
skills to the work of the Center for Community Leadership. His consulting
practice specializes in assessing and advising on leadership, management
practices, and organizational structures of human services organizations. Areas
of special expertise include strategic and sustainability planning and
cultural competence. Kenley initiated his consulting practice in 1998 after 28
years as a top-level administrator in Illinois state government. Over the
past 11 years he has consulted on leadership and organizational assessment
and development in fourteen states, and has conducted reviews of large
Federal grant programs in 26 states.
Kenley's recent community leadership has focused on creating opportunities for public discussion on key topics affecting the quality of life in his community. He has been instrumental in establishing several key organizations: a citizens group that conducts public forums and policy briefings, and an organization to inform the public about the importance of nurturing and maintaining local independent businesses in our cities. Kenley also serves as a community representative on the editorial board of the local daily newspaper, providing input to the process of influencing public opinion regarding topics of great importance to his community.
His current consulting activities include work with federal and state agencies, universities, family organizations and community-based organizations. Kenley is a resident and native of Springfield, Illinois where he attended and graduated from local public schools. In 1987 he earned a Masters Degree in Management from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
Faculty Associates
Mary Hernandez
Mary Hernandez, B.S., serves as the Director of the Empowering Youth
Project, a special program of the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, and is the
principle of MH Consulting. Mary provides leadership, organizational, and
volunteer program development; advocacy training; and technical assistance
for nonprofits. In training fund development fundamentals and sustainability,
Ms. Hernandez draws from her vast experience with annual giving programs,
special events and budgeting.
Through the years Mary has enjoyed employment in the nonprofit sector with organizations small and large including the Yellowstone Art Museum, Yellowstone City/County Health Department, American Diabetes Association, and the Mental Health Foundation. As a consultant she's worked with various Montana nonprofits and businesses such as the Amend Park Development Council, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Montana Indian Business Alliance, and the City of Billings.
Mary also enjoys her volunteer work and has contributed energy to a number of organizations that support kids, the underserved, and that promote education and health. She was a founding board member of the Billings AIDS Support Network (now known as the Yellowstone AIDS Project) and Venture Theatre. She's on the advisory board of Montana State University Billing's College of Allied Health Professionals and recently completed her second term on the board of the Good Earth Market Co-op. She is an alumna and active promoter of the Leadership Montana program.
Deborah Ann Porter
Deborah Ann Porter, B.S., is a social marketing specialist who brings
over 20 years of experience in traditional marketing and four years experience
as a social marketer working with national Systems of Care for non-profit
agencies in the mental health arena. She serves as a consultant for
community agencies, providing guidance and support in the areas of community
outreach, event planning, project management, grassroots marketing, youth/parent
engagement, team building, and marketing collateral development. She has
demonstrated her skills in social marketing through planning and carrying out
one of New York State's largest annual events involving youth, family,
community, county and state-level participants in support of National Children'
s Mental Health Awareness Day in Erie County.
Deborah's work has been recognized nationally by the National Systems of Care initiative through the "Caring for Every Child's Mental Health campaign." She has received numerous awards for her social marketing efforts on behalf of children, youth, and families over a three-year period. Deborah has a natural ability to bring families and youth together to work toward common goals. She welcomes challenges and has a strategic mindset in finding solutions and building bridges to meet those challenges. She is extraordinarily personable, accommodating, competent, and enthusiastic and one who inspires and motivates others.
Conni Wells
Conni Wells is the lead consultant and manager of the Axis Group I consulting firm. Ms. Wells has a breadth of experience in organizational management, sustainability, and leadership development. She was the founder and executive director of a nonprofit organization where she developed expertise in risk management, accountability, compliance, sustainability, and family program development through interactions with federal, state, and private financing models. She furthered her expertise on the national level as Chief Officer of National Training and Education of a federally funded national technical assistance program. In this role she coordinated the technical assistance team and developed resources to assist family and consumer run nonprofits across the nation to create infrastructures built on the principles of sound leadership and mission based management.
For over 20 years, Ms. Wells has consulted with various state, federal, and international agencies, programs, and organizations, facilitating partnerships between families, policymakers and service providers to develop family centered and culturally competent initiatives, services, and policies for families, individuals, and their communities. She has authored multiple publications related to leadership, special needs, disaster planning, life planning, and organizational development. Also a parent and grandparent of children and young adults with special needs, Ms. Wells has become a powerful advocate and effective leader in planning, developing, and implementing services for populations with special needs.
