Mark Sanders 

Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC, is an international speaker, trainer, and consultant in the behavioral health field whose work has reached thousands throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, Caribbean and British Islands.  

Mark is the author of five books, which focus on behavioral health. Recent writings include Slipping through the Cracks: Intervention Strategies for Clients Multiple Addictions and Disorders, Recovery Management: and Relationship Detox: Helping Clients Develop Healthy Relationships in Recovery. He has had two stories published in the New York Times best-selling books series, Chicken Soup for the Soul. Mark has been a certified addictions counselor for 34 years. He has received numerous awards including a Life Time Achievement Award from the Illinois Addiction Counselor Certification Board and the Barbara Bacon Award for outstanding contributions to the Social Work profession as a Loyola University of Chicago Alumni.  

Mark is co-founder of Serenity Academy of Chicago, the only recovery high school in Illinois. He is past president of the board of the Illinois Chapter of NAADAC. He has had a 30 year career as a university educator having taught at the University of Chicago, Illinois State University, Illinois School of Professional Psychology, and Loyola University of Chicago, School of Social Work.

Jeff Georgi 

Jeff Georgi, MAH, LCAS, LCMHC, CCS, CGP 

Jeff has worked in the addiction field and practiced psychotherapy with a focus on families and group counseling for more than 40 years. He holds licenses as a Clinical Addiction Specialist, a Certified Clinical Supervisor, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, and a Certified Group Psychotherapist by the American Association of Group Psychotherapy. He remains a consulting faculty member in the Department of Behavioral Medicine, Division of Addiction Research and Translation, as well as a faculty member of the Duke University School of Nursing. He earned his BA from Duke University and his M.Div. in Pastoral Psychology from the Duke Divinity School and The Philadelphia Divinity School. Jeff completed an Internship and Residency program in Pastoral Counseling at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Medical Center and earned a Master’s in Allied Health at Duke University. 

Dr. Frank Clark 

Dr. Frank Alexander Clark is a board-certified adult outpatient psychiatrist at Prisma Health-Upstate. He also serves as clinical associate professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Greenville. Dr. Clark received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Monmouth College in Illinois and a Doctor of Medicine degree from Northwestern University. He then completed his residency in general psychiatry at Palmetto Richland Hospital in Columbia, SC  

  In addition to his psychiatric practice, Dr. Clark has held many leadership positions in national organizations including the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA). He was recently inducted as a new member of the American College of Psychiatrists. Locally he serves on the board of directors for National Alliance on Mental Illness-Greenville (NAMI)  

Dr. Clark is passionate about the intersection between the humanities and medicine. He is a recipient of the 2019 Leo Tow Humanism in Medicine Award sponsored by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation.  Dr. Clark is a former board member of the South Carolina Philharmonic and currently serves on their advisory council. One of his proudest accomplishments involves being the co-founder of the South Carolina Philharmonic Healing Harmonies Program.  

Dr. Clark has a strong passion for medical mission work and has traveled to numerous countries including Zambia, Ireland, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Canada, and Haiti to serve others medically and spiritually. He considers his faith a significant factor in his success and his practice. He enjoys spending with his family, exercising, writing poetry, collaborating with composers/artists, and traveling. 

Deborah Blalock 

Deborah Shogry Blalock became employed by the South Carolina Department of Mental Health (SCDMH) in 1993. Mrs. Blalock, the SCDMH Deputy Director, Community Mental Health Services, was appointed deputy in January of 2018. In her current role, she is responsible for statewide outpatient services provided by SCDMH, to include those provided by all 16 mental health centers.  Prior to that appointment, Mrs. Blalock served as the executive director of the Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center for 14 years. Before becoming the executive director, Mrs. Blalock was the center’s director of acute services – those services that directly focus on people in crisis such as a mobile crisis team, South Carolina’s first mental health court, a crisis stabilization center, and services in the local detention centers. 

Mrs. Blalock has extensive training in crisis negotiation, crisis intervention, and critical incident management.  She received her M.Ed. in clinical counseling from the Citadel in 1993, and is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor and a Certified Public Manager. 

Debbie and her husband, Mark, have five children and two grandchildren. 

Ken Dority, Executive Director, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Greenville  (NAMI Greenville) 

Ken is a native South Carolinian, born and raised in Darlington.  He attended Clemson University and Francis Marion College completing studies in Industrial Engineering and Business Administration.   Ken moved to Greenville in 1979 and began a 14-year manufacturing career.  In 1993 he began a 20-year financial and investment services career.   In 2013, Ken joined the National Alliance on Mental Illness(NAMI) as the Executive Director of the Greenville affiliate.   

Ken and his wife Kathy have been married for 41 years. They have two adult sons, and in their spare time, love being grandparents and enjoy the outdoors, especially hiking the trails of the upstate and western North Carolina.  They also enjoy riding their road bikes as often as possible enjoying the scenery on the less traveled roads of the upstate and coastal areas. 

Dr. Neha Hudepohl 

Dr. Neha Hudepohl attended undergraduate at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, and medical school at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, TN.  She completed her general adult psychiatry residency training at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 2010. She was on faculty at Brown University – Alpert Medical School following her graduation and was the Medical Director of the Center for Women’s Behavioral Health at Women & Infants Hospital until 2019.  There, she founded and led a Women’s Mental Health fellowship training program in 2013.  In 2019, Dr. Hudepohl joined Prisma Health/University of South Carolina School of Medicine – Greenville as the Director of the Women’s Mental Health Program and the Program Director of the Greenville Psychiatry residency program.  She was promoted to Clinical Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine – Greenville in 2021. In 2022, she became the Interim Vice Chair of Academic Affairs for the Department of Psychiatry. Her clinical and academic interests including perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, perinatal ethics and decision-making, and medical education. 

Rebecca Maddox 

Rebecca (Becky) Maddox has served individuals and families in the substance use field for over 30 years as a counselor and administrator.  She has been with the Phoenix Center for almost 20 years.   

Becky is a passionate advocate for individuals and families who struggle with a substance use disorder.  She speaks openly about her own personal struggles and those of her family.  Becky’s message is one of hope that no matter how long or short the recovery, every day and every person in recovery matters.   

Professional accomplishments include expansion of services for adolescents through the residential program at White Horse Academy, expansion of services to women and children at Serenity Village, and expansion of opioid treatment services.   

Becky is a graduate of Gardner-Webb University and earned a Master in Public Administration from Clemson University.  

Lesley Pregenzer 

Lesley Pregenzer serves as the CEO, FAVOR Upstate, 1 of 26 certified Recovery Community Organizations in the US. As a woman in long-term recovery, she has dedicated herself to providing equitable recovery-based services to all people in need of support. Pregenzer was born and raised in the California Valley. She received a BA from Humboldt State University in Northern California and spent 20 years in Seattle before settling in South Carolina. She resides in northern Greenville County with her husband Bob Morris.  

Jennifer Piver 

Jennifer Piver is the executive director of Mental Health America of Greenville County.  Jennifer graduated from Northern Illinois University with a degree in Communicative Disorders with an emphasis in Speech Language Pathology.   She moved to SC and after volunteering on MHAGC's CRISISline she found her calling.  Jennifer is certified by the American Association of Suicidology and has been serving MHAGC’s suicide prevention efforts for over 22 years.  Two years ago those efforts became statewide in SC with the implementation of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.   

LeeAnne Cavin 

LeeAnne Cavin studied Psychology at the University of South Carolina and has several years of experience as a project manager. She also has experience on staff at Grace Church both as a Children’s Ministry Director and as Director of Care & Recovery. LeeAnne is currently the executive director of Front Porch Housing, a two-year supportive housing program designed to help individuals and families in crisis build a firm foundation with the goals of continued sobriety, gainful employment, financial independence, and spiritual maturity. Seeing Front Porch Housing grow out of the need of one member at Grace Church into a full-fledged supportive community has been one of her greatest joys. 

Jeff Randolph

Jeffrey B. Randolph is the President of The Randolph Group, LLC, a residential and mixed-use land development company based in Greenville, South Carolina. After receiving his Master of City and Regional Planning degree from Clemson University in 1983, Jeff began a 14-year career with Liberty Properties Group, the real estate operating company of Liberty Life Insurance Company. As Vice President of Liberty’s Residential Land Division in the Southeast, Jeff managed a $70 million portfolio of communities. In 1997, The Randolph Group (www.trgcommunities.com) was formed to provide development services for a portfolio of owned and managed communities. The Randolph Group’s current award-winning portfolio consists of communities in Greenville, Columbia and Charleston, South Carolina. 

From 2006 to 2018, Jeff returned to Clemson University as a Lecturer in the Master of Real Estate Development Program. 

In April 2018, The Randolph Group was placed on retainer by Homes of Hope, Inc for real estate acquisition and development services across the Homes of Hope affordable and mixed income housing portfolio.   

In April 2020, Jeff was appointed by City Council to serve on the City of Greenville’s Planning Commission.  

Jeff is on staff at Grace Church in Greenville, where he manages certain business operations of the church, particularly related to real estate and community partnership development. Grace Church is a non-denominational multi-site church with ten (10) campuses.   

Chris Haines 

   Chris Haines is a Licensed Professional Counselor and the Director of School Mental Health Programs at Greater Greenville Mental Health Center. Chris’s team includes 82 therapist positions serving 101 schools and programs in Greenville County School District. Chris is the School Mental Health Therapist at West Greenville School, where he has specialized in the treatment of adolescents with severe emotional and behavioral disorders for the past 15 years. Chris is on the South Carolina roster of clinicians trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a trained EMDR Therapist, a Trainer on Adverse Childhood Experiences, and a Trainer in Trauma-Informed Practices. Chris’s education includes a Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Prior to working in School Mental Health in Greenville, Chris worked as a community-based therapist serving children in Washington, DC and Maryland.   

Michel Turner 

After graduating from Wofford College and The Divinity School at Duke University, Pastor Michael Turner has served United Methodist congregations all over South Carolina for the past 22 years. For the past ten years, he has served as the senior pastor at Advent United Methodist Church on Woodruff Road in Simpsonville.   Driven by a conviction that the faith community is called to make a positive impact in the broader community, Pastor Turner has consistently sought to lead congregations outward in mission to meet people’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Pastor Turner lives in Simpsonville with his wife, who is a public school teacher, and two children. 

Rachel Carosiello 

Rev. Rachel Carosiello is one of the pastors at Advent United Methodist Church and, among other responsibilities, coordinates the church’s care ministries. Originally from Tennessee, Rachel graduated from Emory & Henry College with a Bachelor of Arts in religion and a minor in music as well as from Duke Divinity School with a Master of Divinity degree. She is ordained in the United Methodist Church. Over the last several years, Rachel has pastored congregations first in Tennessee and then in South Carolina. Rachel and her husband, Gryff, now reside in Greer with their one-year-old son.  

Theresa Thompson 

Theresa Thompson Deputy Director Upstate Warrior Solution Theresa was born and raised in Idaho, where she graduated from Boise State University with a B.A. in Criminal Justice. Shortly after graduation, she moved to South Carolina where she began a career with the Greenville Police Department. Theresa served the City of Greenville from 05/1997 to 11/2013.  

While working as a police officer, Theresa attended Clemson University, where she earned an M. Ed in Counseling and Guidance services and a National Certification in Counseling. During her tenure, she held several positions which included Patrol Supervisor, Criminal Investigations Lieutenant, Commander of the Crisis Negotiation Team, Coordinator of the Internal Peer Support Team, and was the district 3 representative of the SC Crisis Negotiation Association.  

While commanding the Crisis Negotiation Team, Theresa and the team recognized an increase in “Justice-Involved Veterans” cases and began working on early intervention strategies. She joined the Upstate Warrior Solution team, in December of 2014, as the Development Director and now serves as the Deputy Director.  

Theresa helped build formal partnerships and referral pipelines with local law enforcement and county detention facilities. The UWS team now has access to five local detention centers and has active MOUs with two of the largest law enforcement agencies in the Upstate.  

Theresa was appointed to the Greenville County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse in 2021 and serves on a Front-end Advisory Committee related to veterans and the justice system, for the Council on Criminal Justice. 

Smitty Heavner 

Dr. Smith F. Heavner is a registered nurse with fifteen years of clinical experience and a public health scientist with expertise in data science, informatics, and health equity. In 2021, Prisma Health honored Dr. Heavner with the Award for Excellence in Nursing for their seven-year leadership of the Pride Alliance, a business resource group working to improve the experiences of LGBTQ+ patients, families, and team members. Dr. Heavner earned a PhD in Applied Health Research and Evaluation from Clemson University and is a member of the 2023 cohort of Global Clinical Research Scholars at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Heavner holds adjunct faculty positions in the Department of Public Health Sciences at Clemson University and in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville. They serve on the Board of Directors for 864Pride, a non-profit working to improve healthcare access and equity for the LGBTQ+ community in Upstate South Carolina, and help lead the Queer Wellness Center of Greenville, an LLC owned by 864Pride and operated in partnership with Amaryllis Counseling to provide space and resources for LGBTQ+ owned businesses, community efforts, and non-profit organizations.

Robyn Ellison 

Robyn Ellison is a certified Special and Regular education teacher with graduate work focusing on Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities from Furman University. She currently serves as Education Coordinator at Prisma Health in the Department of Psychiatry as well as the South Carolina Mental Health Ambassador for The National Council for Mental Wellbeing.    Robyn is both a Mental Health First Aid instructor and an ACE’s trainer and has been awarded the top instructor for the State of South Carolina from The National Council for Mental Wellbeing.  Robyn co-authored the first SAMHSA Mental Health grant awarded to the Department of Psychiatry at Prisma and was just awarded the second such grant that provides MHFA at no cost to participants.  She is passionate about changing how we talk about, treat, and care for those potentially suffering from mental illness and has trained over 4,000 upstate community partners so far, in MHFA.