Pathways to Hope 2023

Daniel Gillison, Jr.

Daniel H. Gillison Jr. provides strategic leadership to NAMI through his role as Chief Executive Officer with more than 30 years of professional experience. He also currently serves on numerous boards, including the National Institute of Health (NIH)’s Advisory Mental Health Council, the Lululemon Global Wellbeing Advisory Board, the National Health Council Board of Directors, and the Austen Riggs Center Board of Trustees.

Recognized as a Change Agent in Lifestyle magazine and a Leader in the NonProfit Times 2022 Power & Influence Top 50 List, Dan has received numerous awards for his work advancing mental health equity, including the 2022 Hope in Action Award from Hope Center Harlem, the Honor of Distinction Award from the Bowman Foundation Annual Global Impact Awards, the American Mental Health Counselors Association 2022 President’s Award, and more.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dan spearheaded the creation of the CEO Alliance for Mental Health, which brings leaders across the industry together under a unified vision to meet the unique and unprecedented challenges our most vulnerable communities are facing today. He is also the host of NAMI’s inaugural podcast, Hope Starts With Us. You can follow Dan on Twitter at @DanGillison.

Judge Joyce A. Campbell, J.D

Judge Joyce A. Campbell, J.D., is President of the NAMI National Board of Directors for the second year.

Joyce is a member of NAMI Butler County and serves as Immediate Past President of the NAMI Ohio Board of Directors. She is the Immediate Past Chair of the Ohio Judicial Conference and a former member of the Ohio Supreme Court Commission on Specialized Dockets. Joyce currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, and, the Butler County Mental Health and Recovery Services, and the Ohio Judicial College.

She is a municipal court judge in Fairfield, Ohio and has presided over both, a certified mental health and a drug court docket for over 22 years. Joyce is a member of numerous professional associations and has bar admissions in the state of Ohio, the U.S. District Court for the Southern and Northern Districts of Ohio, the U.S. Supreme Court and the state of Kentucky.

Joyce first found NAMI in 2000 and included them in her development of an innovative mental health docket in Ohio. A NAMI representative is present at each weekly hearing to assist those with a mental illness and their families who are involved in the criminal justice system. In her numerous leadership positions, she works to encourage the implementation of a specialized docket for individuals with a severe mental illness involved in the criminal justice system in every jurisdiction throughout the country.

Joyce earned a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from Case Western Reserve University and a J.D. from the CWRU School of Law.

Darcy Gruttadaro

Darcy Gruttadaro serves as NAMI’s Chief Innovation Officer. In this leadership role, she works with her team to advance NAMI’s strategic goals in expanding our reach to embrace youth, young adults and communities of color, expanding NAMI’s workplace mental health initiatives, and developing and promoting innovative practices that improve the lives of people impacted by mental health conditions.

Darcy previously served as the director of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APAF), Center for Workplace Mental Health. In that role, she expanded the Center’s national reach through new strategic partnerships and by creating a broad array of high impact tools, trainings, and resources that met the immediate and unique needs of public and private organizations in diverse industries.

A nationally recognized expert on workplace mental health, Darcy served as the APA and APA Foundation’s lead media spokesperson on workplace mental health. She has been quoted in multiple major media outlets including the NY Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, ABC News, Bloomberg Business, and more.

Darcy received the 2020 APA Leadership Award in recognition of her achievements and stature as a nationally recognized leader on workplace mental health issues and more.

Before joining the APA Foundation, Darcy served in multiple senior level roles at NAMI. She practiced law at the Harris, Beach law firm in upstate New York, concentrating her legal practice on healthcare, mental health, and related issues.

Dr. Rania Awaad M.D.

Dr. Rania Awaad M.D., is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine where she is the Director of the Stanford Muslim Mental Health & Islamic Psychology Lab as well as Stanford University's Affiliate Chaplain. In the community, she serves as the Executive Director of Maristan.org, a holistic mental health nonprofit serving Muslim communities, and the Director of The Rahmah Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating Muslim women and girls. In addition, she is faculty of Islamic Psychology at Cambridge Muslim College and The Islamic Seminary of America. She is also a Senior Fellow for Yaqeen Institute and the Institute of Social Policy and Understanding. Prior to studying medicine, she pursued classical Islamic studies in Damascus, Syria, and holds certifications (ijaza) in the Qur’an, Islamic Law, and other branches of the Islamic Sciences. Follow her @Dr.RaniaAwaad

Dr. Athena Trentin

Dr. Athena Trentin is the Executive Director of NAMI North Texas and brings more than 25 years of experience in the fields of nonprofit management, developing communities of support and cultivating future leaders. Prior to joining NAMI North Texas, Dr. Trentin was a Research Director for the Simmons School of Education & Human Development at SMU and Director of Operation for the Urban Inter-Tribal Center of Texas, a health and social services nonprofit for American Indians and Alaskan Natives. Dr. Trentin is a proud member of the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians, located in Harbor Springs, Michigan.

Dr. Trentin completed her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership at the University of Southern California in 2008 and her Masters in Teaching and Bachelors in Public Policy at Michigan State University. She is also an alum of the Business Council for the Arts Leadership Arts Institute and the Intercultural Communications Institute Summer Institute Fellows Program.

Archie Green

Archie Green is a Cleveland, Ohio native, an advocate for mental health, and well-known for his lyrical abilities as a Hip-Hop artist. Archie's introspective single, “Layers,” about his lived experience with depression, premiered at VICE.com in 2016. Prior to joining NAMI National, Archie served as the Support and Education Coordinator for NAMI Greater Cleveland and later as a consultant and strategist the Cross-Cultural Innovation and Innovation Hub leading the Black Male Mental Health initiative under Sharing Hope. He will be responsible for outreach and expansion to BIPOC male mental health utilizing innovative approaches. He received his bachelor’s in Economics from Morehouse College (an HBCU) and his master’s in music business from New York University. Archie and his lovely wife, Niké, currently reside in Los Angeles, CA.

Jason Mayden

Jason Mayden is the CEO and Founder of Trillicon Valley, an award-winning design and strategy consultancy specializing in new venture creation and multi-stakeholder partnership negotiations for athletes, entertainers, and global creatives. He is the former Sr. Global Design Director for the Jordan brand and was the former President of Fear of God Athletics and sportswear giant Adidas. He is a co-founder of the award-winning enterprise, Super Heroic, which creates kid-centric designs, narratives, and experiences focused on amplifying the power and potential of multimodal play.

Jason is a part of the inaugural cohort of the Super Angels for Acrew and Concrete Rose, focused on providing capital and building pathways for Black and Latinx Entrepreneurs. Jason is the author of several books, including ‘The Speed of Grace’ and has been featured on multiple ‘Most Inspiring” lists, including Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business and Ebony’s Power 100. Jason is a highly sought-after thought leader on social justice, youth advocacy, design, innovation, and ethical entrepreneurship. Jason is represented by Creative Arts Agency (CAA).

Dawn Brown

Dawn Brown is the Director of the Cross-Cultural Innovation and Engagement Hub for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Dawn leads a diverse team focused on expanding mental health education and suicide prevention into underrepresented, underserved, and faith communities; the implementation of JEDI-CLAS principles and practices and the new Community Health Equity Alliance (CHEA) across the agency and 650+ chapters in 49 states. Dawn is a mental health advocate, a DEI trainer and an international speaker on a mission to eradicate disparities and create mental health friendly, stigma free places of work, worship, and community. In addition to Dawn’s role with NAMI, she is the mother of a daughter with a serious mental illness, a Diamond Life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a member of the Suicide Prevention Hope Task Force for the City of Milpitas. Dawn is a graduate of UC Berkeley, an avid runner and enjoys reading and spending time with family and friends.

Courtney Lang, JD

Courtney Lang, JD, is a strategic communications and health policy expert whose primary focus is advocacy, activism, and grassroots mobilization. She is the founder and principal of Langco + Partners, a health equity public affairs firm recognized for mobilizing constituencies to achieve impactful business goals aligned with issue-based campaigns and public policy.

As an accomplished change agent, she is a demonstrated leader during a crisis or transition and a national champion who promotes the fundamental right to health for patients, providers, and public health constituencies. Courtney consults with organizations on access, affordability, structural racism, and systemic change amidst resilience. She facilitates coalitions and dialogue supporting public conversations and galvanizing communities to coalesce on health justice initiatives that improve the human condition.

A native of Washington, DC, Courtney proudly serves as an adjunct media law professor for Pepperdine University, her alma mater. She earned a juris doctor degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and studied comparative health law and policy at St. Anne’s College, Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

Doug Beach

Doug Beach is the Executive Director of NAMI Greater San Antonio, a NAMI Family to Family Instructor and leads a Family Support Group for families impacted by a mental illness. In 2016 Doug helped launch the PATHWAYS TO HOPE. In 2020, Doug led the formation of the Bridges to Care San Antonio initiative in conjunction with the COSA Dept. of Human Services. Doug serves as the Chairperson of NAMI FaithNet; the Board V.P. of Pathways to Promise, the past Chairperson and current Member of the Behavioral Health Advisory Committee (BHAC) of the Texas Dept. of Health and Human Service; the Chair of the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) of the Local Mental Health Authority, the Center For Health Care Services; and the Co-Chair of the Bexar County Task Force on Mental Health and Criminal Justice.

Kyle Galimba

Kyle Galimba is marketing specialist, content creator, and mental advocate for the Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific-Islander (AANHPI) communities based in San Jose, CA. He is passionate about event production and skilled in social media design and marketing. His talents include professional writing, interpersonal communications, market research and graphic design. Since 2021, Kyle has heavily supported the Cross-Cultural Innovation and Engagement (CCIE) team in helping launch the Pathways to Hope conference and expand the Sharing Hope, Compartiendo Esperanza and FaithNet initiatives. Kyle is responsible for outreach and expansion to the AANHPI communities utilizing innovative approaches. Kyle is a graduate of San Jose State University and writes and performs standup comedy.

Laura Martinez

Laura Martinez experience includes leading the Compartiendo Esperanza Lead, NAMI Illinois, Mental Health Equity and Inclusion Director, NAMI-KDK Executive Director; and a 15-year tenure with Amita Mercy Medical Center as Supervisor of Interpreting and Translating Services and Language Access to Healthcare Program. Her community involvement includes Chair of Compañeros en Salud (Partners in Health), member for United Way Community Resource Council, community member of INC Board Mental Health Resource Council, President of Dominican Literacy Council, Vice-Chair of Waubonsee Community College Healthcare Interpreting and Education Council. President of North Region Interpreting Leadership Council. Laura created SHINE (Support for Healthcare Interpreters & Network Enhancement. Her focus is on advocating for mental health, minoritized and limited-English speaking community.

Emily Wu Truong

Emily Wu Truong is a 2nd generation Asian American mental health advocate, community organizer and an award-winning storyteller for emotional resilience and healing. Since 2010, her efforts to raise community mental health awareness have helped to educate thousands of people to find meaning in their life struggles and become more understanding of individuals with emotional struggles. Emily's story has been featured by the California Mental Health Movement Each Mind Matters, Fox 11 News, Good Morning America, NBC Asian America, LA 18 and the World Journal Chinese Daily News (世界日報). Emily has been recognized for her grassroots advocacy from Congresswoman Judy Chu, Congresswoman Grace Napolitano, Senator Ed Hernandez, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Assemblyman Ed Chau & former Assemblyman Mike Eng. Currently, Emily serves as a steering committee member for NAAPIMHA's National Asian American Pacific Islander Empowerment Network (NAAPIEN) to provide safe spaces for marginalized AANHPIs in a world that is less compassionate. Emily also serves as a support group facilitator for the NAMI Greater Los Angeles County also known as NAMI. Emily has become a role model for many, sharing her life lessons to encourage others to find the light at the end of the tunnel.

Rev. Jason Whitehead, LCSW, PhD, ACC

Jason Whitehead is a firm believer in a few things: relationships matter, words create worlds, and experimentation builds habits and skills. He has worked off and on, as a therapist for the last 20 years and is interested in how we make meaning out of our experiences. While some of us do that through religion, others make sense of the world using science, philosophy, or ethics. Simply put, we’re all guided by an idea or a curiosity that calls us to reflection, question, grow, and change based on our experiences. Jason has completed Master’s Degrees in Social Work and Divinity, a Ph.D. in Religion and Psychology from Iliff School of Theology and University of Denver; and is an Associate Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation.

Jason has been married for 25 years and has two children (16 and 12). In his spare time, he reads science-fiction, watches superhero movies, and plays video games. He is also a woodworker building outdoor furniture, plays pickleball, hiking and enjoys traveling with his family.

NAMI FaithNet Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient: Carole J. Wills

In the late 1990s, Carol and her husband David joined NAMI Indianapolis after a devastating diagnosis of a family member. They enrolled in the twelve-week Family to Family course. They would eventually become certified and lead the courses. In 2000 at the urging of NAMI Indianapolis members, Carole and David attended NAMI National in Washington, D.C. Her background drew her to the NAMI FaithNet sessions where she met Gunnar and Susan Christiansen, pioneers of NAMI FaithNet in the mid 1990’s. Gunnar unknowingly became Carole’s mentor. With support from the NAMI Indianapolis Board of Directors, and a team of supportive members, clergy, Carole launched the NAMI Indianapolos’ Faith Community Education Project (FaithCEP), and sponsored awareness events, companionship trainings, church presentations, and yearly conferences for ten years. Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis became FaithCEP’s main venue, host and eventually, full partner, recommending their seminary students attend the conference and earn extra credit.

In 2001 Carole approached the Indianapolis Center for Congregations (ICC), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing resources, consulting and workshops to help faith communities in Indiana, urged them to offer mental health education and resources to congregational leaders. Within a week, Center for Congregations offered Carole a paid consultant job to help create a Mental Health Ministry Resource section for their on-line Congregational Resource Guide. By 2010 over one-hundred resources were screened, reviewed and annotated for faith community leaders and lay persons. From 2006 – 2009, Carole served as President of NAMI Indianapolis Board of Directors. With the aid of many volunteers during her term, they strengthened NAMI Indianapolis Support Group facilitators by hosting luncheons for sharing common issues and reviewing group facilitation guidelines and increased the number of twelve-week Family to Family course offerings per year. In 2010, Carole obtained approval from the NAMI Indiana State Chapter to conduct NAMI FaithNet’s Reaching out to Faith Communities training for Indiana local NAMI affiliates. This four-hour training equipped NAMI affiliates for destigmatizing mental illness in their congregations through support, education and advocacy. In 2016, as a final effort to expand mental health awareness and education to faith communities, Carole approached the Indianapolis Center for Interfaith Cooperation (CIC) to partner with NAMI Indiana and. An Advisory Group was formed, and the Interfaith Coalition for Mental Health (ICMH) was established and continued through 2022 under the leadership of the Advisory Board of mental health professionals, clergy, CIC and NAMI Indiana.