Celebration – Friday, April 18, 2025
Longevity Award Recipients:
5 Years of Service
| Leonel Alvarez-Villalobos Position: Care Coordinator Supervisor: Pretina Hutchinson Leo’s 5-year anniversary with the Mobile Response Team! As one of the original MRT care coordinators, Leo has consistently shown dedication, compassion, and versatility. His bilingual skills have made him an invaluable asset, especially when serving our Hispanic clients—whether in schools, homes, or during bio-psycho-social assessments. Leo’s background in grief support through hospice has also allowed him to walk alongside clients during some of their most difficult moments, offering understanding and comfort that truly makes a difference. Though he may be one of the youngest members of MRT, Leo brings maturity and wealth of knowledge well beyond his years. His willingness to jump in wherever needed—whether working the CSU booth, covering phone shifts, or supporting the team in-office—demonstrates his commitment to both our mission and our clients. Thank you, Leo, for your heart for service, your cultural insight, and the compassion you bring to everything you do. Happy 5-year anniversary! | Amanda Bondie Position: Care Coordinator Supervisor: Pretina Hutchinson Amanda, as one of the OGs of MRT, Amanda has been a cornerstone of our team since the beginning. Her commitment, compassion, and creativity shine through in everything she does. Whether she’s going above and beyond for her clients, jumping in on a spreadsheet, staying late, coming in early, or helping new team members find their footing, Amanda embodies what it means to be a true team player. Amanda is not only a phenomenal care coordinator—she is a gifted clinician at heart. Her ability to connect with clients, find creative solutions, and make thoughtful referrals demonstrates just how much of a difference she makes every day. She has a wealth of knowledge and has played a vital role in training many of the care coordinators who have passed through MRT. We continue to encourage her to finish her master’s degree—because we know the world is waiting for the next level of her calling. Thank you, Amanda, for being such an integral part of this mission and for the light you bring to our team and our clients. Happy 5-year anniversary! |
| Osvaldo Font Position: Director, Employee Relations & Engagement Supervisor: Kevin Clarke Osvaldo Font, or “Font” as we all know him, has reached his five year milestone with Meridian. Font is focused on fostering a workplace culture built on respect, collaboration, and employee well-being. As the Director of Employee Relations and Engagement, he has been a driving force in strengthening connections, ensuring that all processes and procedures are followed. His leadership has shaped policies that prioritize inclusivity and support, making a lasting impact on both individual careers and the organization’s overall success. Font’s unwavering commitment and passion have set a high standard, and his contributions continue to inspire those around him. We celebrate his years of service and look forward to the continued positive influence of his work. | Tina Harkness Position: Vice President Admissions/Access Supervisor: Richard Anderson Tina Harkness has served as the Vice President of Access and Admissions since November 9, 2023, after being promoted from her role as Project Director for CCBHC and Director with the Mobile Response Team. She has successfully implemented various programs including CCBHC, FEMA, Hospital Bridge, and Care Coordination, and has revitalized the previously struggling CAT Team into a model program. Tina consistently takes on all challenges and new programs with dedication and hard work. She has not expressed any opposition and strives to make each initiative successful. She occasionally mentions the countdown (Months, days) to her retirement. (She even bought me a countdown clock…set for after she retires). Seriously, Tina is dedicated to ensuring excellent client care through her tireless efforts and leadership in the multiple departments she manages |
| Kenia Morris Position: Mental Health Technician – Acute Care Supervisor: Shawntavious Murphy Kenia is one of the most dedicated, hardworking, and innovative people I’ve had the pleasure of working with. In these last 5 years of working together I’ve had the opportunity to watch her work in her greatest element and work alongside her doing what we do best. Kenia is loving, compassionate, kind, and never misses the opportunity to help others. She’s always willing to go the extra mile. Kenia is the type of person you can count on to keep a cool head in stressful situations, and her positive attitude is contagious. For these reasons, I’m grateful to celebrate Ms. Kenia 5 years of service. Congratulations on your acknowledgement. It is well deserved. | Delora Rollins Position: Program Manager – MRT North Supervisor: Tina Harkness Delora Rollins is a Licensed Mental Health Clinician and began with Meridian on March 20, 2020, in the position of the Access Center Program Manager in Gainesville. She served in this position until December 14, 2023, when she transferred to her current position as the Program Manager for the Mobile Response Team for the North counties. Delora is a quiet, unassuming person who works diligently to ensure rules and policies are followed. She is reliable and her team knows they can count on her and trust her with the decisions she makes to ensure the clients they serve have their needs met. Many may not know this, but Delora also works quietly behind the scenes covering the CSU for crisis screenings overnights to assist this department, which is often short-staffed and in need of help. Thank you, Delora, for working with passion for the past 5 years, serving those who are in need in our communities. We appreciate your efforts and dedication to Meridian’s mission. |
| Blake Pfeifer Position: Discharge Planner Supervisor: Kimberly Henderson Deborah Most Blake is the consummate professional employee, always on time and always completes his work without complaint. He is always willing to help others if asked. His professional ethics are without repute and there is never a need to ensure his work is complete. We wish every employee had his work ethic and dependability. We are incredibly grateful to have Blake as part of our team. His dedication and hard work have made a real difference. Thank you, Blake, for everything you do everyday! | Donna Rowland Position: Primary Care – Program Manager Supervisor: Alexis Day Over the past two years, I have had the pleasure of working alongside Donna, who truly embodies the spirit of a Meridian. She consistently goes above and beyond her own responsibilities, often stepping in to assist other departments with their needs. Her willingness to help and support others has made her a trusted go-to person throughout the organization, with many colleagues turning to her for guidance and solutions. I look forward to continuing our collaboration and witnessing her unwavering dedication in action. |
| Shinara Singleton Position: Custodian Supervisor: Elizabeth Corr Shinara is an asset to Meridian, as she is always going above and beyond of her daily cleaning duties. She is always mindful of any possible needs of all departments. She is a team player and takes pride in training new employees. She has often said how much she loves Meridian and our clients. Client care and safety is always Shinara’s priority. We are so grateful to have her on our team and look forward to her growth at Meridian. | Donnie Shirley Position: Maintenance Supervisor: Roy Blinder Don has been with the facilities department for his whole tenor at Meridian. Don started out on day shift and then quickly moved into the night shift position once it came available. Don is our closer and helper at nights. Don gets a lot of the small/ difficult jobs done when there is no one around. He is the one that is usually not seen by many due to his later schedule, but his presence is felt by the whole team. Don is always willing and ready to complete any special task that is required of him. We are happy to have Don on our team, and we look forward to many more years of service |
| Christopher Taylor Position: Counselor III – Rehab Services – Gainesville Supervisor: Brian Wilson Chris Taylor has a solid connection with the PSR GV clients, and they respond well to his methods. He engages the clients, encourages their participation, and empowers them with the tools necessary to move forward in their recovery. For his five-plus years, Chris has successfully assisted our clients in identifying and utilizing personal as well as community resources, and empowering them to find not only their voices, but their place in the community. Chris has made a positive difference in the lives of every client he has worked with. He has a natural ability to help others. He not only thoughtfully coordinates care for our clients, but he has also been instrumental, as a true team player, in helping meet the productivity for our department. He is a real asset for Meridian Healthcare. | Robby Williams Position: Clinician Supervisor: Michelle NesSmith I would like to take a moment to recognize Robby Williams as he receives his longevity award. Robby spent most of his career at Meridian in Gainesville as a Care Coordinator, starting in 2020. I received his internal application for a clinician position in our MAT clinic in Live Oak back in November 2024 and was amazed he hadn’t been offered a clinical position before then. Robby is not only accomplished on paper as it relates to his education and experience, but he has an incredible story to share that shows resilience and the desire to be the better version of himself every day he wakes up. The passion Robby has to help other and assist them in their recovery journey is unmeasurable and every client in Live Oak sees that in him as I do, and his co-workers do. Robby has an incredible personality, sense of humor to keep you laughing and he truly makes is easier for our clients to talk about hard things with him as a result. Robby’s co-workers, clients and I as his supervisor cannot say enough positive and uplifting things about him. We are all blessed to have him in our MAT Services family and hope he will stay with us for a very long time. Congratulations on 5 years at Meridian Robby! |
| Kathy Wintons Position: Customer Service Specialist – Lake City Supervisor: Kennidra Rossin One word to describe Kathy is persistent. She has been determined since before she started with us adamant to be a part of our Meridian team. Kathy has been a bright presence for all of the staff and the majority of the clients that she has come in contact with. I will say Kathy did venture off to another department, however that did not last long, and she was right back where she belonged (Everyone laughed). On a serious note, it has been a pleasure working with Kathy and I am glad that she is a part of the Client Relations team. |
10 Years of Service
| Judy Morales Position: Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) Supervisor: Tia Jones Judy’s unwavering commitment to Meridian Healthcare is a true inspiration. I have personally worked alongside Judy for the past 10 years, and she still finds a way to surprise me with her grace and support when it comes to assisting even our toughest clientele. Judy is always the 1st one in and last one out, no matter how many times I tell her to go home! (lol). There are too many instances to count that display Judy’s dedication, positivity, resourcefulness, and impact on the quality of care she provides. Judy has never lost sight of the mission and what truly matters, and that is Patient Care and Compassion. The Outpatient Psychiatric Team wouldn’t be the same without Judy Morales! | Amanda Register Position: Customer Service Specialist – Lake City Office Supervisor: Kennidra Rossin Amanda, what can I say…. she has been a part of Meridian in a number of different ways and for quite a number of years. She first started working at Meridian in 1991, left and came back in 2014. I first met her as a co-worker, and she worked in the medical records department filing paper documents (remember those. lol) at the McCall building. She later ventured into the infamous OTP clinic and has been a dedicated and reliable employee. Amanda is very quiet, however once you get her going it is hard to get her to stop (lol). She has a warm spirit and happy that she continues to be a part of the Client Relations team. |
| Dr. Stephen Straubing Position: Physician – Addiction Medicine Supervisor: Dr. David Kirby We thank Dr. Straubing for his 10 years of dedication towards Meridian and our patients that we serve. He has set an outstanding example for medical students and residents along the way. He provides excellent medical care for clients at Bridge House. Above all, his dedication to the treatment of addiction, particularly in our OTP and MAT treatment programs and his up-the-date knowledge in the addiction field has been an invaluable source of knowledge and we are grateful to have him. | Doreen Vargas Position: Clinician Supervisor: Jessica Pitts Doreen has been a wonderful addition to the CIT Team. She consistently meets standards and provides excellent customer service to our clients. She has strong clinical skills and knowledge that includes 15+ years of clinical experience and analytical skills for assessing. Doreen, we appreciate all your years of service and dedication to Meridian! |
| Ronnie Williams, Jr. Position: Billing Manager Supervisor: Cherise Elmore Ronnie is a dedicated employee who’s been with Meridian for a decade. Ronnie started part-time in the HR department and transitioned to Billing as a Billing specialist, Billing Analyst and with his latest promotion to Billing Manager. Ronnie has gracefully stepped into the Billing manager role and continues to train and educate his team on various billing processes. Ronnie is eager to learn and wants to be a part of Meridians’ continued growth. Ronnie is very intelligent, analytical and is becoming more knowledgeable in all aspects of Billing. He’s excellent at analyzing AR and creating various reports for tracking purposes. Ronnie has recently finished his bachelor’s degree at Morehouse College and plans on continuing on for the Master’s program. Ronnie wanted to work for a company where there’s growth and advancement and he has found that here at Meridian. Ronnie is eager to learn and wants to be a part of Meridians’ continued growth. |
15 Years of Service
| Amanda Craig Position: Vice President – Facilities Supervisor: Ashley Brooks Amanda Craig has been with Meridian for 15 years! She first started as the Facilities Manager, then moved into the Director of Facilities and currently serves as our VP of Facilities. Amanda’s hard work and dedication to Meridian is evident in all she does. She is reliable, consistent, loyal and always available via phone, day or night! During her time here, Amanda has managed countless projects to move the organization forward in new program endeavors and has ensured their completion, most recently the construction of the new CRF, the update of our buildings/signage to meet the standards of our new branding, just two of many, all while ensuring daily maintenance of our existing facilities stay on track. Meridian is beyond lucky to have such a loyal staff member like Amanda and we look forward to celebrating at least 15 more years with her! | William Wall Position: Manager, Peer Specialists Supervisor: Alan Paulin I am recognizing 15 years with Meridian. I am a Certified Peer Specialist with an advanced certification in Forensics. I used to be an English professor and taught at some pretty well-known universities. In my 50’s, substance use/mental health disorders made my life so unmanageable that I lost everything and ended up homeless. I’ve been a Meridian client at Bridge House, Outpatient MH, Outpatient SUD, Med services, CSU, and Detox. I was on MH disability. The Ticket to Work program sent me to Meridian when I had about 2 years clean and was stable on new meds. I came here not very hopeful, since I had never even taken Intro to Psychology. The Forensics Manager hired me, since I had a criminal history, mental health challenges, and severe substance use disorder in remission. Now I serve on the Alachua County on the Alachua County CJMHSAG advisory committee, and I have been on several committees and work groups for DCF and Florida Certification Board and am a subject matter expert for SAMHSA. I’ve also have given presentations at serval conferences, including BHCon. Here at Meridian, I am the Chair of the Recovery Oriented System of Care (ROSC) committee and manager/coordinator of the Peer Specialists in all programs in all our 13 counties. |
20 Years of Service
| Debra Dewein Position: Specialist – Health Information Management (HIM) Supervisor: Loreth Graham Debra, congratulations on 20 incredible years with Meridian! Your dedication, hard work, and positive attitude has made a lasting impact on the HIM team. We value the wealth of knowledge you bring to the team and your contributions that help us grow and thrive as a department. Our team is better and brighter with you on it. Wishing you the best for continued success. Happy 20-year Workiversary. | |
I Am Meridian Award Recipients:
| Nathalie Hervy Clinical Director – Tri-County Supervisor: Terri Faul Nomination Criteria: Initiative, Integrity Nathalie has been running groups for forensics since they do not have a clinician. She does the drug screens as well. Nathalie has been doing EHR training for any dept. that needs it even though these are not in her normal job duties. Nathalie helps others with a willing heart, works to ensure all clients have excellent care, and works with other dept. when they are short staffed. | Charles Warwick, III Facilities Manager – Lake City Supervisor: Amanda Craig Nomination Criteria: Innovation Charles always goes above and beyond in everything he does. If a staff member needs help Charles is usually the first person to try to help, even if it isn’t in his scope of work. Charles is the backbone of the Lake City Facilities department as he covers the Lake City campus as well as all the Northern outpatient locations without complaining. When you need a helping hand Charles is always there to lend it. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to Meridian Charles, we look forward to seeing what your future holds. |
Cindy Thomas CHOP Manager/GV Main Building Supervisor: Terri Faul Nomination Criteria: Excellence I really put all this in the Rock Star how Cindy takes on responsibilities to improve client care outside of her normal work duties. She has a positive attitude and is always willing to help anyone in any dept. she deserves to be a I am Meridian recipient. Cindy is training all staff in the EHR She is doing so with Lunch and Learns and day trainings. Cindy has spent multiple days training staff on SmartCare clinical documents and processes. She volunteered to do a Luch and Learn with Daivd Lui on how to “on-board” staff. Now she is doing another Lunch and Learn on SmartCare clinical again for current and new staff. Cindy volunteered, without additional pay, for the past year to oversee the Families in Transition Program. This program was not reporting correctly, and Cindy was able to work with staff and LSF to bring it into compliance. The school referrals in Alachua County used to get backed up. Cindy took it upon herself to do the intake so the clinicians in the schools could begin much more quickly seeing the child for therapy. This has had a positive impact on not only client care but the relationship with Alachua County Schools.. Cindy is always willing to go above and beyond her job description and does so with willingness. These are the reasons Cindy deserves to be a Rock Star. Excellence in ensuring client care and that staff know what to do with clinical documentation in SmartCare. Initiative to look at ways to solve problems issues and create a better process for clients and staff. | Orchid Nantes Care Coordinator – Lake City Primary Care Clinic Supervisor: Christy McBee Nomination Criteria: Excellence, Innovation, Integrity, Initiative Donna Rowland -… Orchid truly loves her job and her clients, and it shows. I would like to nominate Orchid Nantes for the “I Am Meridian” award. Although Orchid is no longer under me in Datis, I still supervise the program. She had to be moved under a licensed clinician as a program requirement and in Datis, reports to Christy McBee. The IBHH program is a contracted program through United Health Care and is very strict with its requirements and submission of documents. They also have requirements for the number of clients that we enroll each month and that we provide care coordination to. The clients love Orchid and frequently send me notes and photos of her and them thanking me for her making a difference in their lives. She has transformed the lives of several high utilizers by providing them with services and assisting them with understanding their medications and other needs. She promptly enrolls them in Primary Care and seeks providers for other services that they need. This program began with two coordinators, but around September, the other coordinator moved to a different position and Orchid single handedly took on the program. Orchid successfully followed over 60 clients for care coordination while still maintaining the enrollment of at least 12 new clients each month. Even while Orchid was out of the office for surgery, she worried about her clients and called me to remind me to check on certain individuals. I must also say that she did this without office space and had to move from office to office, sometimes several times in the same day. As soon as she returned to work after surgery, she jumped right back in and was eager to check on all of her clients and start on the new list of attributed clients. By the time we were able to bring on another coordinator, my husband sustained a serious injury, and I was frequently out of the office caring for him. Orchid stepped up and trained the new coordinator, brought her along on coordination visits and really made her a part of the team. |
Ambria “Bri” Rutledge Central Services Clerk/Driver Supervisor: Elizabeth Corr Nomination Narrative: Excellence Bri goes above and beyond to ensure every department shipping needs are completed in a timely manner and especially during urgent deadlines. She always has a positive and helpful disposition and helps all the departments in Facilities when shorthanded and will cover anytime needed. A recent event was the fulfillment of equipment for (2) fully remote NEO’s, which required coordination between HR, IT and Central Services to ensure that the equipment for the remote new hires was not only prepared by IT but shipped via FedEx overnight to ensure that they received their equipment on the same day that the rest of the NEO’s received their equipment. My communication with Linda and Ambria to coordinate the shipping of the two packages that included laptops, cell phones, signature pads, and smart speakers, was executed flawlessly because aside from having an organized plan, and the key was Ambria’s willingness to personally deliver the packages to the FedEx store to ensure they went out on the scheduled day. The outcome was that the two fully remote employees received their equipment right on time, and they were able to participate in the training along with their peers. | Renee Richter Clinician – GV Main Building Supervisor: Cindy Thomas Nomination Criteria: Excellence, Innovation Initiative Renee does an outstanding job in her regular duties as a clinician working with her clients, families and building relationships with community partners. Without fail, anytime she has a no-show she volunteers to help with face-to-face assessments for non-licensed staff and take bios to help CIT. Additionally, Renee chairs the Stakeholder Relation Committee and does an outstanding job according to administrative management. Renee has a very good understanding of SmartCare and Mend, and she has helped to train new clinicians across departments in these platforms. Specifically, Renee conducted formal trainings on treatment planning and training on Mend to clinicians in both Children’s Outpatient and Adult Outpatient. Renee has been extremely helpful to her peers and new clinicians when managers are not available. For these reasons I would like to nominate Renee for the I am Meridian Award. |
Janet Kuykendall Clinician – Recovery Center Supervisor: Shelley Stroud Nomination Criteria: Excellence Janet Kuykendall is a great example of service excellence. She goes above and beyond for the youth and their families. Whether it is working late or working on the weekend for the parent that has to work and cannot attend a family meeting during the traditional hours to provide support to the parent that is struggling themselves. All the youth at the Recovery Center loves Mrs. Janet and sings her high praises. Mrs. Janet ensures that her office is decorated for every season and ensures that it is inviting. | Kelly Friend Recovery Specialist – Recovery Center Supervisor: Shelley Stroud Nomination Criteria: Initiative Kelly Friend is such a great addition to the Recovery Center. She is constantly taking the initiative to do projects with the youth such as sewing, cooking and special outings with them. She is also diligent in including all the youth and provides a good example of compassion and forgiveness to the youth for them to learn by observing and receiving. Kelly Friend takes on special projects with the youth on mending their stuff animals, hemming their clothes, sewing projects with them to teaching them how to cook full meals providing hands on instruction. Kelly goes above and beyond on holidays to come in and cook a big meal with the youth. Here at Meridian, I am the Chair of the Recovery Oriented System of Care (ROSC) committee and manager/coordinator of the Peer Specialists in all programs in all our 13 counties. |
| Gloria Ritter Recovery Specialist – Recovery Center Supervisor: Shelley Stroud Nomination Criteria: Excellence Mrs. Glo is called by the youth mama Glo. Mrs. Glo is readily available to help the youth in whatever way that she can, whether it is buying them a special prize or reward to a special birthday present. Mrs. Glo just knows what the youth and the youth trust her. Mrs. Glo will cook the special foods that the youth like and bring it in for them on birthdays and special events or holidays. Mrs. Glo provides the youth with resources not only when they are in the facility but for when they leave and return to their homes. | Alaina Buckler Recovery Specialist- Recovery Center Supervisor: Shelley Stroud Nomination Criteria: Initiative, Integrity Alaina is quick to recognize her faults and how to overcome them. She listens to the youth and shares her experiences and models effective communication with the youth and how to express your wants and needs appropriately. Thank you for leading the youth by setting a good example. Recently a youth was having an outburst and feeling that no one heard them. She stopped what she was doing and took the time to listen to them and provide them with the time needed to feel that they were heard. She never said this was not a crisis but stated I understand that you have a need, and I want to help you. |
| Tereva McNeal Counselor III – Recovery Center Supervisor: Shelley Stroud Nomination Criteria: Integrity Tareva is shining light to the youth at the Recovery Center. While the youth may not always believe it, she is always trying to help them see how their lives can be better. She consistently is looking for activities for them to do outside of the program’s already set curriculum. Reva is always there to advocate for the youth with their families, community partners and anyone else that they need her help with. Reva not only teaches integrity but displays it with the youth and her peers. Reva consistency teaches the youth about integrity and displays it within the work that she does with the youth. She goes above and beyond to meeting the youth’s needs. Often when a youth is having a meltdown, which happens often at the Recovery Center, she is there to listen to them, allow them to share their feelings and help them see how while they cannot control others, they can control the reaction they have. Through her actions the youth can improve their responses and learn better ways of communicating with their families and friends. | Tyler Zimmermann SOAR Specialist – CCBHC Supervisor: Thea Baglino Nomination Criteria: Excellence, Innovation, Integrity, Initiative Tyler Zimmerman, SOAR Specialist for CCBHC, has been voted as a Rock Star and I would like to be sure he is selected for I Am Meridian as well. He has gone above and beyond his work as a SOAR Specialist, by also performing duties as a Care Coordinator with the ACT Team and CCBHC. When we have been shorthanded, he takes calls after hours and ensures Meridian is represented by providing great client care. Whether he is completing a transportation pass form or walking with a client through our lobby to the CSU, or over to Bridge House, no matter what is needed, Tyler is available to assist. Tyler went out of his way to train new Care Coordinators and provide support while they learn the various programs within Meridian and outside in our communities. His support is immeasurable to the CCBHC team, and he never hesitates to step outside of his role as a SOAR Specialist! Tina Harkness Tyler is our SOAR person at CCBHC he helps everyone on his team, without hesitation Tyler is very supportive, witty, caring and someone you can count on even if its a big or small task. In the absence of staff he will take over their responsibility, make sure all areas are covered so clients are still being cared for. He is very professional and know rules and regulations very well. He takes pride in his work. Tyler goes way beyond the call of duty and our team appreciates him very much. Very professional; very polite, always smiling; gets along with others very patient follows rules and laws with SSI. Thea Baglino |
| Joyce “Larayne” Wilson Customer Service Specialist – Chiefland Supervisor: Sheremah DeJesus Nomination Criteria: Excellence Joyce, better known as Larayne, is one of the most caring staff members I have on my team. She is always cheerful and willing to help the clients to the best of her ability and more. Joyce always goes out of her way for the clients, even to the point of finding local resources for them if we aren’t able to fully assist with their needs. All the Chiefland clients ask for her specifically when needing help rather its big or small, in their mind she is the only one that fully understands their needs. |