Jean Yang, MBA
As President & Chief Executive Officer of Vinfen, Jean Yang is responsible for the organization’s overall strategic direction, ensuring that it aligns with Vinfen’s core mission and is successfully delivered through rigorous operation, strong workforce development, market-leading innovation, and extensive collaboration with stakeholders across the health and human services sector.
Ms. Yang brings twenty years of healthcare experience spanning across payer, provider, and government entities. Prior to joining Vinfen in 2022, she spent five years as President of Public Plans at Point32Health, where she led the company’s division that provided health insurance to over 500,000 Medicaid and other low-income members. Ms. Yang’s experience also includes serving as the Executive Director of Boston Children’s Hospital’s Integrated Care Organization (CHICO) from 2015 to 2017 and leading the Massachusetts Health Connector Authority from 2010 to 2015, during which time she led the complex effort to implement the Affordable Care Act throughout the Commonwealth.
An active leader in health care policy, Ms. Yang has served on numerous Boards of healthcare organizations, including the Health Policy Commission, Group Insurance Commission, Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, and Massachusetts Health Quality Partners.
Ms. Yang is a first-generation immigrant from China. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Peking University of China and a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School.
Jeanne Russo, MA
Jeanne Russo, MA, has over 30 years of experience in the behavioral health field. For the last 25 years she has provided leadership to programs funded by the Department of Mental Health (DMH) in Massachusetts. Most significantly she provided oversight of the operations of a community-based mental health provider located in Chelsea MA; with an operating budget of 30 million dollars, serving 2000+ people through a variety of services. Over the last 15 years she has provided leadership to the staff and programs for the community-based services in the northeast area of Vinfen funded by the DMH; as well as outpatient services.
In July of 2019, she moved to the position of Senior Vice President of Community-Based Mental Health at Vinfen – providing leadership and operational oversight to programs and services that support over 5000+ people in a variety of settings. She has developed and designed community-based services in her varied roles to provide services and supports to adults with mental health conditions to live and work in their communities. These include fidelity-based models of PACT and ACT and Individualized Placement and Support, and the fidelity informed model of the Transition to Independence Program.
Ms. Russo has spent much of her career focused on providing services to people from underserved communities. Ms. Russo also spent ten years in the communities of Chelsea, Revere, East Boston, Winthrop, and Boston working with 50% newcomer populations that were primarily Hispanic in Chelsea and East Boston. She developed specialized outpatient, day treatment, and outreach support to this community as well as providing direct oversight to the Southeast Asian American Team, which was a collaborative group consisting of her current agency, North Suffolk Mental Health , Boston Children’s Hospital , and The Dimock Center . This team worked with Chinese, Cambodian, and Vietnamese immigrants and developed specialized outreach, outpatient, and housing support to this community. Ms. Russo also implemented a specialized outreach team that provided supported housing services to Deaf individuals. Her most recent scope of work prior to running the Division was in the northeast area of Massachusetts in the cities of Lawrence, Lowell, and Haverhill and surrounding towns. These cities and towns are diverse both culturally and ethnically and she is experienced in providing culturally competent services for persons that are bilingual and bicultural in Spanish and Khmer.
Jeanne received her Master of Counseling from Assumption College. She developed, designed, and implemented the Transitions to Independence Program (TIP) that serves transition age youth and young adults in a strength-based model in collaboration with Hewitt B. Clark, the model-developer. She worked collaboratively with the DMH and Children’s Friends and Family (now JRI ) to obtain the Healthy Transitions Grant known as YouForward – awarded to the DMH from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and has sat as a member on the Interagency Committee advising the program. She also sat on the Stakeholder Advisory Committee that informed the development of the community mental health system Adult Community Clinical Services.
Kim Shellenberger, MBA
Kim Shellenberger, MBA, has over 25 years of experience in program development, health improvement, and care system integration for underserved populations. As Chief Strategy Officer she leads Vinfen’s ongoing strategy development, planning work, and new service expansion.
Working with a Northeastern University team, she has consulted in the areas of population health and health and human services integration. She co-authored case studies of cross-sector, health improvement efforts addressing social determinants of health .
Prior to Vinfen, Ms. Shellenberger worked at Commonwealth Care Alliance , the Medicaid-Medicare health plan and health care delivery network, leading the development and implementation of its One Care program. She began her career in healthcare policy and advocacy working at the national organization, Community Catalyst . Her first job was working as a community organizer at Health Care For All , the health policy and advocacy organization, where she currently serves on the Board of Directors.
Ms. Shellenberger holds a Master of Business Administration from Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management .
Annette Kovamees
Annette Kovamees is the Vice President of Revenue and Financial Operations and oversees the areas of revenue cycle, controllership, procurement, accounts payable, and payroll. She joined Vinfen in August of 2022.
Ms. Kovamees’ 25+ years of professional experience includes leadership roles in accounting and finance within different industries such as software, managed care, healthcare & health insurance, internet retail, and commercial property management. She was the Controller for Beacon Health Strategies (now Beacon Health Options) and the Vice President of Financial Operations at Commonwealth Care Alliance.
Ms. Kovamees has extensive experience with continuously improving and streamlining financial and accounting operations through process review and implementation of (new) systems and procedures. She enjoys working collaboratively across functions to identify solutions to both large and small problems.
Ms. Kovamees has a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and strategic management from Lund University in Sweden.
Peggy Johnson, MD
As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Peggy Johnson leads the organization’s clinical strategy development and execution, ensuring that Vinfen’s community-based mental health and disability programs are positioned to deliver high-quality, clinically-focused, and person-centered services.
Dr. Johnson has an extensive background in caring for individuals with chronic mental health conditions, in both clinical and operational settings. Before joining Vinfen, she served as Vice President and Chief of Psychiatry for Commonwealth Care Alliance (CCA), where she was instrumental in driving strategic initiatives to better support individuals with mental health conditions. Prior to her work at Commonwealth Care Alliance, she spent several years serving as Vice President of Psychiatric Services at Boston Medical Center, the largest safety net institution in New England. Dr. Johnson began her career as a public sector psychiatrist with a focus on those with chronic and persistent mental health conditions.
Dr. Johnson trained in general adult psychiatry at Harvard Medical School’s Cambridge Hospital Psychiatry Residency Program. She holds a BS from University of Houston and an MD from Baylor College of Medicine. She has received numerous awards and honors – including the Marie Feltin Award, the NAMI Exemplary Psychiatrist Award, and the Massachusetts Psychiatrist Society’s Outstanding Psychiatrist Award – and has served as a lecturer at a number of institutions.
Joseph F. Gomes, MA
Joseph Gomes, MA has worked for Vinfen since August 22, 1983. Mr. Gomes’ tenure with Vinfen has spanned all aspects of services from operating behaviorally challenging residential programs, to overseeing day teams as the Senior Director of Service for the Metro-South Cluster of Residential Programs and the Developmental Services Division’s Day Services. Mr. Gomes’ clinical training and background has helped to drive the direction of clinical services within the Developmental Services Division.
Mr. Gomes has a Master Degree in Agency Counseling and Educational Psychology. Prior to joining Vinfen, he spent two years in Providence, Rhode Island working for the Judge Rotenberg Center , formally the Behavior Research Institute, where he received extensive training in Applied Behavior Analysis. Mr. Gomes is currently the Senior Vice President of the Developmental and Brain Injury Services at Vinfen and continues to drive clinical excellence.
Elizabeth Cella, MS
Elizabeth Cella, MS is the Vice President of Integrated Care and Innovation at Vinfen and has provided leadership, clinical supervision, and program development for a wide array of services and programs at Vinfen over the past 25 years.
Ms. Cella oversees programs in care integration, including One Care Health Home, Housing Flexible Services, and Vinfen’s Behavioral Health Community Partner and Long-Term Services and Support service models. She is also responsible for the development of new services, innovative technology programs and grants, as well as state and federally funded research studies with a specialty focus on integrated healthcare transformation and technology to enhance service delivery.
Ms. Cella earned a master’s degree in psychiatric rehabilitation counseling from Boston University.
Lauren Falls, LICSW
Lauren Falls, LICSW, is Vice President of Behavioral Health Services. She leads the Behavioral Health division, including Vinfen’s outpatient clinics, and is responsible for the integration of behavioral health service within Vinfen programs as well as with external service providers.
Ms. Falls has over 25 years of experience in leadership roles both within the provider and payor worlds. She brings to Vinfen a deep knowledge and understanding from working in a variety of settings including managed care and accountable care organizations and behavioral health inpatient, outpatient, and addiction treatment settings. Ms. Falls is experienced in implementing strategies and programs to improve health care delivery and outcomes. With this extensive background, Ms. Falls understands that care needs to be approached in a holistic frame and must address the bio-psycho-social needs of an individual and their family and that medical, behavioral, and health-related social needs must be addressed concurrently.
Ms. Falls has a Master of Social Work from Simmons School of Social Work and is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LICSW).
Rob Crane, MS
Rob Crane, MS, is the Vice President and Executive Director of Vinfen Connecticut. He oversees the entirety of Vinfen’s Connecticut program, both in day-to-day operations and in developing and implementing strategic plans for the organization.
Mr. Crane’s career with Vinfen began over 28 years ago as a relief overnight staff at Bayview Inn. Since then he has made a steady progression up through the organization in Massachusetts before moving to Connecticut. Mr. Crane was also an essential part of the team who established Vinfen CT in 2000. Twenty years later, Vinfen CT is a reputable and well-respected provider of the state’s Developmental Disability Services (DDS) and Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS).
Mr. Crane has a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy and has extensive experience working with people experiencing homelessness and substance use challenges.
Jon Burt
Jon Burt joined Vinfen in March 2014 as the Director of Information Technology, was promoted to Vice President of Information Technology in October 2014, and then to Chief Information Officer in 2017. Mr. Burt oversees all facets of the Information Technology (IT) Department at Vinfen, including strategic planning, IT Operations, project management, vendor management, customer service, database management, and report design/development.
Mr. Burt started working in IT on the Help Desk, and his experience in the field runs the gambit from individual contribution and contract technical work through higher-level supervisory jobs. His employer experience spans multiple industries including financial consulting, software development, security systems manufacturing, and healthcare. Prior to Vinfen, he was employed at Vision Government Solutions Inc , where he served as both the Director of Business Operations and the Customer Support Manager; an executive role with oversight of the Providence, RI business operations, company-wide external customer support and internal IT functions.
Prior to entering the IT industry, Mr. Burt worked for several years in the United States Merchant Marine as a US Coast Guard Licensed Deck Officer working aboard sailing ships, managing deck operations, teaching marine education, and working with nonprofit organizations serving youth at risk and adjudicated youth.
Kathy Krysiak, JD
Kathy Krysiak, JD, has over 15 years of human resources management, training, compliance, and employment law experience. She first joined Vinfen in 2012 as a Human Resources Manager and was quickly promoted in 2013 to the Director of Human Resources. In 2016, Ms. Krysiak was promoted to Vice President of Human Resources and in 2022 she was promoted to Senior Vice President of Human Resources.
Prior to Vinfen, she was a Human Resources Manager at the YMCA of Greater Boston and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ’s Department of Physics. In addition, Ms. Krysiak served as an Associate in the Litigation and Employment Group at Gesmer Updegrove LLP , formally known as Lucash Gesmer & Updegrove LLP, and an Associate at the boutique labor and employment law firm of Coffman Coleman Andrews & Grogan PA.
Ms. Krysiak received both a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies and a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University . At Georgetown University Law Center, she served as the Administrative Editor of the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics. She is a member of the Virginia, Florida, and Massachusetts Bar Associations as well as for the Society for Human Resources Management and the Northeast Human Resources Association .
Madeline Becker, PhD
Madeline Becker, PhD, is the Senior Vice President of Quality and Compliance at Vinfen. Dr. Becker serves on the executive team and supervises the operations of the Quality and Compliance Department. She also serves as the Corporate Compliance Officer reporting directly to the Board of Directors overseeing matters related to adherence with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Dr. Becker serves as the Privacy Officer for the organization.
Dr. Becker manages current clinical information systems including development, reporting, training, and lead efforts to identify and procure additional clinical systems to support operations. She is responsible for the leadership, direction, and oversight of the Internal Audit Program helping ensure the development and implementation of the audit plan and manage the process to review research activities for appropriate use of company resources and compliance with all pertinent laws and regulations. Dr. Becker provides analytic support and thought leadership to new business efforts and represents Vinfen by leading and participating in external working groups or committees.
Dr. Becker holds a doctorate degree in Psychology from Boston University and has presented at numerous national and regional conferences and meetings.
Don Condie, MD
As Medical Director of Vinfen, Don Condie, MD provides senior mental health and medical leadership to all of Vinfen programs. This includes the development, implementation, and monitoring of medical, mental health, and clinical policies and services; quality improvement; and risk management activities. He assists in program development and in communications with the Executive Office of Health and Human Services departments , the people Vinfen serves, other care-giving institutions and professionals, and the general community as needed.
Dr. Condie received his MD from Louisiana State University Medical School in 1982. He trained at Massachusetts Mental Health Center in adult, child, and adolescent Forensic Psychiatry. Dr. Condie has been practicing in Massachusetts since 1983. He has had extensive experience working with both children and adults with severe mental health conditions.
Prior to working at Vinfen, Dr. Condie practiced at Massachusetts General Hospital for 23 years and at Brockton Multiservice Center in the Crisis Unit for more than 20 years. He was the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Child Psychiatrist for the Southeastern Area for 10 years. Dr. Condie is a past President of the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association .
Lurleen Gannon, Esq.
Lurleen Gannon, Esq. serves as Vice President and General Counsel for Vinfen Corporation and its affiliated entities. In her role as General Counsel, she oversees all of Vinfen’s legal matters, including contracts, litigation, employment law counseling, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and risk management.
Prior to Vinfen, Lurleen served as First Deputy General Counsel for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority , where she advised MBTA and MassDOT senior leaders on a wide range of legal and business matters. Before the MBTA, Lurleen was in private practice as a commercial litigator for many years at Conn Kavanaugh in Boston. Lurleen currently serves as chair of the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts (WBA) In-House Counsel Committee and is also a member of the WBA’s Awards & Recognition Committee. She also is a past President and Executive Board Member of the WBA, a past Board Member of the Boston College Law School Alumni Association, and a past Board Member of Young Audiences of Massachusetts . She also is a frequent speaker on topics of interest to in-house counsel and other healthcare providers.
Lurleen received her Bachelor of Arts (with honors) in psychology from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada in 1999 and a Juris Doctorate from Boston College Law School in Newton, Massachusetts in 2002.
Patricia Cooper, MBA
Pat Cooper, MBA, is Vice President of Real Estate for Vinfen. In this role, she is responsible for planning and directing all property acquisition, disposition, affordable housing, leasing, construction, and facilities management activities for the organization.
Ms. Cooper brings 35 years of real estate expertise to her role at Vinfen, overseeing a portfolio of 500+ residential and commercial locations. Her experience includes leadership positions in commercial, residential, industrial, and retail property administration and management. Prior to joining Vinfen, Ms. Cooper served as Vice President at Trammell Crow Company and Senior Manager of Property Management and Leasing at Harvard University .
Ms. Cooper earned a Masters of Business Administration from Simmons School of Management . She is a licensed Real Estate Broker and an active member in CREW Boston (Commercial Real Estate Women).
Julie Banda, MPH
As the Vice President of Communications & Development at Vinfen, Julie Banda, MPH, is responsible for developing and implementing strategic marketing plans to communicate company mission, vision, goals, initiatives, and achievements; further company visibility; raise awareness; and drive fundraising. She oversees the company’s brand identity and defines the vision and editorial strategy for Vinfen websites, social media channels, special events, newsletters, print and email marketing, press releases, talking points, video scripts, fundraising appeals, donor communications, acknowledgements, and advertisements.
Ms. Banda comes to us with over 20 years of marketing, brand strategy, research, program development, and management expertise in the public health sector. Prior to joining Vinfen, Ms. Banda served as Director of Brand Strategy and Research at MORE Advertising and has held roles at precisioneffect , Health Resources in Action , and Massachusetts Institute of Technology .
Ms. Banda has a Master of Public Health specializing in social and behavioral sciences from Boston University .
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